Toy Marbles
Small and round, marbles have long been a collector's item. Known for their distinctive designs and colours, kids have played games with marbles for years (or even centuries), as well as collected and traded these portable toys. Typically made of glass, but sometimes made of plastic or even clay, marbles can be either handmade or made by machines. Marbles come in varied sizes, which only adds to their collectibility. Vintage marbles are also fun items to collect.
Marble BrandsThere are a few popular marble manufacturers to keep in mind as you browse. These include Bandai, Cardinal, Marble King and MEGA, to name a few. Champion is a creator of vintage marbles, and Sam Hogue creates collectible marbles as well as small marble stands. Jabo marbles are known for their distinctive colour patterns, and many of these are known as shooter marbles.
Marble Colours and DesignsOne of the most enjoyable parts of collecting marbles is finding marbles with designs that stand out. Multi-coloured marbles may contain swirls or patterns that mimic animals, such as tiger stripes. Some marbles are made to look like other objects, like fire, while cat-eye marbles have swirls inside the glass. There are also solid-coloured marbles, in addition to metallics and clear designs. Speckled marbles are eye-catching, as are marbles that feature characters from Star Wars or the Peanuts comics. Some collector's marbles offer colours inspired by shows such as Star Trek, and there are even glow-in-the-dark marbles and UV-light-reactive designs.
Marble SetsOne way to get many marbles at once is by purchasing marbles as a set. This can mean buying marbles in bulk either in one colour or in a variety of designs, or purchasing sets inspired by a particular design, such as a set of MEGA marbles coloured to look like a penguin or a specific fish. There are also sets of shooter marbles or classic marble sets that feature vintage marbles.
Marble GamesMarbles are integral to many types of games, and you can purchase marble games to enhance your collection and enjoy using marbles in gameplay. For instance, you could buy a classic set of marbles meant for a traditional marbles game, which includes 24 player marbles and one large shooter marble. Other marble games include solitaire, Chinese checkers, Marble Racer, Tiddlywinks and jacks.