1900s Silver Figural Baseball Music Box

[sporteq]

Oh damn.. nice Bob!

Albert

[bgar3]

A very nice piece regardless of date. Perhaps the attached card with this one can help date it.

[murphusa]

Fred Zimbalist & Co was from Cleveland Ohio, it imported Thoren Music Boxes from Switzerland and encased them in etched silver and silver plated boxes that they had made in India. The company started in mid 1940’s and was sold in 2013

All of the boxes were handmade and no two were the same.

A similar music box was sold at auction on 3/7/2013 for $1,011.00, this box still played "Take me out to the Ballgame"

[sporteq]

Jim- nice intel

Albert

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by sporteq

Jim- nice intel

Albert

Agreed...good intel indeed

[bobfreedman]

Originally Posted by murphusa

Fred Zimbalist & Co was from Cleveland Ohio, it imported Thoren Music Boxes from Switzerland and encased them in etched silver and silver plated boxes that they had made in India. The company started in mid 1940’s and was sold in 2013

All of the boxes were handmade and no two were the same.

A similar music box was sold at auction on 3/7/2013 for $1,011.00, this box still played "Take me out to the Ballgame"

Great info Jim, thanks!

Which auction was it that you saw that it sold for $1000?

[vintagesportscollector]

http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/A...nclosedbuy&p=0

[vintagesportscollector]

Carlton first noted this box in his 2006 National write up:

http://www.sportsantiques101.com/06natpage3.htm

Search "Music Box" in Hunts completed auctions and you will see a few (or the same one sold multiple times). Hunts attributed it to the 1920s. SCP and Lengendary implied or stated Turn of Century.

Seems the key is knowing it is a Fred Zimbalist piece, which would put it in the 40s/50s. In the absence of that knowledge, any earlier guess on age seems understandable. However....this group (Jim in particular) could immediatelly date this to the 40s while SCP and Legendary couldn't do some basic homework? Is it possible not all these are Zimbalist? the Ebay one doesn't have a sticker, so how did that seller know it was Zimbalist, or are they just assuming? (the Thorens pamphlet does look 40s/50s).

Either way absolutely gorgeous piece, (wish I saw it on ebay), but seems $3-5K is more in line than $15-30K.

[bobfreedman]

Originally Posted by vintagesportscollector

Carlton first noted this box in his 2006 National write up:

http://www.sportsantiques101.com/06natpage3.htm

Search "Music Box" in Hunts completed auctions and you will see a few (or the same one sold multiple times). Hunts attributed it to the 1920s. SCP and Lengendary implied or stated Turn of Century.

Seems the key is knowing it is a Fred Zimbalist piece, which would put it in the 40s/50s. In the absence of that knowledge, any earlier guess on age seems understandable. However....this group (Jim in particular) could immediatelly date this to the 40s while SCP and Legendary couldn't do some basic homework? Is it possible not all these are Zimbalist? the Ebay one doesn't have a sticker, so how did that seller know it was Zimbalist, or are they just assuming? (the Thorens pamphlet does look 40s/50s).

Either way absolutely gorgeous piece, (wish I saw it on ebay), but seems $3-5K is more in line than $15-30K.

Joe, without trying to sound defensive I don't think that you can discount the last three prices of this exact same trophy? The last three have have all been north of $15k and for you to say that $3k - $5k is more in line does not take into account supply and demand and the fact that we now have three data points (excluding the one I bought on eBay because the seller badly miscategorized the piece) that say you are wrong. As with all memorabilia they have their ebbs and flows and this is no different but the prices are definitely trending in the $15k range.

You can go back and take a look at some of the past trophies in REA or any other AH and see that Spalding trophies or the very nice looking trophies that the prices have been trending upwards, IF you can find them nowadays. While I do not dispute your knowledge, I do dispute your value of these pieces.

[sayheykid54]

I believe the music box sold for quite a bit less because it is broken and doesn't play.