Jukeboxes have been part of Americana for many many years. Mention a "jukebox" and you have images of young teenagers dancing to a swinging beat. Many movies set in the 40s and 50s have secenes set around plugging a coin into a jukebox and picking a favorite song.

The term "jukebox" started around the 1930s in the United States and is apparently derived from the African-American slang term "juke" or "jook", meaning "dance". The jukebox or music box was first seen back in the late 1800s but it didn't gain in popular use until they could be electrically run and amplified and the first selective jukebox was built in 1928. Their heyday was from the 1940s through the 1950s and 60s and even though it is known more for the rock and roll era it was also very popular in the "swing era" before that.

One of the most famous jukebox is the Wurlitzer with its familiar rounded top and the front lights that gave it impact. The Wurlitzer jukebox was fisrt used in the 1940s but it became very famous during the rock and roll era of the 50s into the 60s. The Wurlitzer "1015-Bubbler" model is probably the most popular jukbox and highly sought after by collectors but other collector favorites are the Rock-Ola models 1413 and 1422, the eeburg M100C, the early AMI "Top Flight" Model [1936-38] and the AMI Continental which was especailly popular in Europe.

many people love to collect jukeboxes, especially the Wurlitzer, for the feelings of nostalgia and history. They love to set them up in their rec room or home bar and watch their friends and family enjoy the look, sound and feel of the jukebox era. Others collect them for their collectors value and some can go for very high prices. If you want to get into jukbox collections you will probably also want to ensure you look to buy manuals and parts as well to rebuild or maintain the models you come across. You may also want to get into collecting old 78 or 45 vinyl records as well since those are used inside the machines to produce that fabulous sound. You may even need to find a jukebox mentor or repair person to help you learn the ropes.

There are a number of places to look for old jukeboxs including old dance halls or music halls that still have stuff in storage. But one of the best places to find items for your collection are online auctions and especially eBay. It has been said that "you can see more in 10 minutes on your computer than in a whole weekend of running around to antique shops and swap meets." Browse online to see what is available as well as to gain a good education on how to identify the models you want to get into collection. Knowing what you are doing from that stand point can save you a whole lot of money. Once you get the jukebox collecting bug going your family and friends will be enjoying the get togethers you throw even more. Rock on!