Field Note

Archive wraps are applied to marbles to protect each specimen during storage and transport. The covering is meant to come away cleanly under light abrasion, so the surface beneath can be inspected without causing damage.

Naturally, not every wrapped marble remains where it was meant to be. Some go astray in transit, and some are spirited away by FooBirds, who have never shown much respect for inventory procedure. When such marbles are found again, they can become a source of great pleasure, and sometimes considerable profit, for the collector fortunate enough to recover them.

Wrapped marbles are rather like presents. Until the covering is removed, no one can say for certain what lies inside. By scratching away the protective shroud, you reveal both the kind of marble and the value hidden within the wrappings.

They can be traded as easily as exposed marbles, but their true worth cannot be known until they are opened. In this way, wrapped marbles become a speculative exchange. Trade carefully: you may part with an epic marble for a common one, or discover that an ordinary-looking parcel was hiding something legendary all along. Until the wrap is lifted, only the FooBirds know for sure.