Dear Editor:

As participant in the 13th Annual West Virginia Marble Festival in Cairo (Ritchie County), I would like to thank everyone who made this event possible. No other marble show in the country (save perhaps the WVMCC show) could boast the fact that no fewer than seven families connected in some way with the toy glass marble industry were present to tell their stories and answer questions. People acquainted with Playrite Novelty, Heaton Agate, Alox Mfg. Co., Ravenswood Novelty, JABO Inc., Cairo Novelty and other were in attendance.

Vendors representing antique, contemporary, and just about every other kind of marble in between were there to buy, sell, trade, and show. There were some people (both young and more mature) who went to the beautiful Cairo Marble Park to show their skills at the marble game of Ringer.

Ann Fissel and her crew kept everyone happy with high quality goodies for every appetite. Free marbles were donated as gifts to attendees from Dave McCullough, from Marble King, and from Champion Agate. Much thanks to them as well.

Generous donations at the Marble Festival went to cover expenses and to support the National Marble Museum Collection now on permanent display at the West Virginia Museum of American Glass in Weston.

It appears that a grand time was had by all and I, for one, am looking forward to the 14th Annual West Virginia Marble Festival on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

Sincerely,

Michael Johnson