Re: Old Harmonica

["Lawrence Pratt" <LPratt@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

 "Helen" wrote: 
Hello, anyone have any information on a Old harmonica, it is in a Tin
with a Young Red Headed Boy on it and reads The Harmonica King, made by
FR Hotz German!

and then:

Hello Again,
I think the boy on the box is the Hohner boy, but the real question is
Do you think this is worth anything or who can I contact to find out
more about it.

>>>>>>>>8<<<<<<<<<
The Harmonica King is a fairly common harp in collector's circles.  If
the image is the "Hohner boy" it might suggest, that it was made after
Hohner acquired F. R. Hotz.  I'm unsure of when that happend, I'm
estimating in the 30's.

As to value.  An easy way to check is to go to eBay and run a completed
auctions search on it.  I think you will find that it would bring from
$15 to $30 dollars, depending on its condition and the interest at the
moment.  

The things collectors look for is the overall condition of the harp,
its playability and relative age.  Having the original box, or tin in
this case, is a plus.  Again the better the condition the higher the
value.  Some collectors are knowledgable enough about a brand to
identify its relative age.  For example, this harp may have been offered
with a slightly different picture on the tin, before Hohner acquired
Hotz.  I don't know if this is true in this case, but one can track the
changes in Hohner Marine Band coverplates and put harps in a relative
order by age.  What you need to make it really exceed its value is two
collecters who "gotta have it," and don't have sense enough to wait
until the end of the auction.  
Hope this helps.

Best Regards to All,

Larry Boy Pratt
www.parkhousejam.com