It's hard to believe that you had to use an outside toilet not so very long ago. It's even harder to believe that anyone would go digging around in the accumulated "stuff" decades later to find a privy marble! You Dug It Up Where? was one of our most popular emagazine stories. This old privy marble has a story. The dealer we … [Read more...] about Marble History Flashback: Privy Marbles
It’s Not All Rocket Science
Have you ever walked away from buying a marble that you really like? If it wasn't the price that discouraged you, perhaps it was the lack of provenance or the absence of a signature on an obviously hand made marble. Marble "buyers" frequently think about marbles as "investments" and they approach purchases armed with a list of … [Read more...] about It’s Not All Rocket Science
Nikolai’s Marbles: Analytic Comments
Co-Author: Wendy Leyn, Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke), West Flanders, Belgium Marbles in Russia? If you have been following the story line about Russian marbles, you will understand that there is a lot behind this story in addition to researching their history. You can catch up with the story line at Has Nikolai Lost His Marbles? and … [Read more...] about Nikolai’s Marbles: Analytic Comments
Searching For Nikolai’s Marbles
Co-Author: Wendy Leyn, Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke), West Flanders, Belgium This story is a companion to “Has Nikolai Lost His Marbles?”. In that first story we started a review of the literature about Russian marbles and we collected reports from a number of experts and university-based academicians in the fields of phonetics, … [Read more...] about Searching For Nikolai’s Marbles
Has Nikolai Lost His Marbles?
Courtesy of Bart Hendrickx, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy – Ghent University,Ghent, Belgium Co-Author: Wendy Leyn, Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke), West Flanders, Belgium Editors: It is with deep sadness that we tell you that our dear friend Wendy Leyn has died due to heart failure. Wendy was a friend, a colleague, and one of the most … [Read more...] about Has Nikolai Lost His Marbles?
Time Rolls Like a Marble: Marbles in Colonial America & the Revolution
Book image courtesy of the Library of Congress Note: This post was revised September 17th to include new photos and research. New material is at end. You’re Looking for the Wrong War! There is a long back story [1] to how we came to study marbles and marble gaming in the American Colonies and then on into the eventual … [Read more...] about Time Rolls Like a Marble: Marbles in Colonial America & the Revolution
Dimple Shooting Belgians: Their First Marble Festival
In the recent post Dimple Shooting in Belgium we introduced Wendy Leyn of Zandvoorde in West Flanders Belgium. Wendy lives in the old boys' school of Zandvoorde which was rebuilt after the total destruction of the first world war (14-18). He told us about the upcoming first Belgian Marble Festival planned for August, where they … [Read more...] about Dimple Shooting Belgians: Their First Marble Festival
2023 Rolley Hole Championship
National Rolley Hole Championshop September 16, 2023 Standing Stone State Park, Tennessee Thanks, Marble Lance for the reminder! We attended in 2016, had a table and traded marbles! Had a wonderful time! Jo even participated in the ringer tournament. Learned all kinds of things about rolley hole and how important it has been … [Read more...] about 2023 Rolley Hole Championship
Dimple Shooting in Belgium: A Photo
In our recent story “Dimple Shooting in Belgium” we lamented the fact that we could not locate a picture of either children or adults playing marbles in Belgium. Well, we never did find one. However, Ellen Ryckx at Het Huis van Alijn (Aline's House) in Ghent did! Ellen is a dedicated, resourceful, and researcher and we thank her … [Read more...] about Dimple Shooting in Belgium: A Photo
Dimple Shooting in Belgium
While we always like to hear from readers, an email we recently received was special. The sender lives in Zandvoorde (West Flemish: Zanvôorde) which is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The rural village is a part of the municipality of Zonnebeke. We have been to this part of Belgium and we know that the area is … [Read more...] about Dimple Shooting in Belgium
Lauscha and Ilmenau Marbles
Think About It Do you have any brand new machine-made marbles from either Ilmenau or Laschau glass houses in Germany? Neither do we. But why not? Why can’t we buy new German machine-made marbles? Did you ever think about this? “This is the end of a story that even people who are not usually amazed at anything may refuse to believe. … [Read more...] about Lauscha and Ilmenau Marbles
What Can Character Marbles Teach Us?
Character, comic, and advertising marbles are hotly debated in the collecting world. There is often a search for relevance: Is the marble real or is it a fake? While the answer to this question determines the monetary value for any of these marbles, it is less important in determining its relevance. Oh, No! It’s A Fake! So what if … [Read more...] about What Can Character Marbles Teach Us?
