Greetings!
     OK, here is another possible non-toy use for marbles that I've heard
about - as hem weights for skirts!  One slave dwelling interior here at the
Hermitage has produced both a substantial amount of sewing related equipment
and a very large collection of marbles - off the top of my head, more than
forty.  My call is that because the marbles are so diverse, including
everything from glass to hand-painted ceramic to locally made brick-looking
things, that these are toys rather than anything else, but the alternative is
certainly worth mentioning.
                    Best,
                      Larry McKee