How do you identify and price vintage marbles?


Quick Answer

The best ways to identify and price vintage marbles include determining the marble's origin, condition and manufacturer, classifying the marble into handmade or machine made categories, and researching the marble design to determine its beauty and rarity. Look up the marble's worth in a pricing guide, such as Kovel's pricing guide, based on its condition, age and rarity.

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Full Answer

The most valuable vintage marbles are those pre-dating the 1950s. Online and printed pricing guides, such as Kovel, can help determine the marble's value. In order to research the marble's value, take into account the marble's age, condition, beauty, rarity and manufacturer. A marble's age or condition cannot be easily determined by inspection since fakes are common, but a jeweler's loop can help to determine the condition and design details, and a black light can find vintage marbles that glow in the dark due to a small amount of Uranium in the glass. Marbles can be categorized as either handmade glass, handmade non-glass or machine made.

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