I wish to thank everyone who responded to my post concerning the
demand for mechanical music instruments.  The response was greater
than I had anticipated.  Although I had some pre-conceived ideas
about demand and value, I did not state them in my original post.
The result was that some of you brought up ideas that I had not
previously considered and I really appreciate that.  It enabled a
broader discussion on the topic.  It is now my turn to respond.

Education was frequently mentioned as a means for promoting
awareness of mechanical music instruments and consequently the
demand for them.  Public performances were recommended to
demonstrate the instruments.  This is a great idea which should be
encouraged whether it is a large audience in a concert hall, or an
audience of one in your home.  Whenever possible, let people take a
hands-on approach, e.g., pump the player themselves, and let your
guests select which tunes will be played.  They'll become more
interested when they are allowed to participate.

Whenever you show your collection, be enthusiastic--and smile!  If
you've ever listened to someone give a dry, dispassionate discourse
about a topic, you'll know what I mean.  One bad experience can
quickly thwart someone's interest and create a negative attitude
toward mechanical music.  A smile and a pleasant host will do much
more to "sell" mechanical music than a lengthy speech on the
technicalities of the instrument.  All this can help change the
public's perception of mechanical music, and in turn, create a
demand for it.

In my earlier post, I noted that the price and the value of an
instrument may be different.  The price of an item is the actual
cost.  However, the _value_ may be much greater, e.g., historical
significance, musical style, or sentimental value, to name a few.
These attributes determine value, not the price and the mere fact
the item exists.

People buy mechanical music instruments for different reasons.
Some buy them because they love the music and the instruments.
Others buy them purely for the investment, in hopes that they can
sell them for a higher price later.  Anytime you buy something --
mechanical music, real estate, or whatever -- as an investment,
risk is always involved.  There is NO guarantee that your purchase
can be sold at a higher price later.  However, if you buy a
mechanical music instrument because you enjoy the item and it gives
you pleasure, even if the price goes down, you'll still have
something you like.

In addition to my player piano interests, I also collect Fiesta
dinnerware.  Every collector knows the story of the red (actually
orange-red) Fiesta dishes.  The Homer Laughlin Company began
manufacturing the brightly colored dishes in the 1930s.  In the
1950s, a time of nuclear awareness, it was learned that the red
Fiesta color was achieved by using a glaze that contained uranium oxide.
People panicked and began smashing the radioactive red dishes.  The
original red glaze formula was changed, and tests were conducted on
the older dishes.  It was determined that the amount of radiation
emitted by the red dishes was so small, there was no cause for
alarm.  However, by that time, thousands of the red dishes had been
destroyed.  In today's collector's market, the red Fiesta dishes
are the most scarce, and consequently, the most costly.

My point?  World events, and the decisions and actions of people
years ago helped to define today's collectors market for Fiesta.
The same is true for mechanical music instruments.  In order to
alter the public's perception of mechanical music, we need to
overcome decades of assumptions about the instruments and steer
people toward a new image.

Which brings us to demand and price.  How does one determine the
going price for mechanical music instruments?  When purchasing a
used car, there is a "blue book" which is updated yearly which can
be referenced in order to determine the going rate.  To my
knowledge, there is no such equivalent data base for mechanical
music.

In order to learn more about the current mechanical music market,
I looked back at the first few months of ads from the Player Piano
and Mechanical Music Exchange.  I tabulated them by type of instrument in
order to get an idea of the market.  My conclusion: insufficient data.
There has not been an adequate amount of similar-type instruments offered
for sale to determine the going rate.  Also, only 50% of the ads list a
price.  Even when a price is given, that information is not reliable
because the actual selling price may be different than the advertised
price.  Since I never ask sellers what they actually sold an item for,
it is difficult to determine the going price.  The prices that were
listed run the gamut from a few dollars to thousands.  As Beatrice
Robertson noted, mechanical music bargains CAN be found for a modest
amount, dispelling the myth that this is a "rich man's hobby."

The "Wanted" ads provided a little more insight.  The most wanted
items appear to be specialty rolls, i.e., certain-type rolls that
can be played on certain-type machines.  The next most wanted item
is parts for MM instruments.

In conclusion, if you anticipate selling any MM instruments in the
next five, ten or twenty years, it is to your benefit to start
cultivating the public's interest now.  Making others aware of the
product and its virtues is the first step in making a sale later on.

Joyce Brite
brite@ksu.edu       http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~brite/