The Christensen Agate Company was started in 1925 in Payne, Ohio...

What really set The Christensen Agate Company apart from any other marble company that ever existed was the use of exotic glass colors.

The Christensen Agate Company

Keep a Close Eye on Guinea Marbles.

Marble book Christensen Akro Agate Peltier Master MORE US $14.41

Number 9 Green Slag MF CHristensen Marble No Reserve US $9.99

Single Seam Looping Red Slag Christensen Marble US $9.90

MF Christensen Son Opague Marble with Pontil Rare US $50.00

JER Marbles Handmade Christensen Swirl Marble 7 8 US $6.25

MARBLECHRISTENSEN COBALT BLUE TURKEY SLAG 11 16MINT US $75.00

Vintage Green Slag Marble Christensen US $.99

Christensen cullet right from near the old Marble site US $5.99

Beautiful Christensen Swirl Marble Multi Color US $6.99

Vintage Christensen Blue Cobalt Slag Marble US $9.99

BIG VINTAGE MF CHRISTENSEN 9 AMBER SLAG MARBLE 1 US $9.99

Christensen Agate marble pistachio flames MINT US $19.99

Vintage Marble 5 8 M F Christensen US $.99

Vintage Marble 3 4 M F Christensen Slag US $.99

Vintage Marble 3 4 Christensen Agate Multicolor Swirl US $25.00

Vintage Marble 5 8 Christensen Agate Swirl US $.75

Vintage Marble 1 2 Christensen Agate Swirl US $.75

Vintage Marble 1 Christensen Agate Swirl US $3.00

Vintage Marble 3 4 Christensen Swirl US $1.25

CHRISTENSEN COBRA SWIRL DEFORMED MARBLE 36 41 64 INCH US $5.99

Antique Christensen Cobalt Blue Slag Marble US $55.00

Vintage Christensen Agate Turkey Swirl Marble 21 32 US $4.99

125 Vintage Glass Marbles Akro Marble King Christensen US $39.99

Flaming Swirl Marble 9 16” Antique Christensen Agate US $59.95

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Marbles have always been popular toys. However, what some may not know is that glass marbles weren’t always the norm. Early marbles, which are highly sought after by antique toy collectors, were actually made from clay and were often referred to as Bennington marbles.

Bennington marbles are those that were glazed and made of crockery or stoneware.

Bennington Marbles - The Antiques Bible

Bennington marbles are a type of glazed clay marble. They are not very dense. The marbles are fired clay with a salt glaze on them. Benningtons are readily identifiable by both their coloring and the little 'eyes' that they have on them. These are spots where the marbles were touching each other while they were being fired, resulting in those spots being uncolored and unglazed. The term 'bennington' is actually a misnomer. There is no evidence that they were ever made in Bennington, Vermont, or that they have any lineage to the Bennington pottery that they resemble and from which they get their name. It appears that all Bennington marbles were imported from Germany.

Handmade Non-Glass Marbles

10 LOT ANTIQUE BENNINGTON POTTERY MARBLES Great Color US $7.61

Vintage Marble Bennington hand made crockery Brown US $25.00

Vintage Marble Bennington hand made crockery blue US $20.00

VINTAGE MARBLE LOT 140 AKRO BENNINGTON US $19.99

VINTAGE MARBLES ANTIQUE TOY OLD BENNINGTON CLAY LOT US $19.99

TWO MINT 1 GERMAN FANCY BENNINGTON GLAZED CLAY MARBLES US $9.99

LOT OF 5 GERMAN FANCY BENNINGTON GLAZED CLAY MARBLES US $9.99

VINTAGE MARBLEs bennington chinas estate find NR US $1.04

rare vintage lot marbles bennington chinas clay 90 NR US $9.00

21 32 Clay Bennington Yellow Black Vintage Marble V0020 US $3.25

9 16 Clay Bennington Blues White Vintage Marble V0021 US $4.55

Thirty Three Antique BENNINGTON MARBLES Pea to Shooter US $9.99

German Brown Bennington Shooter clay marble marbles US $9.99

Bennington Marbles 119 Blue Brown Fancy Benningtons NM US $59.99

ANTIQUE 48 Estate Lot Vintage Clay Marbles Bennington US $12.99

200 MARBLES AGATES SHOOTERS BENNINGTON CLAY LOGO US $19.99

GREAT GROUP OF 25 VINTAGE BENNINGTON MARBLES 1 HELI X US $13.83

Assortment of Bennington Clay Marbles Antique Estate US $40.00

5 MARBLES GERMAN BENNINGTON CLAY IN NICE BIRD BOX US $19.99

Marbles Large Bennington 1 1 4 050910 25P US $25.00

Bennington shooter marble 1 3 16 inch blue US $9.99

1 FANCY BENNINGTON POTTERY MARBLE ANTIQUE 48 64 INCH US $3.99

cg011 Group of 12 MINT German Made Bennington Marbles US $2.02

cg015 MINT Giant 1 11 32 Bennington Marble US $.99

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You still want to have marbles to play with though. Take a break from collecting and play with marbles.

Here are a few you would not worry about protecting and preserving:

	Mega Marbles SET OF 24 ASSORTED 5/8" PLAYER MARBLES Sale Price: $2.99

	New Generation Marbles Canister Sale Price: $9.98

	POUND OF ROUNDS MARBLES by Mega Marbles Sale Price: $4.99

	Mega Marbles SET OF 12 ASSORTED 1" SHOOTER MARBLES Sale Price: $4.99

	77351 Bengal Marbles Sale Price: $2.57

The name of the company was derived from that of Vitrolite. Vitro comes from the Latin and means “in glass”. The Vitrolite Company made heavyweight architectural glass. Fisher’s initial plan involved using Vitrolite cullet to make the marbles and Vitro’s early marble style names were plays on the Vitrolite name: Clear-Lites, Du-Lites and Tri-Lites.

Vitro Agate

The Vitro Agate company operated 1932 - 1993. The company made mostly Patches, Cats-Eyes. Parrots are one of the most interesting and colorful marbles it produced.

VITRO HARD TO FIND PATCHES SWIRLS US $13.06

7 8 Vitro Agate Pistachio Shooter MINT US $2.99

mason ball JAR 3 cups oz ml MARBLES MOSTLY VITROS US $19.99

50pc Jabo Vitro Agate Marbles 1 US $1.99

50pc Jabo Vitro Agate Marbles 2 US $1.99

50pc Jabo Vitro Agate Marbles 3 US $1.99

Package of Vitro All Red Shooters Sure Shot Agate No Re US $9.99

Vintage Vitro Agate marbles US $9.99

Marbles Vitro V Shooter 082510 25AU US $4.99

Marbles Vitro Whitie with Aventurine 082510 6AU US $4.99

Gladding Vitro Agate Tournament Shooters Marbles MIP 8 US $9.99

Marbles Opaque Pastel Vitro Agate Patch US $2.99

Marbles Unusual Tranparent Vitro Agate Blue Patch US $6.27

Marbles 27 32 Multicolored Vitro Agate Shooter Patch US $3.99

Marbles Transparent Blue Base Orange Vitro Conqueror US $4.25

2 Marbles Copper Vitro Style Swirl US $.99

Marbles Transparent Blue Base Light Blue Vitro Conquer US $.99

LOT OF 11 GREAT VITRO MARBLES 5 8 VERY NICE US $2.25

Mint 21 32” VITRO AGATE SWEETPEA SWEET PEA PATCH US $23.00

MM 11 16” VITRO AGATE BLACKEYED BLACKEYE BLACK EYE PEA US $17.05

VITRO 360 COLOR SUPER MINT US $15.00

VITRO TRI LITE AQUAMARINA PATCH US $1.04

Vintage Marbles Old Marbles Oxblood Patch Master Vitro US $9.99

Marbles Vitro Patch 120409 28 S US $4.99

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0D-i_oKvKQ

Raw Materials

Modern marbles are made from a combination of sand, soda lime, silica, and several other ingredients added for pigment or decoration. These other additives range from aluminum hydrate to zinc oxide. The primary component, sand, is essentially loose, granular particles of disintegrated rock. Soda lime is the chemical term for the mixture of calcium hydroxide and sodium or potassium hydroxide. It is a drying agent and absorbs carbon dioxide. Another compound used in marble manufacturing is silica, a white or colorless crystalline found in agate, flint, quartz, and other rocks. Some marbles are also made from cullet, or scrap glass.

The Manufacturing
Process

Meltdown

•Sand, soda lime, and crushed cullet are fed into a large, furnace-driven tank. In the tank, the mixture is heated to 2300°F (1260°C) to melt the raw materials. This can take as long as 28 hours.
Injection

•Next, the molten mixture moves out of the tank through an opening into another vat known as the flow tank. There an opening in the tank injects molten colored glass. This hot, pigmented glass gives the marbles their distinct appearance. A green marble has been injected with glass containing iron oxide; cobalt results in a blue marble; and manganese will yield a purple one. The use of uranium oxide gives marbles an eerie, greenish-yellow cast. The speed and force of the injection determines the final design of the marble. A grooved feeder device, patented by the Akro Agate Company, was able to produce multicolored marbles known as corkscrews.
Cutting and cooling

•Next, the still-molten glass is released from the flow tank as globs of glass. Automatic cutting devices slice the mixture into equal parts. The globs travel down metal ramps that simultaneously cool them and perfect their spherical shape. Next, they travel down a second metal slide and are sorted by hand. These grooved rollers were the invention of Horace Hill, a former employee of Christensen and Son and later founder of Akro Agate. This device produced marbles much more quickly and reduced the labor necessary by nearly two-thirds. Marbles with flaws are sent back to another area of the factory for re-melting. The marbles cool off in 5-gallon (19 1) containers that house 5,000 marbles at a time.

Marble Information from Answers.com

A marble is a small spherical toy usually made from glass, clay, or agate. These balls vary in size. Most commonly, they are about ½ inch (1.25 cm) across, but they may range from less than ¼ inch (0.635 cm) to over 3 inches (7.75 cm), while some art glass marbles for display purposes are over 12 inches (30 cm) wide. Marbles can be used for a variety of children's games, and are often collected, both for nostalgia and for their aesthetic colors.

Marble (toy) - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There sure is a wealth of information there but if you want to delve into marbles more, it is time to pick up a book. Here are a few choices:

Marbles: Identification and Price Guide List Price: $19.95 Sale Price: $13.57 Used From: $12.99 Average Rating:

Description

Reviews

Aggies, Steelies, and more...every major category of marble is presented in this new and exciting guide. Included are old handmade marbles of glass, earthenware, minerals, and steel; machine-made marbles and their manufacturers; and contemporary handmade glass marbles by artisans recapturing the old styles and creating exciting new styles all their own. Marble pricing is explained in detail. The author describes the four factors to look for when determining the value of a marble, and presents an accurate guide to today's market.

Marble Collectors Handbook List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $10.34 Used From: $9.15 Average Rating:

Description

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764323317
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Reviews

Over 580 beautiful color photos display a stunning array of contemporary handmade and design marbles by a variety of talented artists, along with handmade, and machine-made examples. Swirl, Clambroth, Banded Opaque, Indian, Lutz, End of Day, and Single-gather handmade marble designs are featured, along with machine-made examples by M.F. Christensen & Son, Christensen Agate, Akro Agate, Peltier, Master Marble, Marble King, Ravenswood, and Vitro Agate. Also included are original marble packaging, games, and tournament pins. The useful text provides essential information on marble valuation, definitions of marble conditions from mint to collectible, tables with pricing for a wide variety of marbles by size, form, and condition, and current values in the captions. This book is essential for every marble fan!

Aggies, Immies, Shooters, and Swirls: The Magical World of Marbles List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: $39.93 Used From: $5.85 Average Rating:

Description

Reviews

Here is a lavishly illustrated introduction to the world of marbles--a nostalgic look back at a favorite childhood game and an indispensable guide for treasure hunters in search of a hot collectible. In words and pictures, this wondrous treasury captures these splendid glass spheres in all their beauty and variety.