FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS

Vacor de Mexico began operations in Mexico City in 1934. It originally produced clay marbles, but within a few years was producing glass marbles. In 1944, production of cat’s-eyes began. These were used mostly as eyes in stuffed animals. Until the expansion of Vacor to a new facility in Guadalajara in 1974, most production was shipped within Mexico. The plant expansion of 1974 saw Vacor enter the international market. They are today the largest marble producer in the world, by some accounts manufacturing more than 90% of the world’s marble production.
Little is known about marbles produced by Vacor de Mexico prior to 1974. During the past few decades, the company has taken a more serious approach to marketing their marbles, assigning a bewildering array of names to them.

CHINESE MANUFACTURERS

As with many household products in recent years, The People's Republic of China has become a major manufacturer and exporter of toy marbles. Companies such as Yixing Jinzhu Glass Products Co. Ltd. and Xuzhou Jirui Glass Products Co. Ltd. began producing toy marbles in large quantities in the late 1990s.