Hi Gang,  It is interesting how "sure things" can change at the last
minute.  One of my father's favorite sayings was "Nothing in life is
sure but death and taxes".  Now it can be told.

You will recall my excitement last month in being involved in one of
the greatest upcoming music box auctions of all times "on the east
coast in May".  The entire Baldwin Collection donated to Erskine
College in Due West, South Carolina, was to be sold at auction in May.

However, I now understand that a few (maybe 25) of the very best pieces
will be retained in the Fine Arts Building, also donated to the college
by Dr. Baldwin.  That still leaves several hundred of the finest
condition musical boxes for sale that I have ever seen at auction.

Shelley's, a fine auction gallery in Hendersonville, North Carolina,
was to handle the auction on May 9th on the campus of Erskine College.
However, a 'friend of the heirs' with little music box auction experi-
ence stepped in and will conduct the auction instead.  It has been
great fun watching all my music box dealer friends (?) scurrying around
all over the eastern seaboard to find this horde of great items and buy
early.

Anyone familiar with collections could immediately decide, "It must be
the Baldwin Collection in South Carolina."  I lived in South Carolina
for 42 years, and Dr. Baldwin had about 99.999% of all of the best
musical boxes in the state.  (I had the remaining 0.001%.)  For those
who tried to buy some of the musical items before the auction, I am
sure Mr. Lee Logan, the College Coordinator, advised you that there was
no way of buying early.  (Sorry, Al and Al and Mike, etc.)

Now for the good news.  The auction will be conducted in Columbia,
South Carolina (and not at the college campus as planned) during May
1998.  A major airport is located just outside Columbia and there is
plenty of high quality, low cost hotel/motel accommodations.  (Columbia
is the capital city.)  The entire horde will be moved to a large
facility in Columbia for easier viewing.  (I hope nothing is damaged
during the move.)  Several hundred names sent to me for the auction
catalog will be turned over to the new auction house, with your
permission.

As of now, the auction *will not be displayed on our web page as
intended by Shelley's*.  There is now _no commitment_ by the new auction
house to send an automatic mailing to each member of AMICA and MBSI.
So if there are members who were waiting for the automatic catalog, you
may wish to send me your mailing address to cotps@aol.com and I will
see that you get included.  I know of no plans to advertise widely and
the auction is less than 6 weeks away.  Not much time to spread the
word, eh??

My commitment of silence to Shelley's has now passed, so drop me an
e-mail at cotps@aol.com and I will tell you everything I know.  I do
not know the exact date or the location in Columbia for this auction
but will have the info in a few more days.

Best regards and good hunting,

Rick Cooley
cotps@aol.com