Yes, marbles. Like from the dime store. Only now days, lamp work artists create one of a kind, hand-made glass marbles with beautiful patterns. Search for handmade glass marbles on the Internet and look at the images. These are beautiful creations by really talented people. Some represent the earth seen from space, some look like tide pools, and others are delicate patterns of color.

Marbles come in a variety of sizes.

You can find antique marbles, but take a serious look at the marbles being created today. These marbles are usually larger than mass produced game marbles. They will be shooter size or larger. Not intended to be played with, many are over one inch in diameter. Take note of the sizes when you are looking at the marbles available for purchase. Keep and English/metric ruler available to very visually the size of the marble displayed.

This marble may be machine or artist made.

Look at marbles by many artists, and see what sizes they produce. These can seem expensive, at $20 to $100, but as hand-made collectibles of real beauty, they are worth it. Buying a marble created today ensures perfect condition, where antiques are most likely going to have scratches.

Three cat's eye marbles.

Find an artist you particularly like and watch his/her offerings over time. This will give you a feel for the way the artist handles color and pattern, and how varied his/her patterns are.

Transparent marbles are also known as "puries."

Once you decide what kind or which artists’ marbles you would like to collect, take the plunge. With the Internet, you can buy directly from the artist or from a gallery. Lamp work artist marbles are also available from galleries and the gift shops of museums. Check out the local glass studios. They probably have marble makers.

Another cat's eye marble.

Once you purchase your marbles, some care should be taken to preserve their condition. Display them carefully. Threaten all children and adults about the drastic punishment waiting for the fools who attempt to play with the marbles. Handle carefully. Polish with a soft cloth and no cleaners, if cleaning is necessary. No not microwave, drop in boiling water or place on a hot skillet. (These things have been done to marbles in the past. If you HAVE to see what happens, use dime store marbles, not art marbles.)

Opaque marbles.

If, horrors!, a marble becomes damaged, contact the creator to see if repair is possible. It is unlikely, but check just in case. If you particularly like the damaged one, the artist may be willing to recreate it.

Again, keep any identifying packaging and papers that come with the marble. Even the return address from the box and the sales receipt may prove important at a later date to identify the marble to a possible buyer. Keep a log of the marbles you buy, with price, date of purchase, artist, place purchased, and a note of the packing materials kept. This log will help you remember these details as well as show the growth of your collection.

Minor note: you should also buy the playing marbles, including cats eye marbles, old glass marbles, and antique glass marbles. Even marble glass, leftover from the marble making process, can be an interesting addition to a marble collect.

* * * Find information about cheap toys for kids. * * *

* * * More about cool usb toys. * * *

The images on this post are from Stock Xchnge.

Go to the Table of Contents to see all topics covered so far.

Click glass collectibles to go to the most recent entry on this site.