Frequently Asked Questions
Speaker’s Bureau
Do you belong to a club, school, church, or library which would enjoy seeing, hearing, and learning about mechanical musical instruments? We may have a member in your area that would be happy to share his knowledge with you. Call 610 459-0367, and we will do our best to have an MBSI member address your group.
Repairing Automatic Musical Instruments
We are often asked about repairing music boxes and pneumatic instruments. The cost to do so will vary, depending upon the condition of the item, and that cost may exceed the box’s value in the case of modern music boxes. However, when a strong emotional connection exists, repair cost may be a minor consideration. More elaborate pneumatic instruments or antique…
Tune Availability
Some people have a favorite tune that they would like to have their musical instrument or box play. In the case of a pneumatic roll-playing instrument, this is generally feasible, because there are arrangers and roll makers for instruments, large and small, who can produce an arrangement of the tune of your choice. However, in the case of cylinder music…
What is not a music box?
Just as installing a CD system in your automobile does not change its essential nature as a car, installing a small novelty-type musical movement in a cigar box does not make your cigar box a music box. The MBSI is not able to tell you much about any collectible item into which the item’s manufacturer has installed a small musical…
Collecting mechanical music
Mechanical music was everywhere from about 1750 to about 1920 and is still being manufactured today. With so many of the existing antique pieces now in museums and private collections, is it still possible to build a collection of instruments? The answer is a resounding “YES”! Old mechanical music instruments constantly come into the marketplace through auctions, private dealers, estate…
Instrument appraisal
Many people email us asking, “How much is my instrument worth?” Unfortunately it is not possible for us to give a meaningful or reliable estimate of an instrument’s value, because such an appraisal requires a hands-on examination. Rarity, desirability, and condition are prime factors in determining value, and a collector or dealer in your area are the persons best equipped…
Instrument identification and history
It is natural to want to know as much as possible about the musical instrument that you own and cherish. Fortunately much research has been published about every type of mechanical musical instrument that has ever been made — from player pianos to carousel organs to automatic harps and violins to mechanical orchestra to cylinder and disc music boxes –…
Regina certificates
One of the MBSI services available to everyone is our Regina certificate service. MBSI is the keeper of the original Regina shipping records, saved from its Rahway, NJ, factory. Any owner of a Regina disc music box can obtain the pedigree of their Regina in the form of a certificate showing the date it was shipped and to whom. Send…