A marble is a small round toy whose size varies from half an inch to over three inches in diameter. It has been made of clay, stone, pottery, glass and steel. In ancient times rounded rocks and nuts were used to play games. In the 18^th century, they were actually made of marble chips.

The object of the game is to roll, throw, drop or knuckle marbles against an opponent's marbles to knock them out of a defined area; usually a circle although it may be a square. The winner keeps all the marbles.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, Germany began manufacturing handmade ceramic marbles. As better machinery was invented, mass production of marbles helped spread the use of the playthings. By the 1890s, several companies had been established in Akron, Ohio, to mass produce glass marbles. The game of marbles spread across the country and many boys learned to play the game. They also collected marbles with a variety of colors and sizes. They traded with their pals to get special colors or styles for their collections.

Many expressions developed with the playing of marbles. “Knuckle down” was the term for the beginning position to set a marble rolling toward an opponent's sphere. “Keepsies” meant the winner kept all the marbles. There is a well-known painting by Norman Rockwell showing a girl winning all the marbles from two boys. The anguish on the faces of the boys is quite obvious.

“Taw” was used to describe a larger marble used for shooting at smaller marbles. The smaller marbles were called “ducks.” In Carl Sandburg's autobiography, Always the Young Strangers, he describes playing “Ducks on a Rock” with sticks and stones. The boys used the same words in their game.

It is not known if Carl Sandburg played with marbles. Although the little spheres were relatively inexpensive, buying more than a limited number of them would have been a strain on his limited resources. If he did play knuckle down, he soon learned the word “snudge.” It referred to the actions of the shooter in allowing his hand to “accidentally slip” inside the playing area giving him a small advantage in hitting an opponent's marbles.

After the turn of the century improved machinery allowed the combining of different colors of glass to make marbles. Collecting and playing games with marbles became a nationwide pastime. Chinese checkers, played with marbles on a board, is still enjoyed by many families today.

Mexico manufactures ninety percent of glass marbles today. Artists around the world create beautiful marbles up to three inches in diameter for collectors. Descriptions of the various colors and designs require photographs to distinguish the many kinds. Each one has its own descriptive name.

The game of marbles is still played around the world. At Tinsley Green, England, the world championship is held each year. The American Toy Marble Museum in located in Akron, Ohio. It would surely be an interesting place to visit, even for those who have never knuckled down.