Where can one find American made music boxes? Good question. So, many of the premier music boxes are made in Italy, at least the inlaid box is made in Italy. Where the music mechanism is made is another question.
If I were looking for American made music boxes, my first stop would be the San Francisco Music Box Company (http://www.sanfranciscomusicbox.com/). They have many different forms of music boxes, although the origin of the box is not specified in the write-up of the item. The people on the 800 telephone number may be able to find out the origin of the music box you are looking at purchasing.
The American Music Box Company (http://americanmusicboxcompany.com/) advertises that some of their music boxes are made in the USA, although some are also imported. I have not found a web site where you can see and/or order their music boxes, so you may have to work though a local gift shop owner to find these music boxes.
One way to get an American made music box is to order a custom music box. In that case, although the music button will probably be made elsewhere, you may be able to specify that the box itself be made in the US. I had such a box made for my father, playing the VMI March, some time ago. The box itself is a nice wood with a satin finish, and he was pleased at the tune it played, being an alumnus of VMI. I do not remember where I found the box, but I would start looking by finding the source of the music and then see what the company offers are a container for the music.
One source for inc=formation about music boxes is the Music Box Society International (mbsi.org). Their site includes a list of historical music box makers, but someone there should have some information about current manufacturers.
The Music Box Company (http://www.themusicboxcompany.com/) has many lines of music boxes, including a category for hand crafts in the USA. Most of them seemed to be out of stock, but an inquiry to the company might establish when more would be available. These used a Swiss music mechanism, Reuge to be exact, one of the best music mechanism makers.
Finally, The Bradford Exchange (http://www.bradfordexchange.com/) provides a wealth of collectibles, including music boxes. The listing does not specify where the music box was made, but there a number of different styles available.
Finding a music box made in the US may require some digging, but you should be able to find a source with a little work. You can also work with the owner of a local gift shop to find sources that may not be available online. Good luck, and happy hunting.
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