Marble Grading 

 

Grading System

Grading marbles isn’t an exact science—it’s pretty subjective. At the end of the day, it’s all about your personal take on the grade and appeal of a marble. We aim to stick to accurate and conservative standards when grading or describing marbles, but hey, we’re only human and might miss something now and then. Trust your gut and decide if a marble feels right for you. Below are the general guidelines we try to stick to when grading marbles.

 

WET MINT (9.8-9.9)

This is as good as it gets for a hand-made marble that's over 100 years old. Think about it—this little gem crossed the ocean, survived decades of use, and still looks almost brand new. The surface is super shiny, like it’s fresh out of the kiln, with no major wear. Basically, it’s a total showstopper.

 

MINT (9.4-9.7)

This grade of marble is pretty much flawless, looking like it’s never been played with. You won’t see any obvious signs of use, and it’ll have hardly any flaws to speak of. Sometimes, though, you might spot tiny factory quirks like bag marks, cold roll lines, rough or snapped pontils, small bubbles, touch marks, glass discoloration, or annealing lines – but don’t worry, these aren’t from wear and tear. They’re just part of how the marble was made.

 

MINT- (9.0-9.3)

Marbles in this grade are pretty much in awesome shape, with just tiny signs of being used. You might spot minor handling marks, little production quirks, surface bubbles, tiny fleabite chips, light scratches, or some pocket wear. Nothing major though, just enough to stop them from being classified as MINT.

 

NEAR MINT+ (8.7-8.9)

This grade isn’t quite up there with the “MINT” category, so you might notice some small flaws like light chips or tiny moons from being played. Signs of use will still be pretty minor, though.

 

NEAR MINT (8.3-8.6)

A near mint marble is in great collectible shape with solid eye appeal and stands out as a strong example of its type. That said, it’s got some mild to moderate signs of wear from being played with—these were toys, after all, and they were made to collide with each other! Not many made it through unscathed. A near mint marble will show its play history, which might include things like chips, nicks, flea bites, some dullness from being in pockets, scratches, or internal quirks like reflections, moons, or small cracks.

 

NEAR MINT – (8.2 & under)

We do not offer highly damaged or low grade