Collecting Antique Marbles: Identification & Price Guide [Paperback]

Paul Baumann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

This revised edition of the standard collector's guide includes new historical facts, 48 color pages featuring more than 1,200 of the most sought-after marbles, and an expanded pricing section covering more than 100 different subgroups of marbles and 100 types of sulphides. Includes information on reproductions and fakes, history and manufacturing techniques for agate and stone; clay, crockery and china; and German swirls.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A child of antique collectors, Paul Baumann was encouraged to find his own collecting niche; he found it in marbles, and has been an avid collector since 1952. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications; 3rd edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873417240
• ISBN-13: 978-0873417242
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,744,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Want To Know About Marbles., October 31, 1999

By 

Irvin Goodman - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Collecting Antique Marbles: Identification & Price Guide (Paperback)

176 pages with 1,200 color pictures and many black and white plates. This book really provides a comprehensive history of marbles including how to classify and collect them. Details on clay and crockery, china, swirls, solids, opaques and sulphides. Transition and machine-mades, reproductions and toys are discussed. A comprehensive price guide is included, and a marble club listing. Add this book to your collection if you're a new marble collector or a long time collector. A great reference source.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS A VALUBALE ONE TO ADD TO YOUR RESEARCH LIBRARY..if of course you like marbles., February 25, 2011

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Collecting Antique Marbles: Identification and Price Guide (Paperback)

I most certainly wish that I could report to you and tell you that if you were interested in collecting marbles and had to choose only one book on the subject, then this book would be the one. Unfortunately I cannot do so. The reason for this is that there is simply no book in existence (that I am aware of) that could meet this challenge. For those of you that are interested; indeed, fascinated with this subject, I fear that you will be doomed to purchasing any number of books on the subject and fortunately for us there are many to choose from.

Now that being said....

This is one fine marble book! I have found it extremely useful in giving a very in-depth overview of marbles in general and a very good look at some of the various marble groups in particular. The author knows his history and has written about his subject is a very informative and readable way. Unlike many other books concerning this subject, the author has been very careful in recording what is absolute known fact versus speculation versus rumor. There is much we do no know about the manufacturing of early marbles, different companies, and different makers and when the author does not know for sure as to the facts, he is quick to not this. I appreciate that attribute in any writer of history.

This 208 page book contains over 1,200 high quality photographs along with detailed information as to how to identify marbles. One of the most helpful sections of the book; a section the author takes a lot of time with, is in dealing with potential fakes and forgeries and blatant reproductions. After reading the author's advice and sharing his knowledge, we find that it is not as difficult to identify these fakes as it would seem.

The author has thrown in a delightful chapter addressing carpet bowls along with the games history and again, some wonderful photographs.

If I have any negative feelings toward this book at all it would be directed toward the "pricing guide" aspect. Like all such books, i.e. those dealing with collectables and antiques, the information as to "how much are they worth" if fleeting at best. Prices change on almost a weekly basis. They change depending upon what part of the country you are working at a given time, and they change greatly according to individual taste, wants and needs. I know that I personally have purchased marbles for far more than the "list price" simply because I needed them to fill a gap in my collections. On the other hand, I have sold or trade marbles for far less that their going price simply because I had more than I needed in my collection at that time. My advice would be to use the prices here as a very, very general outline but do no consider them, i.e. the prices, to be written in stone.

Along with the high quality photographs, the history the author has recorded here is the strongest feature of this book. I also liked the section where he discusses the various methods of making and manufacturing marbles, from hand made to machine made, down through the years. There is some interesting stuff here folks.

I am giving this one five stars because it covers ground many other books do not cover and it is indeed a quality bit of work.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great reference book for marble collectors, January 19, 2009

By 

William Fleck "Rod Fleck" (Forks, WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Collecting Antique Marbles: Identification and Price Guide (Paperback)

My wife got this for Christmas and was really thrilled with this book. She has been collecting "german swirls" for 30 years and we have many of those. This book provides great detailed pictures and descriptions of the process used to make these remarkable craft pieces. She thought that there was different explanations in this book from some others she has, but the differences were really minor. Also, she thought in some cases the values seemed to be extremely high; yet, we both thought that that could be the result of the marble being reviewed by the author versus ones we have seen of a similar type. Quality is always the key! A great book for a marble collector.