Music Boxes

Music boxes make great gifts. Music boxes are fun to own. Music boxes come in all shapes and sizes. Music boxes play many different types of music. Music boxes can be mechanical. Music boxes can be electronic. Music boxes have been around a long long time so you can buy antique music boxes that cost a small fortune or you can buy new plastic electronic music boxes that cost only a few dollars. And music boxes don't even have to be in the shape of a box either.

When I was growing up, music boxes seemed to be something just about every girl had one of. Music boxes seemed to be everywhere. There were music boxes on all the young girls' dressers, often they were in the form of a jewelry box that contained a small music box inside it. Music boxes were the gift of choice. It seemed that everyone was giving or receiving music boxes. Of course, at this time music boxes were mechanical and very few were made of plastic. The housing might have been plastic, but the inner workings were usually made of brass. And the box or vessel that contained the music box mechanics was usually quality wood or porcelain or metal, sometimes even sterling silver.

One very popular style of music box was the black lacquer wooden box with hand painting on it. Many of the music boxes were wound up from the bottom and when the lid of the box was lifted a mechanism released the turning drum or barrel and the music played. Often there was a little figure that would twirl in dip as the music box played its tune.

People often collect special music boxes. Sometimes their music boxes are treasures picked up during travels so that you might have music boxes from all over the world. Some people like to collect theme music boxes like different animals or storybook characters or clowns or angels. There is no end to the possibilities of the types of music boxes that you might decide to collect or how you collect them. A mother might start a tradition by giving her daughter a music box at every birthday so as the years pass, the shelves in her bedroom become a wonderful display of all the different music boxes she has received after many birthdays.

Children and adults loved music boxes, but in general, the small dresser top versions were possession of girls and women, not boys or men. Now it is common for men to be collectors of antique music boxes for their rarity and value. And they are also appreciated for their wonderful craftsmanship. They are a pleasure to behold and a pleasure to listen to. Music boxes, although originally invented centuries ago as one of the earliest forms of automated musical producers are still popular today and are still a great item to give or receive.

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