Christensen Marbles
The Christensen Agate Company was founded in 1925 in Ohio and operated until 1931. Their mix of craftsmanship, science and innovation produced vividly beautiful marbles that many today consider the artistic peak of machine made toy marble production. Their short lifespan as a company helps explain why their marbles are so rare and valuable today.
Christensen Agate Company marbles, nicknamed CACs by collectors, are famous for their splashes of vivid, exotic colors which are strikingly modern even by today's standards. Due to their beauty and limited production, a mint condition Christensen marble such as the rare 'Guinea' can fetch more than $1,000.
Another company, M.F. Christensen & Son Co., also produced marbles in Ohio, from 1904 until about 1917. They only produced a limited line of marbles, most famously the imitation onyx style. But they are credited with creating the first fully automated machine made marble process in 1902.
Besides the coveted Guinea marbles, Christensen Agate made beautiful swirl marbles that sometimes came out with exotic layered 'flame' patterns. They also produced other beautiful marble styles such as the striped transparent, striped opaque, and submarine.
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