Ellenboro, West Virginia: Marble Maker Sam Hogue

We stopped in May. Sam was not making marbles, but he was so fun and interesting. He talked about the process, showed us his equipment and all of his beautiful creations, and explained how they are made. I could have taken home a hundred of them, as they are all unique. Highly recommend finding him if you are traveling on Route 50.

Since the last tip update was over two years ago, I was skeptical we would find Mr. Hogue at home making marbles. But he was! It was fun to hear about his process, and he has quite the production studio. There's lots to see and learn, and Mr. Hogue is eager to share. A fading art and craft. Go see it before you can't!

It was everything we hoped for and more. Sam is so genuine: what you see is what you get. He obviously loves his craft and is delighted to share his knowledge with everyone. His marbles are gorgeous and I am so glad we made the trip.

My daughter and I stopped in and watched Sammy create amazing marbles. He is truly talented and so humble! Go support him and stop in to say hi!

If you're anywhere near northwest West Virginia, take a side trip to this guy's home and workshop. He's a real hoot and you'll be fascinated watching him make glass marbles. Working with molten glass is quickly becoming a lost art; see it while this old-timer is still around to do it. I spent a great couple of hours there and and I highly, highly recommend it.