Something to sing about: an arcade coin-op recording booth

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The rare coin-op Calibre Auto Recording Booth. Morphy Auctions image

What you see: A 50-cent Calibre Auto Recording Booth. Morphy Auctions estimates it at $80,000 to $100,000.

The expert: Don Grimmer, vice president of Morphy Auctions Las Vegas.

So let’s imagine I’m wandering along a boardwalk, or in an amusement park or an arcade, and I see this and I want to use it. How do I do that? You open the door, go in and close the door behind you to keep the outside noise from coming in. You inserted two quarters and began speaking or singing when the red light was on. It was recommended that you stand 6 to 12 inches from the microphone.

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Rare birdstone goes from field to Cowan’s Auctions

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The Glacial Kame Culture porphyry popeye fantail birdstone is 4 inches long by 1¾ inches wide. Cowan’s Auctions image

What you see: A porphyry popeye fantail birdstone, created by the people of the Glacial Kame Culture sometime between 3,000 and 500 B.C. what is now DeKalb County, Indiana. Cowan’s Auctions estimates it at $250,000 to $350,000.

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