Vintage Music Boxes

For centuries people have enjoyed the beauty and style of music boxes. They really became popular in the 19th century, and in the modern era most homes have at least one music box. With so many available shapes and sizes of modern music boxes you would think there would not be any demand for vintage music boxes. But the fact is that vintage music boxes are just as popular as modern boxes. Serious collectors of music boxes feel that their collection simply is not complete without at least one vintage music box.

There are two basic forms of vintage boxes, based on how the music is created; they are the disk and the cylinder. Cylinders were used in the earliest music boxes, later giving way to the disks which were easier to manufacture and less expensive.

The music was created with either style by using metal combs that would raise up and fall against tiny prongs on the cylinder or disk. The vibration created by the different prongs moving created the boxes melody. When you are considering purchasing one of these, or just want to truly understand how they worked, you will want to look closely at the comb.

The comb controls how well and how clearly the music will play. The first thing to know is that all of the teeth on the comb must be intact. Any bends in the comb will affect the music quality. Small pits can indicate that the comb has been repaired at some point. Rusty combs will not produce pure tones. You can see why a close examination of the comb will help you determine the quality of the box you are buying.

You will also want to check the overall size of the comb. Small combs produce smaller sound and the tone and note range are greatly limited. The sound of a vintage music box is just as important as the looks of the box. Do not purchase a box based solely on the appearance. A high quality music box of any era will produce a pleasing, high quality sound.

Many antique shops and online brokers are offering vintage boxes because they do have a wide appeal. Vintage music boxes can cost thousands of dollars, so proper research should be done before making any purchase.

Any vintage music box is a piece of art to be treasured, handed down and appreciated for generations. They have the added bonus of being valuable monetarily as well as for sentimental reasons.

Now, Dylan has written on topics other than just music boxes.