Whew!

I just got in this morning (4:30 am) from the Miles Extravaganza.
You people are ANIMALS!!  <G> Just kidding.  But seriously folks! The
bidding was fast and furious. There were lots of bargains, lots of
reasonable retail prices and lots of reasonable wholesale prices. But
there were also those prices that left all the bidders slack-jawed or
with their chins blubbering against the floor.  For example the Cremona M
tall case Nickelodeon went for $47,000.00.  There was a small cadre of
people the day before who laughed at me when I told them I thought it
would go between $30K and $50K (They had asked my opinion.)

I went as consultant to well known ROS Contributor, Mark Scheperle (not
on Internet yet).  Who added 12-15 instruments to a collection nearing
the 100 mark, not counting parts instruments.  He got the Beethoven
pipe top with the poorly restencilled pipes (I am now looking for
patterns original to these pipes so we can go back original in original
finishes and colors.)  Also a Klough & Warren 2m/Ped pipe top. He also
got the Goodman pipe tone organ.  These have little conical "oboe pipes"
similar to pipe organ rank resonators that fit down into the chest and
open into the reed chamber.  Unfortunately it has missing bellows
!!!Electrified!!! Yich! Ptui!  There were way too many of those in the
collection.  He also got an exceptionally fancy M.Schultz and a
Story & Clark both with tops to die for.

We all just about lynched the auctioneer a few times when he kept selling
the matching 2man/ped benches  separately from the organs and with the
same lot number on both.  Several of us suggested that he should sell
the pipes separately out of the pipetop organs.<G> He finally got the
picture but not before he tried to sell some of the top dollar music
boxes separately from the specially made matching tables.  In many ways
(don't get me started) we all learned how NOT to run a musical museum
auction. It was a real dog and pony show up front with all the employees
screaming at us and running around  They MUST learn to stand BEHIND the
merchandise so we can see it.  There are many more things they should
learn including "Don't scream into the ears of musicians it make them
very testy."

The bargains were cob organs for $175-$350, a Mission style mantle clock
for $30.  A refinished upholstered wood organ stool for $50.00, a Seeburg
mortuary player piano/pipe organ for $2,900. An AEolian Orchestrelle.for
$2,500. A large Fairground organ for $32,000. An Artecho Lindeman Grand
for $1,500. Melodeons for $75.The non bargains were music boxes for over
$30,000 and automated figures for over $30,000.  A Columbia Graphonola
with griffons for more than I care to remember (5 digits),since I once
passed up one for a few hundred $'s.

I think everyone enjoyed themselves, except for the "no break for lunch"
thing.  Who could leave even for a trip to the john when there was so
much you would miss if you did?

I now have to unload the last item on the truck which I bought--The
pressure Orchestrelle.  My one bargain.

D. L. Bullock   Piano World  St. Louis