Glass target balls were invented in 1866 by Charles Portlock of Boston and became popular as better "traps" were invented to launch the balls in the 1870s. They were gradually replaced by clay pigeons starting in the 1880s, but remained widely used in Wild West shows and various shooting exhibitions. God only knows how many of these balls were shot by Annie Oakely and other legendary shooters. Like vintage ammunition, these balls were disposable in their day and thus are relatively rare. Their fragile nature also adds to their scarcity. The twelve balls in this set are a variety of colors and sizes. Some are smooth, and others are ribbed. One is the filled style popularized by shooter Ira Paine and is filled with feathers to add a live bird feel. Two of the ribbed blue balls have makers marked in the center bands: "VAN GUTSEM A ST QUENTIN" and "N B GLASS WORKS BERTH" (the "S"s are reversed on the second ball).