I was never that intrigued with music boxes when I was young. I did not have a musical jewelry box with a ballerina inside, although one friend did have. It played “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning”, which I thought was pretty obnoxious. But since then, I have been exposed to more music boxes and they do have their own charm.

First, they are boxes, one of my favorites. For the most part, they can be stacked neatly and many stored on one shelf, For me, this is an important characteristic. Space is my collection limiting factor, although I find more space in the same rooms every year. So stacking, or being small is a good thing. Some music boxes are also intended to hold jewelry as well. Some music boxes only hold the music mechanism. In this case, the panel over the machine is usually clear so you can watch the mechanism play the music, which is pretty fascinating.

Some music boxes are not even box shaped, but are scenes that rotate like a carousel as the music plays. In fancier models the figures may also move on the top of the rotating stage, like a real carousel. Because there is usually space not otherwise used, many snow globes have music mechanisms in the base, to counterweight the water in the globe and to provide a little more entertainment.

Some very nice music boxes are made so the cylinder with the music can be changed out. These boxes are sold with a number of cylinders, usually housed in the box with the player mechanism. Fine examples come from Switzerland and other European countries, although there are many beautiful boxes made in the US as well.

The songs available are fairly standard, including “Jingle Bells” and passages of other Christmas carols, songs from Broadway musicals, and common songs like “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. Phrases from popular classical music and pop songs are also found in the small plastic music boxes made to be embedded in stuffed animals or your own hand-made box. My favorite, which I grabbed when I found it, is the theme music Alfred Hitchcock used on his TV show, “The March of The Marionettes”. That is the thing: if you want a different tune, you will need to search out sources. They are out there, and some really strange and wonderful tunes are available in the music making mechanism. (they now make music button that make music electronically when pushed. Not really a music box, I think.)

Mr. Christmas is a company that makes special ornaments and decorative pieces every year, and many include a music box. There are also little music boxes about the size of a box of matches that include moving figures like ice skaters.

Music boxes can be found in jewelry stores and finer gift shops. If you become a collector, you will discover the best sources the king of music box you collect. Your collection could be based on the type of music, like pop tunes, or you collect boxes that play a particular song and see how many different boxes carry that tune. You can also specialize in the music boxes of a particular manufacturer, or collect only one kind of box, like inlaid marquetry boxes. There are many options to choose from, so take a look around. A music box just for you is out there, and once you find it, its friends are going to want to come live you too.

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