My half sister gave me a jewelry box with a dancing ballerina and male dancer holding her aloft, with a lovely painted scene on the mirror, and it plays swan lake. It was for my birthday once as a kid. She knew I liked the ballet and had been to see Swan Lake. Sadly the box lid broke off a few years later, but I kept it. ANd the magnet stopped going round so the dancers no longer moved, but I kept it. Then the mirror fell out of the lid. I kept the mirrow and the dancers and the music maker part and threw out the rest. Now I have the mirror in our bathroom, the dancers in my box of treasures from childhood, and the music maker is a favorite treasure of my son's. In fact he took it with us to town today in his pocket. He has not yet been to see the ballet, but one day we will take him. When he's old enough to appreciate it, so in 4 or 5 years.

If you ever go to Vernon, ther is a neet museum place called O'Keefe Ranch, and in the house they have this fabulous giant metal disc plaing music box. It's one of the most gorgeous things I ever heard. The clear metalic notes loudly filling the whole house. I long to hear it again.

I have two music boxes.

One is a wooden jewellery box given to me by my husband  many Christmases ago that plays the theme from Love Story. It still sounds beautiful.

The other was like a snow globe (I'm not sure there was snow ) which we gave to my husband's grandma at Christmas many years ago and was given back to us when she passed away. It is the nativity scene and plays "O Holy Night". She dropped it and the glass globe broke but I just can't seem to through it out and it is packed away each year with the decorations. The music box still sounds beautiful. Maybe the glass globe could be replaced ... it would be a lovely gift for my granddolly from a great grandma that  she never met.

I have a few music boxes and when one breaks beyond repair, I can't bear to throw out the musical mechanism. So have some of those too.

I love music boxes.  My kids/family have had a number ...

- a clown doll with a big red nose that got turned to start the music - we called him Smiley

- a pair of matching little stuffed folks with yarn hair - boy & girl - who, when wound up would loll their heads around gently while the music played

- a toybox brimming with interesting bits - some of which moved while the music played - it was a horror to dust!

- two for Christmas - one a big snowglobe & the other a statue of a piano with lots of people around it - it used to rotate until it got dropped on the floor - now just wobbles a bit!

- the requisite little girl's jewellery box - pink & frilly & fragile!

and who knows ... maybe a few others!   I do love them too ... wind em up now & then ... lovely charming sounds that bring back special memories.

Mine wasn't pink and frilly. It was dark brown plastic, meant to look like tortoiseshell, the dancers were peraly white and the lake scene was multicolour.

I always wanted an antique one though, silver with red velvet lining...

My sisters used to have a couple when they were kids. I recall them being pastel in colour (pink and... blue?). They had little ballerinas in them that would twirl about as the music played.

Ah Elanorgold ... you had the classy one!

What about you frog - no music boxes for you?  A couple I listed above belong to my son.

Nope. The closest thing I had was a talking Captain Kangaroo doll made by the good people at Mattel. I loved that thing. It was my constant companion, including when I had to go into the Sick Kids Hospital for a short time.

Yes folks, it's true, I myself used to sleep on a regular basis with a man.

I was in babysrus today and to my amazement they had a potty chair that played music when the task was completed. Now, that is a new kind of music box!!!

Frog I was a regular Kaptain Kangaroo fan ... but never slept with him!  Your honesty & self-disclosure are welcome

That definitely is a new one for me pommum!!  Taking behavioural reinforcement to a whole new level!  I wonder what happens when those kids grow up & hear that tune ... do they have to run for the nearest washroom?   Or do they just get a nice warm feeling of satisfaction?

There are even the male and female versions of the music box potties!

Cap'n Kangaroo!! I remember him! Ah, but Mr. Rodgers was my favorite. : ) "It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood."