West Virginia Marble Collector's Club Show 2019 The 2019 Show was held at the Comfort Suites Hotel, Mineral Wells, WV Back to past shows/events

West Virginia Marble Collectors' Club Show 05-02-26 Mineral Wells Comfort Inn & Suites. WV Back to past shows/events

Marble King Original Operation, St. Marys, WV 1949 - 1958 . Paden City, WV 1958 - Presently in operation. Marble King was chartered and did purchase the successful marble making business from Lawrence E. Alley in 1949. They initially packaged remaining Alley marbles, as well as Peltier marbles before producing marbles on the Alley Machinery. They would soon purchase the Master Glass Machines. Marble King's engineering of the Cat Eye method of production in 1955 helped keep Marble King, as well as some other manufacturers in the marble making business. On January 6, 1958, the Marble King factory was destroyed by Fire. The surviving machinery and equipment were soon moved to Paden City, WV., where Marble King operates to this day. Click on images for expanded view/notable information. Back to Marble Identification Berry Pink, 1" Bumblebee Cat's Eye, Blue AV Cat's Eye, Cross Through Cookies & Cream, mint green Cubscout Dragonfly Girlscout Hybrid Hybrid Spiderman Spiderman Tiger/Bengal Tiger Black Widow/Wasp

C.E. Bogard & Sons The Bogard Company C. E. Bogard & Sons, Cairo, WV 1971 - 1983. The Bogard Company, Cairo, WV, and Nutter Farm, WV 1983 - 1986 . Reno, Ohio 1986 - 1987 Incorporated in 1967, in 1971 C.E. Bogard & Sons purchased the Heaton Agate Company, to which they renamed, C.E. Bogard & Sons. Remaining Heaton inventory in the form of labelled poly bags, were labelled over and sold as Bogard. They produced their own Cat Eye, opaque, transparent, and "Imitation Onionskins", along with Industrial marbles. Industrial paint can marbles made of glass, was a change from metal balls, largely due to the convincing by Jack Bogard, to the aerosol can industry. In 1983 Jack Bogard became sole shareholder and the company was renamed The Bogard Co. In 1983, gas prices in Cairo forced a move to the Nutter Farm, WV. Issues at the new site prompted a return to Cairo with many efficiency improvements that proved not enough to endure. In late 1986, operations were moved to Reno, OH, where bigger changes were ahead. The continued saga of Jack Bogard can be read at the gallery page JABO Inc., "Classics". Click on images for expanded view/notable information. Back to Marble Packaging Main Cat's Eye Poly bag

The Vitro Agate Co. Vienna, WV 1932 - 1945 Parkersburg, WV 1945 - 1987 Anacortes, WA 1987 - 1992 Williamstown, WV 1992-2004 The history of the Vitro Agate Co. is a long and complicated one that is best detailed in the publication 'American Machine Made Marbles'. The array of standardized types is likewise wide and diverse. Most commonly manufactured as variations of patch design, Vitro Agate also adapted and produced Cat's Eye marbles. Click on images for expanded view/ notable information. Back to Marble Packaging Main Net bag, promotional Net bag, promotional Net bag, promotional Net bag, promotional Net bag, promotional Net bag, promotional Poly bag Poly bag Poly bag 100 count set, Tri-lite 100 count set, Tri-lite Rosenthal player set Jewel tray package Jewel tray package Treasure chest set

The Vitro Agate Co. Vienna, WV 1932 - 1945 Parkersburg, WV 1945 - 1987 Anacortes, WA 1987 - 1992 Williamstown, WV 1992-2004 The history of the Vitro Agate Co. is a long and complicated one that is best detailed in the publication "American Machine Made Marbles". The array of standardized types is likewise wide and diverse. Most commonly manufactured as variations of patch design, Vitro Agate also adapted and produced Cat's Eye marbles. Click on images for expanded view/ notable information. Back to Marble Identification Abalone, 5/8" All Red Black line, 5/8" All Red Black line, Oxblood, 5/8" All Red, 5/8" All Red, 5/8" All Red, blended, 5/8" Alligator Eye, 5/8" Antiblackie, 5/8" Antiblackie, 5/8" Antiblackie, 5/8" Antiblackie, 5/8" Antiblackie, 5/8" Aquamarine, 5/8" Aquamarine, 5/8" Biscuits & Red Eyed Gravy, 5/8" Biscuits & Red Eyed Gravy, 63/64" Black Eyed Pea, 3/4" Black Eyed Pea, 11/16" Blackie, 5/8" Blackie, 5/8" Blackie, 7/8" Blackie, 7/8" Blackie, 27/32" Blackie, 57/64" Blue Devil, 15/16"

Akro Agate Akro Agate, Akron, Ohio 1910 - 1914. Clarksburg, WV 1914 - 1951. Another of the early marble manufactures that initially made transitional, hand gathered style. It is unclear, but likely Akro did not produce their own marbles, but rather packaged and sold M.F. Christensen marbles until the move to Clarksburg, WV, where their first commercial production began. It was Akro Agate that was first to patent and use the fully automated process. Akro also introduced the exclusive "Spinner cup" mechanism, creating the corkscrew pattern. Along with Corkscrews, Akro produced Solid, Glassie, Swirl and Patch types. As referenced below, a two-color opaque corkscrew is referred to as "Prize name". A three-color opaque corkscrew is referred to as "Special". For whatever reason, Akro corkscrews are the only marble with a consensus accepting a white base as a counted color. Normally, clear transparent and white base marbles' base color is not counted as a color. Click on images for expanded view/ notable information. Back to Marble Identification Ace, Hybrid Auger, Onyx Blue Onyx Oxblood Blue Oxblood Blueblood Cherryade Crow Eggyolk Oxblood Eggyolk Oxblood Eggyolk Oxblood Four color Green Brick Lemonade Lemonade Oxblood, partial UV image Lemonade Oxblood Lemonade Oxblood Leopard, Dug type Limeade Oxblood Limeade Oxblood Limeade Oxblood Limeade Oxblood Limeade, Patch Milky Oxblood Mossie Patch Mossie Patch

Alley Agate Here we'll see some of the earliest bagged types produced by Alley Agate, including the earlier mesh type and some of the first, later produced 'Poly' bags. Poly is abbreviated from polyester. Vintage poly bags will have a single, flapped seam on the back side, later replaced by modern, seamless bags. Header cards will exhibit older print technology and paper stock, as well as round, not flat fastening staples. Round staples alone, are not an indicator of age, as some modern examples utilize vintage staples. One must revert to the bag type for clarification. The Lawrence Glass Novelty Co. Paden City, WV 1929 - 1931. The Lawrence Glass Novelty Co. Sistersville, WV 1931 - 1932. Alley Agate Co. Pennsboro, WV 1931 - 1937. Alley Agate Co. St. Marys, WV 1937 - 1946 Reorganized as Alley Glass Manufacturing St. Marys, WV 1947 - 1948. In 1949, the deed to the St. Marys factory was transferred to Berry Pink and on June 27, 1949, the business was officially dissolved. Alleys are well known as a swirl type, though patch styles were also produced, notably at the St. Marys location. Click on images for expanded view/ notable information. Back to Marble Packaging Main Mesh bag Mesh bag Mesh bag Marble assortment bag Bottle hanger header poly bag Bottle hanger header poly bag Poly bag Poly bag Poly bag

Gallery Marble Identification Marble Packaging Kidz Club Past Shows/Events

Dave's Appalachian Swirls Having produced machine made marbles with Champion Agate and JABO, Inc., Dave McCullough's partnership in marble manufacturing with Sammy's Mountain Marbles would end and Dave would waste little time starting up his own operation in Pennsboro, WV. With his right-hand man Richard McKnight in tow, investments from previous JABO contract run investors would make possible a new 3/4" machine and equipment to be established on property having natural gas rights owned by Dave. They would produce their first 3/4" test run on May 4th, 2014, with the 'Ole Dawgs' crew. Successive runs, including test runs, as well as other crew runs would occur in rather high frequency of two, to three runs per month in the first year alone. Initial productions were hampered by new equipment issues that created a high number of anomalous patterns and cold roll defects. These patterns were of two opposing, mirrored twists in which many resembled the spiraling horns of a Ram. They were, however, fairly attractive and unique, soon coined "Ram's Head" swirls. An eventual retooling of the machine rollers would greatly reduce the occurrence of Ram's Head swirls, and Dave's Appalachian Swirls, AKA 'DAS' marbles, would continue producing some of the most colorful swirl type glass marbles, seen to this day. In similar fashion as the previous Jabo, Inc. contract runs, and to the delight of many, the DAS partnership continued to bring in more marble enthusiasts to see first hand, as well as participate in the production of glass marbles. With Dave McCullough's passing, October 13, 2024, the future of DAS marbles is unclear. Click on images for expanded view/notable information. More to come. Colors charts by Kugler , Oceanside , Reichenbach Back to Marble Identification 2014, 09-23, 3/4" FABB Ablaze 2014, 09-29, 3/4" True North Fall Classics 2014, 10-30, 3/4" Experimental run. 2019, 04-29, 3/4" Pennsboro Buddies 2019, 06-06, 3/4" Color Storm 2019, 09-23, 3/4" Thanks Jim King 2021, 05-21, 3/4" Appalachian Harmony 2023, 10-23, 3/4" Cannonball run Ram's Head pattern Ram's Head pattern Ram's Head pattern Ram's Head pattern Ram's Head pattern group

Davis Marble Company Pennsboro, WV 1947 - 1948 A short lived venture built from the ground up. The Davis Marble Company successfully began producing swirl type marbles, to then find local marble prices were beginning to fall. In a tightening market with inflating operating costs, Davis was forced to close the doors. An excerpt from the history as described in "American Machine Made Marbles", explains in an effort to move product, ninety percent of their marbles were sold in a single transaction at a loss. That order shipped directly to Puerto Rico, leaving them much harder for U.S. collectors to find. The background photo shows the production building on the right. Click on images for expanded view/notable information. Back to Marble Identification Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl Swirl

Asian Imports Since the 1960's, American toy companies such as Imperial, Cardinal and others, purchase in bulk from China, Japan, Korea, India and other Asian countries for repackaging and distribution. Click on images for expanded view/notable information. Back to Marble Identification Asian Cat's Eyes Caged Cat's Eyes Cardinal Toy mix Imperial patch & Ribbon, 5/8" Iridescent Opaque ribbon, 5/8"