[ Robin forwarded this interesting e-mail conversation from the 78rpm
 [ listserver, which I've edited slightly for continuity.  Participant
 [ A. B. Bonds is one of our original MMDers, I believe, and Mike
 [ Kieffer is a record-collector friend of mine in Los Angeles.
 [ Small world !  -- Robbie


   [Joseph:]  Hello, I am not sure if this is where I can find info
on Player Piano rolls.  I have just come across a box of these in their
containers.  Do they have any worth, and if so, where could I find info
on this and collectors.  Any help greatly appreciated.  later,
-- Joseph

   [A. B. Bonds:]  Such rolls are still very much in vogue and can be
desirable.  Make a list of what you have and send a note (with a few
examples) to rolls@foxtail.com, which is the Mechanical Music Digest.
I am sure that you will get some interest.   -- A. B. Bonds

   [Ron:]  Hi Joseph,  If the rolls are Ampico, Duo Art, or Welte,
they are worth from $6.00 up to $20.00 or more.  If they are regular
player piano rolls, QRS, etc. they are probably worth from $2.00 to
$5.00 or $6.00.  -- Ron

   [Mike Kieffer, responding to Ron:]  Well, maybe so... but that's
kind of like valuing 78-rpm records by label, rather than by artist and
scarcity of individual issues.  If any of the rolls are by the likes of
James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Jelly-Roll Morton, Clarence Williams,
etc., I'd think they would be worth a lot more than the above-listed
prices to the right person, assuming that they are originals and not
recuts.  I don't collect them, but I have a few friends who do, and can
ask them about value if necessary.  -- Michael Kieffer


   [A. B. Bonds, responding to Mike Kieffer:]  Piano rolls are valued
somewhat differently than records.  Many of the rolls allegedly cut by
artistes such as mentioned above were actually either transcriptions
wrought by some roll editor (hand cut) or played "in the style of" by a
house artist.  For this reason, the artist gains somewhat less
importance than found with record collecting, where the fraud would be
more obvious.

Moreover, there are some rolls by artistes that are real dogs.  What
the roll sounds like is thus of higher priority.  Also, the condition
of the roll is more critical.  We can always play a [phonograph] record
and get something out of it.  If a roll has rotted, the slightest
handling crumbles it, so it is essentially useless.

The issue of valuing rolls by "label" has to do with the fact that
Ampico, Duo-Art and Welte rolls are for reproducing pianos.  They have
special coding that is not present on regular 88-note rolls, and as
such are more prized, since the performances are far more "realistic"
than regular rolls. It is a valid statement.  -- A. B. Bonds

   [Mike Kieffer:]  Thanks for setting me straight on that.  Of
course I knew that condition was very important, but I didn't realize
that the artist was of less significance on rolls than it is on
records.  -- Michael Kieffer

   [Ron Leggitt <rleggitt@ameritech.net>:]  While we are on the
subject, there are some piano rolls in Charles Gregory's now-running
mail auction which closes March 22.  For a free auction catalog listing
player piano rolls, 78 rpm records, cylinder records, Diamond Discs,
picture records, and many phonograph related items, write to - Charles
Gregory, 17697 Palmer, Melvindale, MI 48122 or call (313) 389-2836.