The seaglass collecting community is being torn apart by online drama
The Boston Globe reports on seaglass enthusiasts who are having online drama in Facebook groups.
The rift is over "seeded" marbles.
Those are ones purposely tossed into the ocean so they can be collected later.
Did you know there is an active online community of people who collect seaglass as a hobby? That community, which has several large Facebook Groups dedicated to the hobby, is currently in the midst of a serious schism.
According to a report in The Boston Globe, the big rift in New England is over the practice of "seeding" marbles: purposely tossing glass marbles into the ocean so that you can collect them later on.
For purists, this is a big no-no. They consider this a cheap thrill, like using a corked bat or fishing a stocked pond. (Should we call them seaglassholes?) The Boston Globe writes:
Sea glass collecting has exploded lately, buoyed by Facebook forums, a thriving market for sea-glass jewelry and crafts, and an older fanbase who embraced safe ways to be outside during the pandemic. When seeding marbles became a trend — [Dave] Valle said it was a few people in Rhode Island who started the local fad a few years ago — it spread so quickly that a marble went from a once-in-a-lifetime find to once-a-day for some hunters. "Those people are full of it," Valle said.
When one person shared a photo of 40 marbles found in a single day, Valle lost his mind and created his own private group, Don't Worry Be Glassy, exclusively for dedicated "purists" like him.
Online, the issue has gotten so contentious that the moderator of one large Facebook group has banned any talk of seeded marbles.
This story has everything: niche hobby drama, boomers getting mad and forming Facebook Group splinter cells, interesting historical facts, and grouchy Massachusetts people. Go read it now.
Read the original article on Business Insider