how old is my hohner marine band harmonica

If the harmonica has been lying around in someone's attic for a few years, you also have a chance of inhaling some other tasty delicacies. Cheers! Just taking a glance at it will make you feel like you travelled back in time to the early 1900s. Compare. One thing that can really boost the value of an otherwise ordinary harmonica is if it has been used by someone famous. More significant is the introduction of a groove towards the front of each reedplate to accept the front edge of the covers. Hohner 1896 Marine Band Harmonica Key of B (NO BOX) $39.99 10% Off $35.99 Used - Mint Free Shipping Hohner 1896BX-FSHRP Marine Band 1896 Classic Harmonica - Key of C $45.50 Brand New Free Shipping Hohner 1896BX-A Marine Band 1896 Classic Harmonica - Key of A (Small Business) $46.99 Brand New Free Shipping This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, undetermined date. In fact, in 1980 they produced their one billionth harmonica. Hohner's Marine Band 1896 is the archetypal blues harmonica. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage M. Hohner Marine Band Harmonica Key of C Germany No 1896 at the best online prices at eBay! The 270 has always had a wood comb with nailed-on reedplates. The cover plates are attached with nails instead of screws which could make fixing/tuning this harmonica difficult. Nevertheless, it is THE CLASSIC harmonica. The chord harmonica is used to provide chordal and rhythmic backing in an ensemble, much as rhythm guitar might do. Check your inbox in the next minute or two for your first lesson. The claim REG. It could even gouge out the holes, ruining the harp. For more info check out my full review of the Marine Band 1896. I spotted an old F. A. Bohm tremolo harmonica lying on one of the tables and tried to suppress my look of interest as I approached it. Can someone please help me. If you have a very good condition old Hohner Marine Band, or 64 Chromonica, then there could be a player prepared to pay a reasonable price for it. medals, single circles around ULM and STUTTGART medals. There were also some changes made to the covers, most notably getting rid of the gaps at the ends of the front edges of the covers that had a tendency to snag facial hair. One is the Centennial Edition Marine Band which, as it's name suggests, was introduced in 1996 to mark the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Marine Band harmonica. The Hohner Marine Band Deluxe brings the incomparable sound of the Marine Band 1896 into the 21st century with a variety of improvements which optimise handling and ensure greater volume and faster response, while retaining the rich and powerful Hohner sound. I have never seen any actual physical examples of this stage in its evolution, but here is a picture from an 1896 catalog of the William Tonk and Bro. Hohner has been making harmonicas for about 160 years. Hohner Progressive Series Harmonicas Which One Should I Buy? More importantly, they are no longer made of brass, but of what appears to be some sort of nickel alloy, possibly what is known as German Silver. Thanks for all that. Over time, I have absolutely fallen in love with this harmonica. The center of the medallion is empty on all but the oldest ones, which (before about 1937) had a six-pointed star in the medallion (though rosettes and 5-pointed stars have appeared in some of the very early ones). It responds quickly to blows and draws alike, just as you would hope it would. They are not pins or rivets.They are small nails. Check your inbox in the next minute or two for your first lesson. Get the full low down on the Hohner Special 20. Take the [not rivets] pins out, clean, then put them back. Do this on both sides. Old herings super 20 were like that too, using rivets. I have also heard it suggested the number of points on the star represented the number of sons that Matthias had. Ill never tire of saying it: if you wanna sound like the old blues masters, play the instrument that they played: the Hohner Marine Band! It's like trying to cook eggs without breaking them. [7] There are various subdivisions of the Marine Band. Categories: Diatonic Harmonica, Harmonicas, Hohner, Manufacturer, Tags: Diatonic, Harmonica, Hohner, Marine Band Deluxe. Hohner used various trademarks over the years, but a particularly common one was a circle being held by two hands. Screw For Cover Plates - Marine Band Crossover, Thunderbird And Octave, Auto Valve. Its design has changed quite a bit over the last century and I have attempted here to draw up a chronology of its evolution. P4 A-440 Germany Vocal Old Style with Box. During the mid-1960s through some time in the 1970s, they had soft wraparound plastic pouches, green for the 270 and brown for the 280. Marine Band Crossover Harmonica - Key of C. Marine Band Crossover Diatonic Harmonica - Key of C. 10 reviews Write your review Item ID: MarineCrossC. Heres my take on the Hohner Marine Band, which is the #1 best-sellingharmonica model of all time. If money isnt tight and youre the kind of person who likes the best of the best, then go for the Crossover! A really tough one. The medals on the lower cover now have single circles, the star is smaller than on the previous version, with the hands and cuffs also slightly different in style. The Marine Band harp is a result over 100 years of Hohner German craftsmanship. The cutouts at each of the covers are larger and more angular. Your email address will not be published. Better quality and sound projection make it a favorite of many bluesmen. Prior to about 1937 the 270 had a six-pointed star in a medallion at the center of the bottom cover. The Hohner Golden Melody is a bit larger than the Hohner Special 20. 1 bid. The A440 is a little bigger than before and the key on the right tab of the upper cover is now stamped into the metal, rather than engraved. It's like trying to cook eggs without breaking them. If youre wanting to get a great plastic comb harmonica, Id recommend that you just get one of the tried-and-true originals the Special 20 or the Golden Melody. Looking for an amazing bang-for buck harp? If you are lucky, the pin/rivet is wide enough to replace with a harmonica bolt and flat nut. If you get it wet enough for the comb to expand (by dunking it in water) the wood may not even dry back to its original size. Return to Fairly Frequently Asked Questions. you have to use your ear and i'm not trained enough to know the right tune for each hole, i don't know flip jers, but he seems very professional, he could retune 12.56. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VINTAGE M HOHNER ECHO 54/64 HARMONICA C G MADE IN GERMANY NEW OLD STOCK at the best online prices at eBay! Compare Compare Now site51274741945951115698 1274115056142. Verdict - The Hohner Special 20 was developed in the 1970's to be more comfortable and easier to play than the original Marine Band harmonica, and with the plastic comb and counter-sunk reed plate, there's no doubt that they accomplished their goal. Money no object? The covers now have a substantial lip at the rear opening and the cutouts at the end of each cover are slightly smaller. For rivets, use a center punch to guarantee centering a drill, and drill off the end which has the least material until you can pull it through from the other side by using a narrower screw inside, pulled with pliers. To make space for this, the medals are all slightly smaller and have smaller lettering around them. A longtime favorite of many country artists, the model 34B Old Standby is always ready to express spontaneous musical soul. Completely assembled with screws for easy maintenance. Ending Today at 17:11 EST 12h 5m. Are there tables of wastage rates for different fruit and veg? The box now has #1896 added to the design on the top and a label on the bottom boasting of the quality of their instruments and of their award at the 1915 San Francisco Exposition. Not the case today. The picture of the US Marine Band is now printed directly on the top of the box, rather than being a separate piece of paper pasted on. VTG M. HOHNER MARINE BAND HARMONICA - NO. 4.2/5 Stars Total. The MS covers have integral cover supports at the rear and the upper cover clearly says MARINE BAND MS: The MS Series as a whole went through various charges during the 1990s. . All Need Adjustment Cleaning Polishing & Lots of TLC3. SKU: HMB1C Hohner M1896116X Marine Band Classic Bb Harmonica Brand: Hohner Accordions 63 ratings -27% $3812 Was: $52.90 Pattern Name: Single About this item Hohner Marine Band 1896 Classic in Bb Frequently bought together + + Total price: Add all three to Cart Some of these items ship sooner than the others. I know that probably doesn't help very much, but unlike used cars and collectible pottery, there is no "blue book" of used harmonica prices. If it don't have little screws, don't take it apart, leave it alone. does any one know how to tell how old a harmonica is? Harmonicas were made literally by the thousand and even sometimes by the million (Hohner, just one of the many companies to have manufactured them, produced their one billionth harmonica more than a quarter century ago). Either way, you want a pin/rivet with a head on one side, and about 1mm or 1/16th inch sticking through the other side of the harmonica. Vintage Hohner Trutone Pitchpipe No. But even worse, the Hohner Hot Metal and Hohner Old Standby are what I consider to be terrible harmonicas, and I recommend running in the other direction from them! (no music shop sells marine band harmonica in my county) This one is a Marine Band made by Hohner N 1896 key of C. How do you clean this one? Low-tuned Diatonic Harmonica with Layered, Triple-laminated Bamboo Comb Construction and Conical Lower Cover Design - Key of Low G. $159.99. Preston 410 posts Jun 09, 2009 4:37 PM That's cool Mickil. Matthias Hohner is a consummate entrepreneur and businessman. It only takes a minute to sign up. Old harmonicas which have pins or rivets typically have pear-wood combs however, and soaking them is not advisable. The instrument is basically a Marine Band with Marine band Just intonation with improvements such as a sealed comb, screws instead of nails, open covers and comes with a semi solid zipper case. How do I clean my harmonica without taking it apart? Unlike the 1896, the 364 is easy to take apart and adjust. Lets get down to business. The box is only slightly changed from earlier versions. Recent versions all have a hard plastic box, green for the 270, black for the 16-holers. I've never messed with a Marine Band, but I hear they are quite small. The U.S.A. PATENT AUG. 24th 1897 and MADE IN GERMANY claims are no longer present on the upper cover and the lettering of the name MARINE BAND is substantially larger. Its uniquely authentic sound has defined the role of the harmonica in the blues tradition and made it the benchmark by which all others are judged. 2 Minute Hohner Pentaharp review here, if you wanna see it in action. In that case don't attempt pining the centers of the ends. The 16-hole version comes in the traditional "64" 280 version, the Super 64 (introduced approx. One of the first celebrity-approved production instruments, the Hohner Marine Band 1896 harmonica may be the longest-running serial production instrument model in history. (function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); Its undisputed. The upper tabs now bear the key of the harp at the right and A440 at the left. The harp also has a much slimmer profile top to bottom than previous versions. Why are Suriname, Belize, and Guinea-Bissau classified as "Small Island Developing States"? If you require a professional appraisal of an old harmonica for insurance purposes or any other reason, I am willing to provide such a service. All these models have been in production for over 20 years. $ 84 .99. I don't want to reopen a closed question and it is unethical to unaccept the accepted answer, it was a good one but now i need different answers, new situation. Based on my decades of teaching n playing harmonica, these are the very best Hohner has to offer, in my humble opinion: If youre the sort of person who likes to have the very best of everything, and money is no object, then the Hohner Crossover is for you. if you hold the instrument with the low notes to the left, Herr Hohner's portrait is on the lower cover. (My apologies for the poor condition of this particular box.). Add To Cart. This harmonica has a light brown and black stained wooden comb with metal cover plates screwed to top and bottom. The six point star in the middle of the trademark is slightly larger and there are doubled circles around the WIEN and PHILAD. Acidity of alcohols and basicity of amines. It has a bunch of awards on the bottom. The Hohner Marine Band Deluxe brings the incomparable sound of the Marine Band 1896 into the 21st century with a variety of improvements which optimise handling and ensure greater volume and faster response, while retaining the rich and powerful Hohnersound. The circle with the star has the words GESETLICH and GESCHUTZT in full, instead of the abbreviated forms GESETL. Those that do are mostly in the German language and take some effort to obtain. Enter your email address and hit Grab It to get started. Hohner reed plates decoded. Check out my full Hohner Golden Melody review. For some time, the Marine Band was also available in a hard case, as well as the usual card box: Our third example dates from some time prior to WWI and displays several changes from the previous model. The details might be a little too subtle to make out in the above pictures, but the designs have all been very slightly shrunk horizontally and very slightly stretched vertically. Straight tuned. More on the way soon. To top it all off, the corners are pretty pointy, so holding it for long periods of time could be uncomfortable. Probably any small tweezers or files would do - probably a cosmetic set would have the right tools. All Hohner harmonicas had 4-digit date stamps on the reedplates from 2005 until about two years ago. Today it's still manufactured in much the same way as when it was first produced in 1896. There was such an outcry from players when they heard that their beloved Marine Band was to be replaced, that Hohner changed their minds and the Marine Band MS was only marketed in Europe and was discontinued completely around 1997/98. It was identical to the standard Marine Band 1896, except that it was gold finished and came in a special box. Why do many companies reject expired SSL certificates as bugs in bug bounties? We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. (So you can dip your toes in the water without breaking the bank.) Seller 99.6% positive. Ready to suffer a little for your blues? Many harmonica makers avoid G sharp, which makes these harder to find (and drives the cost up). If youre wanting to get a wooden-combed harmonica, I recommend that you just get the tried-and-true original, the Marine Band (or, if you can afford it, the Crossover which is much comfier on the lips with its triple-lacquered bamboo comb). Cant do so, I tried talking one off but i couldn't put it back. Also, Matthias Hohner seems to have just a little more hair on the top of his head than he had in his previous portrait! The original version of the Blues Harp was introduced in the late 1960s and despite the stories about the reeds somehow being different (see this pagefor more details), was essentially a Marine Band with different covers. The Hohner Marine Band 1896 classic harmonica is the original blues harp. (function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); the marine band is my active instrument and the thing is, i don't want to mess with the tuning, i don't know how to retunne, it's not like the guitar, you can't use a metronome right? Chillin on a nice afternoon while sending the Marine Band sounds out the window. (1) Hohner Marine Band 1896 Harmonica - Key of B. These have a clear finish, rather than the traditional yellow/orange paint on the front and black paint on the ends and rear of the comb. 8, which played 36 blow-only chords, in three rows. Vintage HOHNER Tombo PeeWee Harmonica Collection Lee Oskar Marine Band Golden Melody Old Standby Professional 2016 1. To see a couple of great alternatives, check out my Lee Oskar Review and/or my Hohner Golden Melody Review. Money no object? Pickup near South Perth in Kensington. If it needs more than that you have to take it apart, and it's held together with nails, which is a pain. Many brands of harmonica have little medals engraved on the covers with various dates on them. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? More on the way soon. Jerry Murads Harmonicats 1947 Peg O My Heart was played on a Chord, with a cleverly arranged sequence of chords that produced the impression of a melody. Well, theyre good in so far as theyre cheap! The reeds are all brass, and there are 20 of them. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Joe Filisko for the loan of several of the pre-WWII examples shown above. $25.00 + $5.85 shipping. Accessioned with original cardboard box. $12.00. Required fields are marked *. Things changed even more by the time of our next example, which dates from around 1923: The covers on this one are made from nickel plated mild steel and now Herr Hohner appears on the upper cover and the trademark on the lower cover. Registered Company 10370912. How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. Durability/Fixability the double-lacquered Pear wood comb could over time become susceptible to swelling, cracking, or splintering. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This expands the pin/rivet at the ends and compresses the shell together further. The case is a soft green wraparound. Help Harmonica, Hohner Marine Band key of C. Like new and sterilised. The low monthly subscription of $16.95 gives you full access! Up until the mid 1970s, the Marine Band was not officially distributed outside of the US, but upon being given worldwide distribution, the US address was removed from the lower label and the purchaser was advised "Ask your dealer or Hohner distributor". One of the easiest harmonicas in the world for bending. Everybody knows it. After WWII this was reduced to seven nails. My preference. The Hohner company has produced more than forty different models bearing the name Marine Band over the years, ranging from simple Richter diatonics with twenty reeds, to huge multiple tremolo instruments with almost almost two hundred reeds and all sizes and types in between. This has also lead to some more small changes in the engraving of the covers. A two-part hollow tube would definitely be called a rivet, but you're unlikely to find those on harmonicas. The wood comb sandwiched by the visible edges of the brass reed plates, topped with the stainless steel cover plates is a winning combination. This was printed on a blow reed plate: 1-216-1011018/1 G Dur Hohner 27/03 L9/KA2. If it's a pin, hammer the other side till it squeezes against the harmonica shell. Accessioned with original cardboard box. Also the words DEM VERDIENSTE (alongside the WEIN medals) have now been abbreviated to D. VERDIENSTE. How do I clean the windway on my recorder? Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. Links, Are you a beginner or struggling to sound good on harmonica? Improved cover design gives greater volume and stability while preventing reed rattle. How do you tell if your harmonica is especially collectible? The soft green case is 1960s. I resisted. The Marine Band is the standard. Do new devs get fired if they can't solve a certain bug? Earlier 270s had a red cardboard box with fancy texturing, while the 280 had a hard red box (1950s) and earlier had a round-top wooden box with fake texture finish and yelow lining. Just to confuse matters even further, the model number 1896 was also applied to similar harmonicas with different names, aimed at different markets. Ive had several beginners who were struggling while playing these, and then theyinvested a bit more into a Special 20, a Lee Oskar, or a Golden Melody and they came back ecstatic at how much easier it was to play. Here are answers to questions that I get about Hohner harmonicas time and time again: Everybody agrees that Hohner is an excellent brand of harmonica. However, you are in with a very good chance of inhaling someone else's dried mouth scrapings - that won't kill you, but it's not a very pleasant thought! Another change occurred around 2000, when the nickel plated mild steel covers used for the last eighty years or so, were replaced with stainless steel covers. Hohner Marine Band Harmonica Features at a Glance: Classic blues sound Key of C (diatonic) Number one choice of top professionals Full tone and wood comb Reeds: 20 Reedplates: Brass Comb: Pearwood Pick up a Hohner Marine Band harmonica and embrace the tradition of blues and rock history! Learn how your comment data is processed. If you already own a Hohner Blues Harp or a Hohner Big River harmonica, and youre wondering if its a good harmonica to learn on: fear not, youre in great shape. At the very center is a medallion held by two hands at right and left. A limit involving the quotient of two sums. Also, numbers such as 270, 365, or 34B do not indicate that the item was part of a limited edition (as I have seen suggested on various online auctions) they merely indicate the catalog number of that particular model. There were also a few changes to the box around the time of WWII. Guitarist? Here is a picture from a 1905 Hohner catalog for the German market, showing the Orpheus Concert: The number 1896 also applied to a harmonica with the name Up To Date, as shown in this picture taken from a 1906 Hohner catalog for the US market: Hohner produced more than sixty different models bearing the name Up To Date, but this one clearly resembles the Marine Band, particularly with regard to its covers. Heres my Hohner Marine Band 1896 full review. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for musicians, students, and enthusiasts. This one seems to be the final incarnation of the pre-war Marine Band: It is similar to the previous one, except that the abbreviated forms GESETL. Of course, the tradeoff is comfort, but for tone, the Marine Band 1896 easily gets 5/5 Stars. C, A Harmonic Minor, A Natural Minor, A Flat Natural Minor, B Natural Minor, B Harmonic Minor, B Flat Harmonic Minor, C Harmonic Minor, D Harmonic Minor, D Natural Minor, F Natural Minor, F Sharp Harmonic Minor, F Sharp Natural Minor, C Natural Minor, A, A Flat, B, B Flat, B Flat Natural Minor, D, D Flat, E, E Flat, E Natural Minor, F, F Sharp, G, G Natural Minor, G Harmonic Minor, D Flat Natural Minor, E Harmonic Minor, E Flat Natural Minor, Excellent all round harmonica. The rear of the covers still have the lipped edges, but these lips have been folded back against the inside of the covers. Improved cover design gives greater volume and stability while preventing reed rattle. Your Price $ 84.99 msrp:115.0,lowPrice:84.99. Saturday 4th March: All orders are being dispatched as normal! Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? Comfort Comfort is the one area where the Marine Band 1896 does not fare well against the competition. Im putting these 2 Hohner harmonicas under the same heading because my response to these questions is similar. The Hohner Old Standby Harmonica will get through, whether 're riding high, singing the blues, or just waiting on a train. If you do it carefully the small pins will come out intact and you can push them back firmly into the same holes after you have cleaned up and adjusted the reed plates. Although the covers are still lipped at the rear, the opening is noticeably wider. The Chord Harmonica consists of two harmonicas hinged together. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? He saw an opportunity in John Philip Souza and his popular Banda de . The wooden comb, and the edge of the reedplate that is exposed between the coverplates and the comb, both help to make this harmonica very rough on the lips when played for long periods of time. On the Harp-L forum, Joe Broecker explains the current code stamp on the Hohner MS series diatonic harmonica reed plates. Tomorrow I'll try to get some pictures taken And posted. The 364 has 24 reeds, giving it a better note range. There are a couple of them I would like to mention here are they both also bore the model number 1896. Unlike many of the other contestants on this list, this harmonica comes in a custom, vintage-design case. My grandfather gave me a Hohner Chromonica back in the 80's and I would like to get an idea of how long he had it before he gave it to me. (I go into some detail about the changes of the Hohner Marine Band model on this page.) The instruments, held together with nails, were hard to get apart, hard to get back together. Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? US PATENT OFFICE is no longer present and NO 1896 is now printed directly under the word GERMANY instead of off to the left. Be warned: if you email me to ask how much your old harmonica is worth, I will simply reply with a link to this page. Its got a loud bright tone, its easy on the lips, very responsive, very easy to bend and its very EXPENSIVE! The original harmonica since 1896: HOHNER - enjoy music MARINE BAND Series The Original When the Marine Band was first introduced to the American market in 1896, no one could have foreseen the lasting impact this instrument would have on the future of popular music. I think its well worth the extra money. This next instrument came with a booklet in its case that was dated 1905 and the design of the label inside the lid of the case was trademarked in 1907 (DRWZ 101069). On the upper cover, the lettering is fractionally larger than on the previous examples, both for the name MARINE BAND and the Hohner signature. C, A, A Flat, B, B Flat, D, D Flat, E, E Flat, F, G. The most popular models are either single-sided or double-sided Echo harps, but the single-sided ones can be combined into quadruple or sextuple corncob setups, with a different key on each row. Best Beginner Harmonica Which Harmonica Is The Best For Beginners? In 2015, Sotheby's sold a rather battered Hohner Vest Pocket Harp, something that would normally struggle to fetch a few dollars on eBay, for a whopping 4,000 - about $5,425! Rivets are hollow-tube pins. The archetypal blues harmonica with the traditional HOHNER tuning. Compare. Thanks for contributing an answer to Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange! Your email address will not be published. Seydel Shne Bandmaster Chromatic Harmonica. Yes, all of my top 5 Hohner harmonicas listed above as well as all of the MS Series, Progressive Series, and Marine Band Series in their final phase of assembly, they are still made by hand at factories in Germany. Co. of New York: The covers on this instrument are "upside down" compared with the current incarnation of the Marine Band, ie. Check out my free beginners kick-start course. Show details Top-Seller. This harmonica has a light brown and black stained wooden comb with metal cover plates screwed to top and bottom. Youll get 3 free video lessons where youll learn. There are some slight differences in the engraving and the design of the hands in the trademark is considerably different and all the medals now have doubled circles around them. The Hohner Special 20 is so responsive and so easy to bend, its comfy on the lips, and its got a nice, dark bluesy tone. Required fields are marked *. Please message me if you are going to be more than 15 minutes late or not coming. I always enjoy playing different tunings. T&C Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. An iconic harp with pear wood, side vents, excellent responisveness, and distinct timbre. Hohner Marine Band 1896 Harmonica is the number one choice of top professionals. I want a marine band, I would do a Buddah model cause i'd like to play it, not take it apart. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. it won't stick to its place. Learn how your comment data is processed. Basic harmonica maintenance is now straightforward, the right tools easily gotten. All of the above raises the inevitable question of hygiene - is it safe to play something that has been in someone else's mouth?