In a message dated 98-04-10 16:22:29 EDT, you write:
 
<< 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. >>
 
 
My understanding is that in the 19th century marbles was a game of chance
played by adult men--replete with gambling, cussing and fighting. Would they
still be considered toys in that context? Also, locally made clay marbles are
no graet feat. One famous archaeologist told me that when he was a boy, many
years ago of course, that he and his firends made clay marbles they called
"pee dabs"--you take a dab of clay and wet it, then throw them in the fire.
Carl Steen