How Agate Marbles are Dyed
I was thumbing through some 1944 issues of The Desert Magazine when I stumbled upon descriptions of how agate was dyed red, blue, or green in Idar, Germany. Presumably this month-long process was likely the same one used to dye the prized agate marbles that were hand-cut in Idar-Oberstein.
I am posting these recipes here for novelty purposes, under the assumption that nobody is going to go hand-cut an agate marble and dye it using these recipes. If you do, please be very careful. And be sure to send me a photo of your finished product when you're done.
Cherry Wood Chinese Checkers Boards Made in USA
I have finally found a source for affordable, high quality wooden Chinese checkers boards to display my marbles on. They are made of cherry wood in Vermont by Maple Landmark, Inc.
They make two different boards. The two-person board, pictured on the right holding some of my Peltier marbles, has 81 holes and is 12" long by 7 ½ wide and ¾ deep. It weighs 1 lb 1oz and comes with 20 marbles.
Their standard board (left) has 121 holes and is 11.5" wide and ¾" deep. It weighs 2 lbs 3 oz and comes with 60 marbles.
The finish, while not as dark as I would prefer, is smooth and natural. The lacquer allows the seated marbles to spin easily so you can show their best face.
The spacing and depth of the holes are are designed for 5/8" marbles. You might squeeze a couple of larger ones in but even the 5/8" ones can be a bit tricky to pick out. Be careful to avoid bumps when moving them on the board!
I bought the two-person board for only $19 + S&H from Green Goods, which has the lowest price I could find. They also sell the larger standard board for just $28 + S&H.
No Comments »Original Boxes of German Handmade Marbles
Once again Morphy's Auction offers an opportunity to both drool over and bid on some rare marble items. This time in their February 2010 online catalog they have an assortment of original German handmade marbles boxes, including a salesman's sample case.
It's a wonder these antique marbles survived, much less their boxes! Now I can really imagine what the children of the late 19th/early 20th century saw when they peeked over the counter at the boxes of marbles.
No Comments »Dirty Jobs Marbles Episode Creating JABO Eagles
Dirty Jobs finally aired the marbles episode on December 8th. It was originally filmed in November 2008 at the JABO factory.
Mike Rowe helped the crew create a very vibrant run of marbles called "Eagles". They are loaded with aventurine and have been for sale on eBay since 2008, though I expect the value will increase now that the show has aired. Right now it looks like you can still grab some for around $5 each.
If you missed this fantastic little bit of marble history, keep an eye out for a repeat on Tuesday, December 15th. Here is a sneak peak from the show:
Tis the Season for Marbles
Toy marbles have been given at Christmas for generations. They make great stocking stuffers and would make a special gift for the child or grandchild who might not have had a chance to appreciate the beauty and fun of glass marbles.
Few toy stores carry good marbles anymore so you'll have to either use eBay to scout out some lots of marbles or head over to Land of Marbles and pick up some color Mega Marble Nets or a large lot of colorful Marble Assortments.
Santa probably won't be getting me any marbles for Christmas. Not because I've been bad, but because I'm being good and trying to save up for when the next marble show comes to town.
It sure hasn't been easy.
Maybe I can buy my daughter a big mixed lot of marbles. I'll just pick out the vintage marbles to take care of them until she's old enough to appreciate antiques...
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