Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

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Mbenz-s600
Victor Jr
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Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by Mbenz-s600 »

Hi everyone , I found a very rare Italian antique windup which uses 12” metal disc inside the box there is Italian company name C MAFFAI & FIGLI , Milano is wriiten on a small metal plate , I seeking its history and how much it worth, any kind help will be greatly appreciated ! Thanks, best regards! Ali
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JerryVan
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by JerryVan »

The tag is a dealer's tag, not a maker's tag. The music box would be Swiss and would bear the brand name Edelweiss, as the brand name of the disc suggests.

Have a look at completed eBay auctions of similarly sized disc boxes for valuation. With the disc in place, as you've shown it, it's impossible to even begin to judge the condition of the comb.

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Roaring20s
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by Roaring20s »

I found this for you...
from...
https://translate.google.com/translate? ... ch&pto=aue
Screen Shot 2021-05-19 at 6.09.49 PM.png

from...
https://www.maremagnum.com/stampe/espos ... /130086506
Interior view of the gallery of musical instruments of the Exposition of Fine Arts in Milan, in the Brera palace, 1891...
C. Maffei.jpeg
C. Maffei.jpeg (122.03 KiB) Viewed 1209 times

Here is link to an ad for them...
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Gu ... frontcover

Hope this helps you with further searching.
James.

Mbenz-s600
Victor Jr
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by Mbenz-s600 »

Thanks for responding here is the pics of the comb there seems to be no maker name written on the windup mechanism having taken it out of the wood box
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JerryVan
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by JerryVan »

Whatever the maker, this looks to have been well restored at some time and in very nice condition.

Sidewinder
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by Sidewinder »

Disc music boxes did not have a universal / standard disc format - so here with yours a big giveaway is the disc that says Edelweiss. Usually not usable on another make of disc player.

I think its manufactured by the Swiss firm "Thorens" -> Anchor trademark.

Somewhere on yours should be an anchor, or "Swiss Made"
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Mbenz-s600
Victor Jr
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by Mbenz-s600 »

thank you so much sidewinder for you great information and I beleive you are correct! is there any way of finding parts for the machine, recently it has quit working look like bearings holes in the brass plate where the gears go in the governor part have become large with age and also the red jewel bearing what look like made of plastic has become large i would say this has happened due to age from playing it, is it possible to gear the two brass plates and the red plastic jewel inside the governor or the whole governor assembly from someplace, as always your kind help will be greatly appreciated. thanks! Ali

JerryVan
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by JerryVan »

It would be nearly impossible to find parts for your music box. Even if you found the same parts, from the same make & model, they would most likely need to be custom "fit" to each other in order to work. Your best bet would be to find a competant restorer and have the enlarged holes bushed back to size. The jewel is not plastic. It is just what the name implies, a jewel. The jewel can get a pit worn in it from ages of use. Many times, the jewel can be repositioned to a clean spot. However, the governor shaft pin can also be worn. The end of the pin should be spherical, and highly polished. Years of wear will flatten the spherical end, causing friction that can make it hard for the motor to start. When this happens, the end must be reshaped and polished.

I'm sure there are some very skilled restorers in Europe, but I don't know who they are... On this side of the globe, one of our forum members from Canada would be an excellent resource.

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Curt A
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Re: Very rare Italian windup up music box valuation needed

Post by Curt A »

A competent clock repairman should be able to re-bush those worn spindle holes, replace the jewel and get this back in order...
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