See what hunting in chairty shops can reveal - a musical compact!

At first glance I just assumed it was a little plastic jar, a container of some kind. It was only my nosey interest in lifting the lid after reading the "musical" wording upon the price sticker that my interest was increased even further - for inside revealed a little [slightly dirty I may add] powder puff, a [again dirty, finger print covered] mirror which is held under the lid and the slight, tired and slow tune being played and trying to make out the sticker upon the mirror was to name it a Lady Mate.

It was a pretty powder compact just not in perfect condition - all but one of the "jewels" are missing from the handle upon the top and there is a mark upon the side of the jar. But I couldn't let this chance of owning a musical compact escape that easily - anyway I collect them for their history and their beauty not their monetary value. I just had to buy it, it was a steal at only £1.50.
Six cotton buds, a duster, some water, mirror polish and a good clean later reveals a sparkling little compact. When I say little I don't mean literally, it wouldn't fit in your handbag and is designed merely to sit upon your dresser. From searching and surfing around on Ebay musical compacts come to fetch a decent amount and in turn they are pretty rare, especially if they still are in fully working order.
Lifting off the lid reveals the mirror with it's Lady Mate sticker still intact, its branded original powder [unused I might add] puff and the plastic stiffer. Oh and the picture even allows you a great glance at everything upon my dresser!

In a manner, the song this musical compact plays actually comes to date this compact more then the brand name - for there is literally nothing on the net with regards to Lady Mate - only a link to current ones being sold upon Ebay.

For this musical compact as a bit of a coincidence with the entertainment news of the past week and the death of Erich Segal the author of the novel with later became the film Love Story, for which the song played once the lid has been opened is the theme tune by Francis Lei. It therefore lets us date the compact to 1970 at the earliest which in a way is after the decline of the powder compact was actually in full swing.

In a manner I find the song rather sad, it sounds a little mournful to me considering the title is based around love. I can just picture a lady sat powdering her face, her compact playing it's musical tune while she gazes endlessly into the photographed eyes of her long lost lover.

Anyways have a lovely weekend, I hope you all have lovely, grand plans - I intend to just be lazy and probably end up tidying something else up - and if there is anyone at all out there that knows anything about Lady Mate compacts then just let me know!