BY LISA BRODY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

JOHN SOBCZAK

Dave Eisenberg's

music box collection

includes birdcages,

figurines, carousels

and cloc

D

ave Eisenberg doesn't play
the trombone. He doesn't lead
a marching band. And he's not
from River City. But he's
"The Music Man" nonetheless.
More than 700 music boxes, discovered
at estate and garage sales, surround Dave
in his Southfield condo. Most were bro-
ken when he found them. With painstak-
ing care and diligence, Dave carefully
restores them to make music once again,
much like the broken toys that come back
to life in "Toy Story."
Twirl around Dave's condo, and with
every glance you will spy music boxes.
Many bring back joyful memories from
years ago. Along one wall are his figurine
music boxes, followed by the birdcage
music boxes. Fun holiday music boxes are
near charming music boxes of carousels.
There are music boxes in the shapes of
clocks, pianos, dolls, jewelry boxes,
clowns, Chanukah menorot, even liquor
bottles that, with a twist of the bottom,
play a tune. When numerous music boxes
are wound, what you hear is musical
enchantment, rather than cacophony.
Dave has accumulated all of these
music boxes in the last five years.
"I bought one at a garage sale for my
daughter because I liked the music. She
enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and I continued,"
he says.
Dave loves going to garage and estate
sales, and also has enormous collections of
musical refrigerator magnets, salt and pep-
per shakers, costume jewelry and watches.
"The most fun is the hunt," he says.
"There are about 12 sales a weekend. If I
go to a sale on Thursday, and it's still
there on Saturday, I can usually get it for
50 percent off or more. It's like a sickness,
because you're afraid if you don't go to a
sale, it will be the one where you miss
something.
"The joy is you never know if you're
going to find anything or not," he notes.
Dave buys tons of broken watches and
jewelry, with the sole intention of fixing
them and giving them away. A workroom
in the basement is devoted to jewelry
repair. He donates the repaired watches,
necklaces, bracelets and earrings to vari-
ous shelters, boys homes, hospitals, nurs-
ing homes and assisted living facilities.
For him, that is the best part of all.
"I always keep some watches in my
pocket," he says. "When I see a waiter or
waitress without a watch, I give them one.
They think I'm nuts."
Nope. Just special.

1 0 • FEBRUARY 2002 • STYLE A"I"I'HE JN