How did Marbles get onto Beach?


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How did Marbles get onto Beach?

by Craig
(wadsworth Il. U.S.A.)

marbles , can anyone tell me how they got into the water ? kids never took them to the beach . yesterday my grandson found 8 marbles in less than 3 hours . Craig

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Hi Craig,

Some report that sailing ships may have used them as ballast in times past, but I have not heard any conclusive proof of that. A viewer in the Caribbean reports finding thousands of marbles over the years...in which case it would either be ship's ballast or a shipment of marbles for trade purposes possibly.

Lin and I talked this over and opine that the ones found occasionally were probably marbles brought to the beach to play with.

Think like this - a family is going to the beach. They go to the garage and get the playthings out of the toy box, beach buckets and shovels for the kids. There are marbles dumped into a kid's bucket for lack of a better place to put. Mom thinks, "Hmmm, I'll leave them in there and maybe that'll keep Johnny occupied at the beach."

Or I remember during "marble season" us kids would go to school and everywhere else carrying our marbles in our pockets hoping for a chance to play a game or two.

Some marbles came in a little cloth bag that was easy to carry in a pocket. I can imagine myself getting to the beach, running, jumping, and swimming and losing those marbles.

I wasn't always as careful as I am now. Hah!

David and Lin from Odyssey Sea Glass

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How did Marbles get onto Beach?

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Aug 13, 2011

Here's why antique marbles are on the beach
by: Karen

I live in the Caribbean and have been collecting sea glass for years. It is quite rare to find a marble. These marbles are very old. They are usually from a Codd bottle. The bottle was designed with a glass marble in the neck that sealed the bottle and was held in place by the pressure of the carbonated soda. Many Bermuda/Hamilton bottles were bottles that contained a marble. (Check out "Old Bermuda Bottles" to find out more info on this topic.)

Mar 16, 2011

Marbles
by: Sue

I attended some discussions at the North American Sea Glass Festival in Delaware and it was mentioned that marbles were used as ballast, that is as weight in the bottom of ships to balance them.

Of course, if they sank in rough waters, the marbles were scattered all over the place.

My son found one for me along the shores of the Thames River in England.

It was nicely frosted and I was so excited.

Mar 16, 2011

Sea glass..marbles on beach..
by: Nat

I have only found one marble at the beach after many years beachcombing & sea glass hunting in Victoria, Australia.

It is a dark blue glass 'shooter',i was really surprised to find it, and its discovery made me curious enough to 'google' seaglass and i found this wonderful site!!

I have posted pictures of my finds in catch of the day gallery.

My husband and i have discussed how marbles may end up on the beach, and think they may have gone down drains/toilets from houses.

Maybe even down drains/stormwater pipes after being lost in the schoolyard or street.

Kids played marbles anywhere anytime, and i can imagine this happening.

Mar 16, 2011

We used marbles at the beach
by: Harley

We used marbles with our wrist rockets. What better place for a little target practice than the beach?

A piece of driftwood, or anything floating in the water was a great target to shoot at.

Marbles were cheap and shot way better than rocks did... they flew like giant b.b.'s!

I swear that since I have been "glassing", I've found some of my very own old marbles at the beach we used to frequent when I was a kid.

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