Several people have expressed concern about buying at auctions.  I have
purchased many pieces at auction, as have most collectors.  Although
many of the mechanical music pieces are 'going sideways' -- between
collectors -- there are always a few prime pieces that show up nowhere
else but at auction.  I have been very successful even buying overseas,
sight unseen, because of friends who are able to give me the
information I need.

Do we pay too much?  Perhaps.  My husband, also a collector of other
'stuff', has a saying:  "You never pay too much, you just bought at the
wrong time."

I can't think of an instance that this hasn't been true in our
collection.  Sometimes it takes a _long_ while, but sooner or later,
the prices catch up to what we paid.  Our theory is, if you know what
you are looking at, and you want it, you'd better buy it, because we
don't remember being here before, and don't figure we'll pass this
way again.

Note the qualifier though.  The people I see paying too much at auction
are the folks who have not done their homework, and don't know what
they are looking at, or the costs of restoration, or what is missing,
etc.!  And there is obviously a major difference between a dealer
buying, a collector buying, and someone who must hire the restoration
done, and someone who can do it himself.

Auctions are certainly a "buyer beware" situation.  However, at a
mechanical music auction, there is generally so much combined knowledge
attending that anyone who didn't get their questions answered wasn't
paying attention.

Beatrice Robertson