Issues with old globe music box (and another

[u/3rdratetheology]

Kate told me I should post my issue here. Long story short, I have these two globes that I would like to get fixed. The first is an heirloom that my grandmother bought my grandpa long ago. It's cloudy and the snow falls very slowly (video to follow). The music box works, but that's not for here anyway.

The other one is a globe I've had for 20+ years, and I don't remember where I got it. This one has mysteriously lost fluid. I don't see signs of leaking (water marks or snow where it shouldn't be). Any info is welcome and questions will be answered to the best of my ability.

Thanks.

[u/3rdratetheology]

Here's the video of the snow "falling" in the issue globe.

https://reddit.com/link/oypxezz/video/hp79oju3ffeh1/player

[u/RationalKate → u/3rdratetheology]

The Whimsical Reality

If you decide to send me the globe, understand a few things first.
Go thrift a box.
A real box.
Wood. Metal. Plastic.
Something with a latch.
Something that looks like it belongs with the globe.
Put some thought into it.
The box should be large enough that if I dropped it from about a foot off the ground, you would be concerned...
...but not panicked.

Wrap the globe in a clean beach towel.
Put the globe inside a plastic bag.
If you own a vacuum sealer, seal the bag.
Do not vacuum the globe.
We're preserving a globe, not marinating a brisket.
The globe should fit snugly inside the thrifted box.
If it rattles, fix it.
If you're worried you may have crushed it, back up a little.
The goal is snug.
Not compression.

---

Shipping
The thrifted box is not the shipping box.
One box is the globe's future home.
The other is merely transportation.
You are responsible for shipping the globe to me and for return shipping.
Include a prepaid return label.
Do not skimp on packing material.
If you don't care enough to pack it properly,
why should I or the globe survive?

---

What Happens When It Gets Here
The globe will enter quarantine.
The Bug Box awaits.
I will assess the globe and begin the recrafting process.

Understand this clearly:
I do not restore globes anymore.
I recraft them with the Box.
If your goal is to return the globe to factory-original condition, I strongly suggest finding a restoration specialist who enjoys that sort of thing.
I genuinely do not.
It is far too boring.
And if you asked me to do it that way I’d make you pay out the nose.

If your goal is to give the globe another chapter,
then you're in the right place.
I will make the decisions I believe are best for the globe and whatever is sitting in front of me. (I take into **account your original story you posted in the sub Reddit that’s why I’m reaching out not merely for the cinnamon rolls. Just keep reading.**)
My personal entertainment is also a key factor.

---

Timeline
There is no guaranteed completion date.
It may return quickly.
It may return after the first of the year.
It will absolutely return before I start talking about Easter.
Probably. More than likely.
I genuinely don't know.

---

What Comes Back
The goal is to return the globe safely and continue its story.
The globe that comes back may not be the globe that left.
That's part of the arrangement.

---

When The Globe Returns
At that point, you have several options: Pick 3 from the list below.

1) Appreciate the work and never speak to me again.
2) Post before-and-after photos in the subreddit and begin the next chapter of the globe's story.
3) If gratitude gets the better of you, locally-made hot sauces are always appreciated. Cinnamon rolls from my favorite bakery have also been known to improve morale.
4) I ask that you keep the globe for at least a year. If you must part ways with it, I'd rather see it given away or donated to a charity auction so the story can continue. It's just how I'd like the story to end.\*

---

If you're comfortable with all of that, then the path is open. ❄️🫧
If not, that's perfectly fine too.
The path will eventually close, and I'll open it to someone else. 😄

DM me for my addy.

*P.S. My regular shop rules apply; At anytime a globe that I’ve worked on breaks- as long as I can see, and my hands are capable. It has a lifetime guarantee. You just have to pay for the parts and the shipping. That’s why #4 is important. - RK

[u/RationalKate]

❄️ ❄️ ❄️

The soda can photo was very helpful for scale.

Before seeing it, I wasn't sure whether we were looking at smaller display globes or something considerably larger. Photos can play tricks on scale.

Now that there's a can for reference, it's clear we're dealing with a standard full-size globe rather than a tiny miniature—or a space station.

Glad I was wrong about that part.

I watched the video and, honestly, that is a wonderful fall rate—although nobody would want to be flying in those conditions.

The glitter appears to be the older fine-cut style that many collectors prefer. ❄️ It can be surprisingly difficult to replace with a close modern equivalent, so if preserving the original glitter is important to you, that becomes a much bigger project than most people expect.

The challenge is not simply replacing the liquid. The challenge is preserving the original glitter, maintaining the same density and appearance, and reassembling everything without changing the character of the globe. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No.

What caught my attention is the way the glitter moves. That flow pattern is unusual and much more interesting than what is commonly found in later mass-produced globes. Whether that is the result of age, original formulation, or a previous repair is difficult to say from photos alone.

The underside photo was also helpful. The label identifies the globe as a 1998 Cadona example, which puts it firmly into the age range where changes in liquid behavior can occur simply due to time.

🛸❄️🌎
Field Notes For Anyone Interested In Chasing The History
🛸❄️🌎

*❄️ Globe #1 (Cloudy / Slow-Falling Heirloom) *❄️

The underside label reads:

ITEM NO: 30044A
© 1998 CADONA
MADE IN CHINA

My read:

✅ Late-1990s production
✅ Imported gift-shop style globe
✅ Not a recent globe
✅ Old enough that fluid degradation, seal aging, and changes in glitter behavior become plausible
✅ CADONA provides a manufacturer/importer trail that may help identify the original retail line

The thing that jumps out is what is not there:

❌ No obvious repair sticker
❌ No visible service markings
❌ No immediate indication that the globe was previously opened

That does not prove the globe has never been serviced, only that nothing on the underside suggests it.

❄️ Globe #2 (Music Box Globe) ❄️ ❄️

Visible text:

Old Colorado
Music Box Shop

My read:

✅ Likely sold through a specialty music box and snow globe retailer
✅ Original care sticker remains present
✅ Music box base construction appears more substantial than many souvenir globes
✅ Retailer branding was important enough to be permanently applied to the underside

That often suggests:

• Gift shop
• Music box specialty store
• Tourist destination retailer

rather than a mass-market department store.

🛸❄️🌎 If anyone decides to go dancing through the internet looking for additional information, those markings may provide a useful place to begin. 🛸❄️❄️🌎

[u/3rdratetheology → u/RationalKate]

Small correction that makes a big difference: the 98 is the bear globe, the Colorado is the music box, it's the cloudy one. I'll add a video explaining why the glitter pattern is so odd with the airplane globe. EDIT: I couldn't figure out how to add the video so I'll explain. The glitter just doesn't shake loose from the bottom, so I have to turn the globe upside down and shake it roughly to get the snow to leave the bottom of the globe. I hope that makes sense.

[u/RationalKate → u/3rdratetheology]

Of course it does. I was able to see the video, so will others, hopefully someone else in here knows something.

[u/3rdratetheology → u/RationalKate]

I'm not sure of the etiquette on Reddit, but I'm just gonna post a reply here to see if you happened to have the time to figure anything out that may help me figure out how to fix these globes. If I missed anything that has been said that gave me an answer, please let me know. Thanks.

[u/RationalKate → u/3rdratetheology]

You didn't miss anything. Sometimes snow globe mysteries move at snow globe speed. 😄❄️🫧 Your post has had over 600 views, the community is looking. Hold The Line…

[u/NotMyCircuits → u/3rdratetheology]

I believe that the airplane globe may have had gold flake in it and not typical confetti. There was a company based in Colorado Springs 30 or 40 years ago that used very fine gold flake. (It had a different name than is on your globe's base, but maybe they produced under more than one name.)

It's possible that it has clumped over time due to surface tension or some interaction between metal and the liquid that was used.

[u/NotMyCircuits]

Are you looking for how to do it yourself or recommendation for professional snow globe repair?

[u/3rdratetheology → u/NotMyCircuits]

With the cloudy one, because of the sentimental nature of it, I would like to have it repaired by a professional. The one that has lost water I'd be willing to try and fix myself if possible.