Nancy Fratti - My Story

I am happy and proud to tell you that 2015 marks the 47th Anniversary of Nancy Fratti Music Boxes (formerly Panchronia Antiquities)! Forty-seven years...so much has happened....so many new friends...so many new projects!

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1968 - Got married and Panchronia Antiquities was born! Originally specializing in selling/restoring antique Clocks and branching out in:

1969 - To include Antique Oriental Rugs. The rugs dominated the inventory until:

1972 - When I purchased my first Musical Box, a 15 1/2" Regina. This was also the year I met Dr. Joe Roesch. When I bought the Regina it was, naturally, quite as-is. The dampers needed work, the mechanism had to be cleaned to remove 80-odd years of accumulated dirt and bug carcasses!

I was living in Syracuse, NY, at the time, and a clock associate directed me to Joseph Roesch (see the Musical Box Society International Silver Anniversary Collection book for technical articles written by Joe) who lived, incredibly, within 5 miles of my home! A quick phone call and visit started a friendship that resulted not only in much exchanged information and ideas, but in a shared dream to train more restoration people through the first CYLINDER BOX RESTORATION SCHOOL in the country!

But...I'm getting ahead of myself....

1973 - Saw the first 3 page RESTORATION SUPPLY CATALOG devoted to just Musical Box restoration products. The catalog has grown each year as new products are added and has morphed to this grand web page that you're reading now!

1974 - Moved from Syracuse, NY, to neighboring Warners for more room and less population.

All the items in this catalog are used daily in some phase of restoration work in my shop. Supplies are sent all over the world, creating a network of even more friends and Musical Box enthusiasts!I try to keep from raising any prices unless absolutely necessary. As a matter of fact, most prices have remained unchanged for the last 20+ yrs. because I bought in large quantities. As I run out of some supplies and have to pay the price of modern labor, you will find an increase in some of the prices...but...as I find other sources for some products, some prices will go down!

1979 - Got divorced and carried on the business, specializing in just Musical Boxes.

1981 - Rescued a new friend, kid and mascot from the SPCA! Shadow was one of those loveable mixed-up Terriers that you see featured on most TV commercials. He traveled to shows and meetings and was instantly loved by people and four legged critters!

1985 - Moved to Whitehall, NY, and started building larger facilities.

1986 - Together with Joe Roesch, the first professional RESTORATION SCHOOL FOR CYLINDER MUSICAL BOXES was started! Our first foreign student arrived from Great Britain to attend classes!

1987 - Together with a new friend, Owen Royce, we started recording and selling the first digitally recorded Compact Discs and Cassette Tapes of antique musical boxes...."MUSIC BOX MELODIES." Another year of Restoration School and a student from Canada joined us.

1988 - I started manufacturing Regina Disc Supports and Pressure Arm Rollers.

1989 - Another year of school, with students from Japan and Switzerland!

1990 - - To accommodate the increasing volume of mail I had to change to a larger post office box! I also switched computer systems, thanks to my Mom & Dad, from my original Apple to a IBM-based PC and incorporated an invoicing program. This necessitated putting stock numbers on all the products and re-structuring the entire catalog.

1991 - Another session of School...with a student from Australia! We also added Chuck Walker as an assistant teacher. A much needed shipping room was added to the house.

I received the Musical Box Society International's President's Award!

1993 - Another 6 classes of school brought a student from Amsterdam!

I celebrated my 25th Anniversary in business with a drawing featuring over 31 prizes ranging from a new 11" Thorens Disc Box with a custom made case (with sterling silver inlay!) to books, recordings, etc. For the occasion, I also issued my own 25th Anniversary Die Cast Bank....in a limited edition of 250.

I bought a computer program to try to set up (typeset) as much of the printed catalog as I could do myself. (In the past I'd used individual press-on letters! OH! How time consuming and tedious!)

Shadow went to sleep on Dec. 31st. He is sorely missed, even today. After being together for 12 years, he decided he'd had enough and changed realities....he was buried in my perennial garden.

1994 - A starving kitten was brought into the back yard by a neighbor's dog. Attack-cat "SPOT" is now a permanent household member. Her 'turbo-charged' attitude and kitten antics make me smile. Another year of School, which Joe and I decided was the last one to be held.

1995-2002 - Business as usual.....MBSI meetings and doing a few shows a year. Expanded my audio inventory tremendously. Received the MBSI Trustee's Award in 1998 and the President's Award in 1997.

2002 - Moved to Canastota, NY to start a 'new' life. Still in the music box business (that will never change!). Moved 4000 sq. ft. of 'stuff' into 3000 and am still looking for things!

2003 - Made enough room in the basement to set up a small shop and start restoration work again.

Got sick and almost died twice in one week.....thanks to a kidney stone causing septic poisoning, which turned into congestive heart failure...but I'm still here!

Met the love of my life (finally!)....Larry Rink!...thanks to a mutual friend. We're inseparable! We love to just laze away a summer's day fishing or feed our addiction to pinball machines. Renaissance Fairs, playing pool, mini-golf and antiquing are some things we both enjoy.

2005 - Changed the business name from Panchronia to NANCY FRATTI MUSIC BOXES and set up this website.

2006 - Larry proposed!....and you know I accepted! We were married at home on April 2, 2006.

2007-2009 - Business as usual. Finally got off dial-up internet service and onto a pseudo-DSL service.

2008 - My life-long friend, Joe Roesch, died in late August and he is sorely missed....I planted an evergreen tree in the yard in his memory and covered it with over 40 red paper hearts, one for each year I knew him and shared his life.

2010 - Another bout with septic poisoning caused by a kidney stone. After serving 25+ years on the Musical Box Society International Museum Committee, 20+ years on the Publications Committee and 8 years as an MBSI Trustee, I resigned those posts but continue giving lectures at Annual Meetings.

2011-2012 - More shows and MBSI meetings and restoration work. Spot the cat decided to change realities on Halloween. After 17.5 years with me she left us peacefully in her sleep. I can still hear her in the house...at least her cat hair reminds us of her time with us!

2013-2015 - I've had more collections to sell these past three years than all the other years combined. One collection was over 160 pieces, large and small! From one piece to 100+, I find new appreciative homes for these antique treasures.

2015 - I finally got a great Web Page Company. :)))

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I do ask you to CALL for an appointment if you plan to visit. The shop is in the house and I'm glad to stay at home if I know you're coming. Otherwise, we may be anywhere.....running errands, at a show, or just plain gone fishin'!

Restoration work, when properly done, is a very satisfying and rewarding experience.

If you have any questions about the applications of any of my supplies, or about techniques, or about music boxes in general, please feel free to call or write. I'll help as much as I can.