Damon Atchison wrote:

> I heard that any nickelodeon that wasn't restored wasn't worth looking
> into because it was probably "botched up with Elmer's glue and torn
> apart." (This from a professional player piano restorer).

What a dutz that guy was.  Nickelodeons are so valuable now that I would
take a barn full of them "botched up with Elmers glue and torn apart." and
be glad to get them.  Where does he think more of them will come from.  I
suspect that "professional" is one of those who has never really done a
"complete" restoration.  He just fixes up the player and calls it restored.
 In other words things like new piano action are too much trouble to bother
with.  Besides, he just wanted you to pass it up so he could buy it to sell
to a collector.

> Is there such a thing as a restorable nickelodeon, such as
> a Seeburg K, still on the market?  I was wondering how much that Seeburg
> would cost, too.  If you consider the value of a player piano at around
> $500 or less, how much are most people willing to sell beat-up
> nickelodeons for?

Yes they are out there, but they are rare.  All restorations are not done
by Elmers glue.  I often find restorations that are half to mostly usable.
However, the new materials sometimes have begun deterioration.  I hope our
present day supplies are better quality.  I have restored more Elmers
stacks than i care to think about.  I have begun to expect them and just
deal with it often making new parts rather than saving things like
"Elmered" pneumatic boards.  You will NOT buy a Nickelodeon for $500.00.  I
have seen half gutted Coinola Nickelodeons sell in St. Louis for $6,000.00.
It was a good piano and case and totally destroyed Xylophone in a basket,
most of the rest of the stuff up top was either missing or stomped on
(literally).  It went to California.  If you find an unrestored Nickelodeon
for less than $5,000.00 you should seriously consider it.  You may never
see one that cheap again.  (Said with sarcasm, but saddened by a ring of
truth.)

D. L. Bullock  Piano World St. Louis