THERE'S no danger of Sam McCarthy-Fox losing his marbles.

Sam, 53, of Ham Road in Worthing, has 40,000 of them tucked safely away in his loft. But Sam's obsession will reach a wider audience when his collection appears on the Channel 4 TV programme Collectors' Lot. The reprographics officer for Sussex Police is a recognised authority on marbles, and is secretary of the British Marble Board of Control. He also organises the annual British and World Marble Championships at Tinsley Green near Gatwick Airport. Father of two Sam says his 20-month-old son Zachary loves his dad's marbles, but has to be watched in case he tries to eat them. He said: "I keep them out of his way in the loft in giant wine bottles, a glass head and various boxes." The oldest in Sam's collection are clay ones from the 1820s, but he has thousands ranging from hand-made works of art to production line marbles. He started collecting more than 30 years ago when he got a Japanese cat's eye marble. His most treasured marble is a sulphide one given to him at a tournament in California last year. The clear glass marble with a little marble-playing figure in the middle is one of only 25 in the world. But marbles is not just a game to him, it's a therapy. He said: "It's a lovely feeling when you place your hands in a huge jar of marbles and just let them run through your fingers." And Sam's wife Sue, 32, is getting in on the collectors act as well. The professional freelance photographer is also being filmed for Collectors' Lot with her photos of the Royal Family. Sam will be on Collectors' Lot on Monday, March 9. The next British and World Marbles Championship is at Tinsley Green on April 10.

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