Music Boxes as Music Decor

A New or Old Music Box ? 

That is a very good question!  Since a music box is an easy way to spruce up music decor, either one, a brand-spanking new one, or an old one that has a story to tell, can be a wise choice.

If you are looking for a music box gift, it is probably wise to buy a new musicbox, but if the recipient likes vintage, then by all means, see what kind of old music box you can find that you think they will like. 

When buying a music box gift, answer the questions -- Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.

1. Who is it for?
2. What will they do with it?
3. When will they play it?
4. Where can they set it?
5. Why would they like what you have picked out?
6. How often will they use it?

Vintage Music Boxes --

Who likes them?
 
It depends!  Vintage music boxes make great collectibles and add a lot of charm to your music decor.  People sometimes look for unique types, such as patriotic, animals, musical instruments, Christmas or holiday, souvenir, etc. to fit in a particular setting. 

Other times, the tune is more important.  Some tunes, nostalgic, in particular, are harder to find than others. A person with a collection might buy a music box to go with their music decor because they have none with the tune it plays.  They will be delighted with vintage music boxes if the tune satisfies them.

A Wind-Up Music Box --

All music boxes wind up, but there are two basic types.

One has a base that screws on to the bottom.  To wind it up, the base is turned clockwise.  The music box rotates counter-clockwise when playing and needs to run all the way down and stop.  There is no way to turn it off.  Some, instead of a base, may have a wheel or similar means of winding located on the side or on top, but the concept is the same.  There is no way to turn them off.

Another type of wind-up music box will have a key that is wound by turning it clockwise.  A slide bar or similar feature can be moved left or right to turn it on or off.  Instead of a slide bar, it could also be a small up or down switch or similar mechanism that turns the music/motion on and off.

Music Boxes that Sold on eBay --

Initially, I had over 100 music boxes, all different, and each played a different tune, but many including the ones above were sold on eBay. When we began to downsize, we did not have room to keep them all.