Page 36 - June 2018 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
P. 36
Jacks
Jacks, also called jackstones, fivestones, or dibs, is one of the oldest and
most widespread games in the world. Children in ancient Egypt played a Vintage Golden Jacks set with two balls and
16 jacks selling for $15 on eBay
version of the game, known as “knucklebones,” with sheep toe bones. The
game of knucklebones led to dice games for boys, and a version of modern
jacks known as Fivestone, for girls, was played with a wooden ball. Eventually,
a rubber ball replaced the wooden one and the modern version of the game as
we know it was born.
Although the game of jacks is played by children around the world, in the
United States it is played with six to 12 or more six-pronged iron or plastic
jacks and a small ball. After the jacks are strewn on the floor, the player tosses
the ball into the air and then tries with one hand to pick up the jacks and catch
the ball, usually before it bounces. If the player fails in this, the turn passes to
the next player. The game becomes increasingly difficult; first, one jack has to
be picked up, then two at a time, next three, and, finally, all must be grasped
in the hand before the ball is caught.
Vintage Jack games can be found on eBay for between $9.99 and, at the
high end, around $40. Over the years, jacks have been produced using
different types of materials, from metals to plastic, and in various colors.
A set of 1950s Jacks selling on Etsy Collectors look for age of manufacture (older, metal jacks are preferred), a
for $18 including original bag complete game package, and sets that still have the original rubber ball.
Marbles
No one really knows when the first marble Collecting marbles is a popular
was made or when the game of marbles began, hobby, with market values dependent
although evidence exists that many ancient on type (handmade, non-glass,
civilizations played with marbles. The earliest machine-made and art glass), color,
examples were made from stones. In Roman size, manufacturer, age, and country of
literature, there are references that the game of origin. Although marbles can be
marbles being played with nuts. Through the affordable for all collector budgets,
centuries, marbles have been made from ground avid collectors know that prices can
down semi precious stones such as marble (hence, range into the thousands of dollars for
the name) and limestone, produced using clay and rare and interesting examples. A single
different ceramics techniques, and made from antique Ribbon Lutz marble is selling
hand-blown glass. In the U.S., Akron, Ohio was for $925 online.
put on the map as the marble capital of the
nineteenth century with the invention of the first
machine for manufacturing glass marbles.
While numerous games can be played with
marbles, “The Ring Game” is the most famous
version. A 3-foot wide ring is drawn on the ground
either with a piece of chalk or with a stick in the
dirt, along with a starting line just outside the ring.
Each player puts a few marbles into the ring and
the goal is to shoot the marbles, from the starting A lot of 74 swirl marbles from the late 19th century
line, to knock marbles out of the ring. The winner including three clay marbles sold for $750 at elreds.com
has the highest amount of marbles knocked out of
the ring compared to the other players. The skill of Five handmade clay marbles plus
the game is in the “flick” of the marble. the shooter from the 1800s selling for $25.99 on eBay
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
34
Jacks, also called jackstones, fivestones, or dibs, is one of the oldest and
most widespread games in the world. Children in ancient Egypt played a Vintage Golden Jacks set with two balls and
16 jacks selling for $15 on eBay
version of the game, known as “knucklebones,” with sheep toe bones. The
game of knucklebones led to dice games for boys, and a version of modern
jacks known as Fivestone, for girls, was played with a wooden ball. Eventually,
a rubber ball replaced the wooden one and the modern version of the game as
we know it was born.
Although the game of jacks is played by children around the world, in the
United States it is played with six to 12 or more six-pronged iron or plastic
jacks and a small ball. After the jacks are strewn on the floor, the player tosses
the ball into the air and then tries with one hand to pick up the jacks and catch
the ball, usually before it bounces. If the player fails in this, the turn passes to
the next player. The game becomes increasingly difficult; first, one jack has to
be picked up, then two at a time, next three, and, finally, all must be grasped
in the hand before the ball is caught.
Vintage Jack games can be found on eBay for between $9.99 and, at the
high end, around $40. Over the years, jacks have been produced using
different types of materials, from metals to plastic, and in various colors.
A set of 1950s Jacks selling on Etsy Collectors look for age of manufacture (older, metal jacks are preferred), a
for $18 including original bag complete game package, and sets that still have the original rubber ball.
Marbles
No one really knows when the first marble Collecting marbles is a popular
was made or when the game of marbles began, hobby, with market values dependent
although evidence exists that many ancient on type (handmade, non-glass,
civilizations played with marbles. The earliest machine-made and art glass), color,
examples were made from stones. In Roman size, manufacturer, age, and country of
literature, there are references that the game of origin. Although marbles can be
marbles being played with nuts. Through the affordable for all collector budgets,
centuries, marbles have been made from ground avid collectors know that prices can
down semi precious stones such as marble (hence, range into the thousands of dollars for
the name) and limestone, produced using clay and rare and interesting examples. A single
different ceramics techniques, and made from antique Ribbon Lutz marble is selling
hand-blown glass. In the U.S., Akron, Ohio was for $925 online.
put on the map as the marble capital of the
nineteenth century with the invention of the first
machine for manufacturing glass marbles.
While numerous games can be played with
marbles, “The Ring Game” is the most famous
version. A 3-foot wide ring is drawn on the ground
either with a piece of chalk or with a stick in the
dirt, along with a starting line just outside the ring.
Each player puts a few marbles into the ring and
the goal is to shoot the marbles, from the starting A lot of 74 swirl marbles from the late 19th century
line, to knock marbles out of the ring. The winner including three clay marbles sold for $750 at elreds.com
has the highest amount of marbles knocked out of
the ring compared to the other players. The skill of Five handmade clay marbles plus
the game is in the “flick” of the marble. the shooter from the 1800s selling for $25.99 on eBay
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
34
