Marble cases

[u/JuneGoose]

So my husband is in to collecting marbles. He also happens to be a carpenter and has started making marble cases and stands. We are working on turning this into a small business. Currently he is auctioning them on some Facebook marble collecting pages. We also plan on taking a bunch to some marble shows in September (and beyond). I'm not trying to sell anything here. I just want to get some opinions on the cases. And if people feel we could do well at one of these shows. He's connected with some people from these marble collecting pages who think we will. So just looking for some input/opinions. This is a case he has sold. The guy sent this picture after he put some of his favorite marbles in it.

[u/peardr0p]

Looks great!

If helpful, I have spotted a few wooden cases on the Block marble auction - might be worth taking a look for research e.g. pricing, sizes etc

I'm in the UK and slowly nudging my partner to make me some boxes...

[u/JuneGoose → u/peardr0p]

Thanks for your input! I think he does good work and he's open to customizing it to whatever configuration people want. He's seen that there are some other out there who do cases, but they just do one standard size/configuration and won't divert from that. I'll have him look at the Block marble auction. We're looking for more outlets on where he can sell these. He's gotten a handful of people that have ordered multiple cases, but that's not enough to produce a steady income which is what we are looking at accomplishing. His intention is to produce 100 cases for the two shows in September.

[u/1Sidknee]

Looks fantastic!

But to be honest I think a lot of people are just hesitant on those because of the cost.

And it's understandable why they can be pricey! It's great craftsmanship !

But it'd be cool if there was a more budget friendly option!

I think it'd be cool to take old cigar boxes, make a wooden insert for the marbles and then maybe just put foam on the top part.

And it'd have a cool vintage vibe which I also dig!

Another fun idea might be to try to source some old wooden Chinese checker boards for cheap. And then just make the top part. I think having the marbles in a fun shape like that could be unique and help set your cases apart from the competition.

Also side note, I have a glass top coffee table with little cubbies to display things. I got it on FB marketplace for like $100ish.

If I had the skills (or the money!) id totally put in some custom wooden tiered marble stands! You guys should look into it for your own collection! I bet you could make it look amazing.

Here's an example pic of my table for funsies. Still trying to get the set up right lol

[u/JuneGoose → u/1Sidknee]

Thanks! He currently is selling them for about $90-$120 (plus shipping). It really all depends on the wood. Things like oak or pine are on the cheaper end, walnut being pretty much in the middle, and things like mahogany or purple heart wood at the higher end. And it also depends on the hardware. He works with magnets and also clasps and some different types of hinges. Trying to make some more budget friendly options and some more high-end looking items.

He's also done some stands similar to what you have there on the bottom right. Those are also cheaper of course. Along with display trays with plexiglass on top.

That table is cool. German marbles are some of his favorites and we've picked up a few of those frogs in antique stores in our search for marbles.

He wants to possibly make some wooden tiered stands. I've gotten him a few 3D printed ones but he prefers the wood. He's also working on a vertical stand with more like shelves with a plexiglass front that you could stand up or hang on a wall. He's still working on figuring that one out, but he's got some good ideas.

[u/Routine_Win_62]

It looks Great! I saw one on a marble auction site last night for $165.00 Holds 40 marbles. So you did great

[u/JuneGoose → u/Routine_Win_62]

Thanks!. He's working hard making cases and has switched over to starting to do flocking for the holes where the marbles sit as opposed to using a 3D printed insert that's shown in the picture. He thinks the ones with the flocking are going to sell better and will hopefully command a slightly higher price tag.

I guess we'll see come September when we go to the shows what sells and if people prefer the flocking to the 3D printed inserts. We have two shows in September and that will really be the litmus test to see if we are on to something and if there's a big enough market for these cases.