Bulletin 1928 Marble Shooter

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The game of marbles can be traced back to ancient times. Marbles made from many materials including clay, stone, porcelain, wood, metal, and glass have been found in Native American burial mounds, European caves, and in ancient Chinese sites. In more modern history, machine made marbles began being produced in 1901 in Ohio. By the 1920s, marbles had become so popular that “marbles slang” was popular amongst the “mibsters” (Marble shooters). In 1922, the first U.S. National Marbles Tournament was held. As of 2024, the tournament still takes place each year in Wildwood, NJ. Since 1922, children between the ages of seven to fourteen are able to compete for the championship.

In 1925, the Philadelphia Bulletin Newspaper hosted the marble champions for a special train ride from Philadelphia to Valley Forge, then to Atlantic City. There, the marble champions met the mayor, participated in a parade, and celebrated! It seems the Philadelphia Bulletin continued the tradition as this button is dated 1928.