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Marble Collecting

Collecting antique marbles which double up as classic children’s toys is a hobby for many who like the myriad colors of antique marbles glistening in the sun. Antique marbles have their own unique appeal and make for pretty and festive play pieces. Marbles have the capacity to turn grown up men into boys and can revive the “good old days” of childhood. By collecting antique marbles, youngsters gain a lot of eye-opening experience about the past and what toys were like in previous generations.
Collecting antique marbles shouldn’t be too difficult with the proliferation of the internet, online marble selling stores, appraisal websites and collector stores. You can also visit internet forums which contain discussions on marbles and in these forums you can put forward questions like prices and value of antique marbles, places from where you can purchase antique marbles or collect them etc.
In order to collect marbles seriously, one should brush up their knowledge of marbles and marble collecting, especially if you wish to become a knowledgeable marble collector. If you want your child to pick up the hobby of marble collection, then you should settle for a starter set of marbles. The marbles which are usually collected are of 2 kinds – machine made and hand crafted. You can add to your knowledge of marbles by reading up books, magazines, e-books and articles on websites or article directories. Of course the ultimate source of information will come from an experienced marble collector.
A good place to start hunting for antique marbles is at garage sales or second hand stores. New collections of antique marbles are also sold by specialty stores and if you are looking for monochromatic marbles then you can purchase a set of Chinese Checkers game, however these are mostly play toys and not exactly collectors’ items.
Another great place to try out is an antique store which is sure to keep hundreds of varieties of different types, colors and styles of antique marbles, more or less always sourced from people who were youngsters toward the beginning of the 20th century – a time when marble collection as a hobby was pretty popular. Antique marbles found in antique stores are available in a wide price range and a marble enthusiast antique dealer can assist you in getting started.
There are countless online stores selling antique marbles of different types, including marblesonline.com. There are basic marbles as well as very expensive collectors’ favorites. You can check out the photos in online stores to get an idea about the look of the marbles of your choice and you can ask other more experienced collectors about the exact price of these marbles that have caught your eye.
If you want a great bargain on marbles and want to purchase them cheap, you would do better by checking out the yard sales, garage sales, online auctions and flea markets. Often at yard sales and flea markets, someone will bring a jar full of marbles and they may be unaware of their value. Most often, marble shows and antique toy shows held at schools, VFW halls, American Legion halls and church halls are good places to acquire antique marbles.

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Dave Wills is author of this article on Antique Marbles. Find more information about Collectible Marbles here.

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