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What Types of Marbles Are There?

A marble is a small, sphere-shaped toy that varies in size from 1/4 of an inch to more than 3 inches. Marbles are mostly used in children's games, but some people collect marbles for their vibrant colors and patterns as well as nostalgia. They can be made from a variety of materials and have an even wider variety of appearances.

Alley
- Alley (or real) marbles are made from actual marble or alabaster. They are usually streaked wavy or with distinct patterns.
Aggie
- Aggie marbles are made of agate or glass that resembles agate with patterns similar to alley marbles.
China
- China marbles are marbles made of glazed or unglazed porcelain with various patterns similar to alley and agate marbles. Marbles of china that have blue marbling are called Croton alley or Jasper marbles.
Commies and Steelies
- Commie marbles are those made of clay. Steelie marbles are really steel ball bearings that some players use for shooters.
Clear
- Crystal marbles are clear marbles that can be tinted with color or have inserted colored dots to resemble stars. Other types of clear marbles include mica marbles, with streaks of colored mica, and sulphide marbles, which have an object embedded inside.
Indian
- Indian marbles are opaque and come in dark colors such as black, scarlet, green and blue.

Collecting Vintage Toys