WEIRTON –The Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, located at 3149 Main St. in Weirton, has announced it will welcome marble collector and appraiser Rick Rine at 11 a.m. on May 10.

Rine will speak to those in attendance about the famous toy and tell about its history.

The presentation will include the history of marbles and the 14 factories that produced marbles throughout West Virginia.

Due to the number of factories that made marbles, West Virginia was once known as the marble-making capital of the world.

He will inform guests on the various types of marbles there are and show marbles from his collection.

Some of his marbles have included Jackson, Davis, Heaton and Alley marbles, which he has taken to shows and has sold on e-Bay.

Rine possesses various marbles made of glass, clay, stone and steel that he has obtained from various countries, including the United States, Germany and China, according to museum officials.

Rine, who is a lifetime member of the West Virginia Marble Collectors Club and the Buckeye Marble Collectors Club, will display his collection and provide appraisals on certain marbles.

Participants at the presentation will have the opportunity to leave with a marble from Rine’s extensive collection.

Light refreshments will be served following the presentation.

The event will be free of charge to attend; however, donations to the museum are welcome and are appreciated, officials said.

For information, contact the museum at (304) 224-1909.