Marbles
by Dagonell the Juggler

Marbles predate recorded history. Not only have marbles been found in Egyptian tombs as well as Greek and Roman excavations, but also in archaeological digs dating back to the Ice Age on every continent. The Roman poet Ovid mentions marbles. Pieter Bruegel, a 16th century Flemish painter, depicts children playing marbles in "Children's Games" (1559). "Cherry Pit", a marble game, is mentioned in Shakespeare; 'Tis not gravity to play at cherry-pit with Satan.' [Twelfth Night, Act iii, Sc. 4, Ln. 129]. Settlers to the New World found Amerinds playing marble games. The game has even contributed to our language. The phrases "going for all the marbles", "losing one's marbles" and "knuckling down to business" all come from the children's game of marbles.

On the first weekend in June, hundreds of schoolchildren travel to Wildwood, NJ for the annual National Marbles Tournament (NMT). Entry fee is $100, and includes room and board for the week. Maximum age is 15 years old. Pittsburgh has produced the most champions so far, ten boy's titles and seven girl's titles. The champion must win at least 11 out of 21 games of Ring Taw. Members of Marble Collectors Society of America (MCSA) and Marble Collectors Unlimited (MCU) also come to buy, sell and trade marbles and marble games. Prices can reach over $5,000 for a single marble. If you're having trouble visualizing paying a year's mortgage for a half-inch child's toy, think of it as "a miniature piece of art made from precious materials, ensphered in glass and if the kid touches it, I'll kill him". A box of twelve marbles from 1930, each stamped with a different cartoon character, (e.g Orphan Annie, Krazy Kat, etc.) originally sold for the outrageous price of 25 cents. That same box today will cost you just over $900.

A number of marble games follow. Bear in mind that rules varied wildly from region to region and making up a game on the spot was not at all unusual. Players should also agree in advance whether they are playing 'for fair' (all marbles returned to owner) or 'cut-throat' (winner keeps, loser weeps).

RING TAW (aka RINGERS, RINGO ) -- A one foot ring is drawn inside of a ten foot ring. Each player puts in a number of 1/2" marbles so that there is about a dozen marbles in the smaller ring. At the NMT, thirteen marbles supplied by the organizers are arranged in a cross at the center of the ring and there is no one foot ring. Shooting order is determined by 'lagging', shooting to see who can get closest to a designated line. The first player, starting outside the ten foot circle, attempts to thumb his 'taw' (a 3/4" shooting marble) to knock a target marble out of the large ring while keeping the taw inside the ring. If he succeeds, he shoots again from where the taw stopped. 'Sticking' or shooting seven consecutive marbles out of the ring and winning the game without giving an opponent a turn is usually good for two days of playground bragging rights. If the player fails to knock a target marble out of the ring, or his taw leaves the ring, his turn is over and next player takes his turn. At NMT, if your taw is in the ring at the end of your turn, you must remove it. In informal games, if your taw is in the ring, it becomes a legitimate target and any player who hits it out collects a forfeit from you. Players should agree in advance whether to use this rule. Play alternates until one player has knocked a majority of the marbles out of the ring. The process of picking the best possible position for starting is referred to as 'taking rounders'.

BOSS OUT (aka LONG TAWL ) -- First player shoots one marble. Second player trys to hit the first player's marble. If he hits it, he collects both marbles. If the two marbles are close enough, he can attempt to 'span' them. He places his thumb on his own marble and his index finger on his opponent's marble. He then draws his hand up while bringing his fingers together. If the two marbles hit, he collects both marbles. If he misses, the first player may shoot at either marble on the field. If a player collects the last marble on the field, he must shoot a marble for the next player to shoot at.

BRIDGEBOARD -- A board with nine cutouts along one edge is propped up on that edge to form nine archways. The numbers 6, 2, 3, 1, 5, 8, 7, 9, 4 are painted over the arches, one number over each arch. Players try to shoot through the holes and win the number of marbles indicated by the number above the hole. Any marbles which miss become the property of the board owner. The board may also be used to play NINE HOLES.

BUN-HOLE -- A one-foot wide hole is dug in the center of the playing field. Players attempt to get a marble as close as possible to the hole without going in. Whoever's marble comes closest without going in wins a marble from each player. Knocking in your opponent's marble is permitted.

CHERRY PIT -- This is the reverse of RING TAW. A one-foot wide hole is dug in the center of a ten-foot circle. Each player places a number of marbles around the hole so that there is about a dozen marbles surrounding the hole. Players take turns trying to knock marbles into the hole. Like Ring Taw, as long as marbles are knocked into the hole and the taw remains in the ring, players may continue to shoot. If a taw goes into the hole, the owner must forfeit a number of marbles and place them around the hole to 'buy back' his shooter.

HUNDREDS -- Both players try to shoot their taws into a one-foot hole. If both taws go in, players start over. If one player's marble goes in and the other player's marble doesn't, the player whose marble went in scores ten points. If neither player's marble goes in, the first player now tries to hit the second player's marble. If he hits it, he earns ten points and another chance to shoot his marble into the hole for ten points. If he misses either his opponent's marble or the hole, the second player tries to hit the first player's marble for ten points and another try at shooting his marble into the hole for ten points. Whenever a marble goes into the hole, both players start over from the starting line, otherwise all shots are made from wherever the marble stopped rolling. First player to reach one hundred points wins.

NINE HOLES -- This name is given to two different marble games. The first game is Miniature Golf played with marbles. Players construct a miniature golf course from materials at hand and take turns shooting their marbles around, through, and over the obstacles they've built. First player to complete nine holes wins.

The second version of the game is played with a bridgeboard. Players take turns shooting their marbles through the arches in numerical order. Arches that are shot through out of sequence don't count. A successful shoot through the correct arch entitles the shooter to an additional turn. First player to send his marble through all nine holes in the correct order wins.

For more information on marbles and marble games, contact either: Marble Collectors Society of America (MCSA), P.O.Box 222, Turnbull CT 06611 or Marble Collectors Unlimited (MCU), P.O.Box 206, Northborough MA 01532.

Comments to: salley@niktow.canisius.edu
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