Marble (toy) of marble games to a meadow outside the town. It is unknown where marbles were first manufactured, but the "original" marbles were designated "made in Germany". The game has become popular throughout the US and other countries. Ceramic marbles entered inexpensive mass production in the 1870s. A German glassblower invented marble scissors, a device for making marbles, in 1846. The first mass-produced toy marbles (clay) made in the US were made in Akron, Ohio, by S. C. Dyke, in the early 1890s. Some of the first US-produced glass marbles were also made in Akron, by James Harvey Leighton. In 1903,
American Specialty Toy Retailing Association to be observed on the second Saturday of each November. American Specialty Toy Retailing Association The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, or "ASTRA", is an organization of manufacturers, manufacturers representatives, distributors and retailers of specialty toys (as compared to mass market product). The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is a non-profit association that provides leadership and resources to grow the specialty toy industry. It is the largest association serving the specialty toy industry. ASTRA members build their businesses around specialty toys, which generally are designed with a focus on what the child can do, rather than what the toy