Types of Playing Marbles
The whimsical colors of marbles have enchanted children for hundreds of years, and were even played with in ancient Egypt. Marbles range in material from glass to stone to clay and are used in a variety of games. Play is not limited to children, with many adults also taking part. With a variety of games that have come out of this ancient play, there are several types of marbles to play.
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Marididdle Marbles
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Homemade marbles are generally created from clay that has been dried by warm air, and used for gentler games because the marbles break easily. Marididdles are the most common marble historically, until cheaper ones were made through mass-produced glass marbles. Rivers and streams were used to collect clay and then rolled by hand into different size balls.
Alley Marble
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Alley marbles are expensive because they are some of the most accurate and well-made. The white alley marbles have historically been prized for their lustre. The marbles were called alleys because they were usually cut from alabaster and white marble. Alleys are less used today due to the availability of cheaper marbles that have comparable qualities.
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Cat's Eye Marbles
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Cat's eye marbles are a common Japanese marble, one that almost every marble-loving child knows. The luminous sphere injected in the middle of the glass flashes a metallic color when rolled. These are also one of the most common types of marbles and are of average size.
Taw Marble
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A taw marble is shot often in a marble game, and usually becomes a favorite of players due to its nature as a shooter. The National Marble Tournament states that this marble has to be between 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch wide.
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