Marble (toy) Martin Frederick Christensen—also of Akron, Ohio—made the first machine-made glass marbles on his patented machine. His company, The M. F. Christensen & Son Co., manufactured millions of toy and industrial glass marbles until they ceased operations in 1917. The next US company to enter the glass marble market was Akro Agate. This company was started by Akronites in 1911, but located in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Today, there are only two American-based toy marble manufacturers: Jabo Vitro in Reno, Ohio, and Marble King, in Paden City, West Virginia. In Australia, games were played with marbles of different sizes. The smallest and
American Specialty Toy Retailing Association 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 can do. In 2010, ASTRA established Neighborhood Toy Store Day,