Luis Lucero marvels at marbles – big and small, old handmade and contemporary.
His growing collection, well into the hundreds, is something to behold. The collection is diverse, representing many manufacturers, decades and trends – from common catseyes to translucent micas.
“They’re beautiful,” said the Auburn man, who has become a modest collector and student of marbles in the past few years. “It’s something I really enjoy, not just the collecting. I love looking at them. I appreciate the beauty of them, to touch them, to feel them and to know they have a history.”
Lucero belongs to a regional fraternity of enthusiasts – the International Association of Marble Collectors – who share the knowledge of and the fascination for marbles of all colors, styles and origins.
They regularly attend local meets and shows to swap stories, revere rare finds and, of course, sell, buy and trade marbles at costs that range anywhere from mere pennies to many thousands of dollars.
The IAMC will present its sixth annual Summer Marble Spectacular in Tacoma on Saturday. The show is considered one of the largest in the country, with as many as 60 rooms at the Hotel Murano set aside for marble discussions, collecting, trading and selling. In-room trading actually began Wednesday and concludes Saturday.
For marble connoisseurs, it is a great way to promote the hobby, share information and enhance collections.
“We’re as much into the people as we are the marbles. We’re pretty social,” said Lee Linne, IAMC vice president and treasurer and a longtime antique marble collector.
“As a collector, I’m interested in the color and how the marbles are made,” Linne added. “I’m interested in the history and the technique of the marbles.”
Like Lee, Lucero grew up playing marbles as a child, but only later in life decided to collect them.
As Lucero’s collection grew, so did his vast knowledge of marbles, a history that stretches way back to 1846 when a German glassblower invented marble scissors, a device for making them.
For a period of time, Germany had a monopoly on hand-made marbles, until the small spherical toy entered mass production in Ohio in the early 20th century when World War I cut off their importation from Europe.
The American marble industry responded by beginning a mechanized method of glass marble production that soon became the most common system in the world. Glass marbles became the most popular variety and have remained so to this day.
Lee has been building his impressive antique marble collection since 1990, an inventory that has reached well into the thousands.
“I’ve pretty much collected a bit of everything,” said Lee, who attends several marble shows throughout the country each year. “People will have marbles they like and concentrate on collecting just those.”
As Lee suggests, collectors need to understand three basic principles as they build their stock.
“Collect what you like, collect the best possible condition you can get and collect what you can afford,” he said.
Lucero carefully buys for value and within a reasonable budget, collecting marbles through the Internet, dealers and shows. He prefers not to sell his marbles, choosing instead to add to a personal collection that is as diversified as it is intriguing.
“Is it a passion? Yes. Is it a hobby? Yes. Do I buy marbles everyday? No,” Lucero said.
The condition, size, type, manufacturer/artisan, age, style, materials, scarcity and the existence of original packaging dictate the value, market and collectibility of a marble.
For Lucero and others, considerable time and study help pave the way to effective collecting.
Not to mention having a good eye.
“I just love the beauty of them,” Lucero said. “It’s just amazing, the colors that go into a marble.”
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MARBLE SHOW
• Event:
• When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday
• Where: Hotel Murano, 1320 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma
• Admission: $3 adults (non-members), children free.
• Information: www.iamc.us or call Ernie at 253-756-9771.
