Repair and RESToRATION Antique music box
repair and music boxes for sale
There are enthusiasts who buy antique music boxes, artisans who repair them, and dealers who sell them after restoration. But Johan is one of the few music box aficionados in the world who combines these three skills. And Johan only buys, restores and put antique music boxes for sale that are special, beautiful and high-quality.
Trained in a watchmaker shop
“I’m just totally fascinated by the mechanics of these boxes. To acquaint myself with the technology, I trained as a watchmaker. And I found a mentor near me who also loved antique music box repair and taught me a lot about a good restoration. Even so, much remained hidden. The thing is: very little of what these music box makers knew and did has been recorded.”
antique music box repair or restoration?
Johan sources pieces that tickle his curiosity and he loves antique music box repair and restoration to their original state – guaranteeing finished pieces with strong appeal and high quality.
That said, if you happen to have an interesting music box in need of a small repair or big restoration…
old and rare across
the centuries
The sheer intellectual pleasure of finding out those things is what drives Johan to source rare and old music boxes in need of restoration. “I don’t just find high-quality music boxes at the local antique shops near me. They’re too rare for that. Fortunately, by now I have global network of contacts who alert me when they see an interesting piece.”
Restoring those old music boxes is an intricate and intimate business, often involving both metal- and woodwork: replacing missing pins and repairing sprocket wheels, repairing the damaged inlays and marquetry, fixing springs and adjusting the speed of the mechanism – and much more.
All music boxes are restored using the original techniques and materials. This is the beating heart of Johan’s passion. It’s where he enters into a dialogue across the centuries with the artisans who made these wondrous objects. “Each music box is a unique piece, with its own peculiarities. Restoring them often means discovering unique problems, and all of them I solve right here in my shop.”
Strong appeal
and high quality
Johan sources pieces that tickle his curiosity and lovingly restores these to their original state – guaranteeing finished pieces with strong appeal and high quality. That said, if you happen to have an interesting music box in need of restoration…
A collection, but up for sale
Once a music box is restored, it becomes part of Johan’s collection. But that collection is not for keeps: buyers from all over the world are keen to acquire his unique pieces. “There are three kinds of buyers. Firstly, connoisseurs who would like a music box to add a unique piece to their eclectic collection. Secondly, enthusiasts who are looking to complete a specific collection of music boxes – one of each kind, or one from each manufacturer, for example. And thirdly, investors in antiques, who see that an antique cylinder music box is getting very rare and thus will only go up in value.”
Are you interested in buying, or have an antique music box for sale? Please get in touch. I will gladly be of assistance!
NEW ARRIVALS in my shop
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