Glass Marbles Glass from
The Glass Encyclopedia

Glass Marbles: A short explanation

Marbles are small balls of colored or decorated glass which are either intended for playing the ancient game of marbles or as collector's items. They can be mass produced or hand-made. One ancient method of making colored marbles was to put a mixture of sand and charcoal into an iron mould shaped like a marble and place small pieces from glass canes into this mixture, then heat and rotate the mould to melt and fuse all the edges. The marble was polished when it was cold.

Today there are glass artists who specialise in making marbles, and their creations can be really spectacular, like the limited edition "Zebra Swallowtail" marble by Drew Fritts shown at the top of this page. Most hand-made marbles today are cut from a glass cane containing the design, and then heated and rounded. Alternatively, they may be created individually on the end of a punty rod, like making a paperweight.

If you are looking for glass marbles you can often find items on offer on ebay - click here to see the glass marbles listings currently offered on ebay.

The items below are for sale right now on eBay - we thought you would like to see these examples.

Here are some books on marbles for collectors. Just click on the book covers for more information.

The first (top left) is Greenberg's Guide to Marbles by Webb and Randall, 1995. Next to it is Aggies, Immies, Shooters, and Swirls: The Magical World of Marbles, by Marilyn Barrett. On the right of the top row is Everett Grist's Machine Made and Contemporary Marbles.



Next is Everitt Grist's Antique and Collectible Marbles. And in the middle of the second row is Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles which is a comprehensive guide to mables. The last book on the right is Marbles : Identification and Price Guide 2nd edition, March 98, by Robert Block

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INFORMATION about Bagley Glass!
At last a book on Bagley Glass. The first edition of this book sold out very quickly.

The 2nd Edition is now available and has received a rave response - more information, more and better pictures, new items identified as Bagley for the first time, a helpful index, and more compehensive coverage; - so much so that there is no need for a supporting CD, which brings the price lower! A truly comprehensive guide to help you identify Bagley Glass. Click on picture for more details. 2nd Edition US$33.90 plus pp.

INFORMATION about New Zealand Glass ! Including many original catalog pictures and dozens of photographs. NOW available - this is the first paperback edition of the book and it covers many contemporary New Zealand glass artists as well as the history of glass in New Zealand, Crown Crystal Glass and New Zealand bottles. Price US$29.90 plus pp.

Tiara Glass Collectors' INFORMATION

Click on the picture for more details. This CD includes original catalogs and advertising leaflets. There are now at least seven full catalogs, five leaflets, and the 1995 Tiara Product Information Manual.

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