Hello Jody,

In response to Angelo Rullis' request, I submit the following article:

Hello fellow MMD'ers, Dave Smith, Bainbridge, New York here bringing you
my perspective of the Musical Museum Auction etc.

It is no secret that the Musical Museum of Deansboro New York ran into
some difficult times.  The trouble arose when Art Sanders decided to
have the museum set up so that it would continue when he would no
longer be with us.  The litigation arose when Art discovered that
agreements were not in fact as he had intended, and he sought to regain
possession.

Attempting to condense five years of legal litigation into a few
sentences would be impossible.  But I would like to make the point of
clearing a couple of prominent rumors.  The people involved were not
family members or relatives of Arts.  While it is true that Arts' step
daughter Sharon had worked at the museum for several years prior, she
had obtained employment elsewhere seeking a more lucrative paying job.

The museum evolved; it was not planned.  The Sanders family would go
out and pick up this neat old junk and bring it home to get it making
music again.  Like many of you, I can only imagine what it was like in
the late 30's early 40's when you were thought of as being a little
"strange" for wanting that "ol' player pianee".  Art tells a great
story of picking up a nickelodeon from a bar.......after the instrument
was loaded he realized that he had forgotten his hat inside.  When he
went inside to retrieve it, the owners and patrons were still giggling
about those crazy guys who drove out to pick up that old junk.........a
Seeburg "E Special"!!

Once the family house was overrun with music machines and people showing
up to see the "stuff", "always at dinner time"...Art would add, he, his
dad Hardie and mother Esther converted the garage where Hardie had run
his car repair shop to a more suitable place to demonstrate the machines
they had acquired.  Officially established as The Musical Museum in 1948.

The very first time I visited the Musical Museum I felt the same way
that many others did......"wow, if I owned all this stuff I would have
it all restored and playing in fine condition"!!  After several visits
and seeing a little bit of the "insides" of the operation I changed my
opinion to "my gosh....how the heck does he even keep these things
playing...with repairing customers work, repairing lamps, and having
to answer all those "how much is my square grand worth" questions on
the phone"!!!!!  Arts mother had insisted the museum be a "hands on"
display where people could actually play some rather unique instruments.

Unfortunately this created a nightly ritual after closing hours, of a
"walk-through" repairing broken stop knobs, jammed coin mechanisms,
broken displays etc.  The hands on policy remained through out the life
of the museum.  What kept the Sanders from running to the front door
and locking it when school buses arrived, I believe only further
demonstrates  what a giving type of people they are.

But unfortunately, time does bring change and with  change came higher
taxes, a building that had been altered several times, and an operation
that increasingly cost more to operate than what it generated.

The litigation ended with an investor making a settlement to all parties
and liquidating all property involved.  Seeing the toll this had taken
on Art and his wife, the end to the lawsuit was welcome.

The museum had not been open on a regular basis for the time of
litigation and I had not been there for those same five years until
the night of the auction preview.   What I saw before me accurately
represented the efforts of lawyers and the judicial process as it has
become today. After all, this is a country that possesses less than
10% of the worlds population and  almost 70% of the worlds lawyers!
The museum was disgusting, it stunk, the roof had leaked several times
and water froze on the floor peeling  the paint.  Instruments the
Sanders family had maintained for nearly 50 years had now succumbed to
the ravages of our wonderful legal system!

That night of the preview, we first went To Arts house and convinced
him to come over.  My gosh, what a scene!!!  Art no more than got
through the front door when he was bombarded with questions, people
wanting to say hello, others wanting an autographed video tape, and
others just crying!

If you never met Art, he is now 74 years old.  You would think he does
quite well for a man of his years...BUT....to see the Art that comes
to life when he is talking "shop" is nothing short of amazing!!  The
museum may be gone but how fortunate that the memories are ever lasting.

We attended the music sale only.  The weather was perfect, and the
auction company gets gold stars in all categories except one...the
crazy way they chose to sell items in "groups".   For instance, they
brought out a table with several organettes ranging from a Gem to the
large McTammany...the auctioneer announces "ok, you are going to bid
on these items high bid take your choice"!  The crowd moaned in unison
"HUH"???  The auctioneer assured us "it will work out".

I was a little annoyed, I spent $28.00 for all the catalogs, went to the
preview where I inspected all the "CATALOGED" items, and returned to the
sale expecting to bid on certain lot #'s.   I understand if the table
had been 10 Gems or 10 like items of any kind, but I thought this a
little absurd and by the rumbling and complaining voiced from the rest
of the crowd, I was not alone.

     Prices do not reflect the 10% buyers premium

     Lot #2, #3, & #4 were Autophone organettes.....$160.00each
     lot #8, the Needham floor model organette with the wide
              roll...$2100.00
     lot #10, Seeburg Style "E", player-piano stack, missing xylophone,
              solid case, $4000
     lot #12 & #13  Chatauqua roller organs...$500
     lot #14 mahogany Regina table top double comb...$4000
     lot #38 Omar Fortune Telling Machine...$4200
     lot #42 English barrel organ...$3900
     lot #47 Watling lollipop standing scale...$750
     lot #135 Victorian pier mirror $900

It was time for the organs to be sold and if you had never been to the
museum, they were in a front room of the museum.  Once again the
auctioneer announced we would be bidding on "this item, this item"....12
times he spoke and each time a different organ appeared on the monitors
up front.  The organs ranged from a very large ESTEY 2man & ped. with
pipetop to a little folding organ.  "High bid takes your choice"!  As
much complaining as I have done about this peculiar way of auctioning,
it was about to prove to be most advantageous to my brother and myself.
We won the first round of bidding, honestly not quite sure of what was
happening, at $2100.00 and the auctioneer then asks, "ok, which one do
you want"?  We came home the proud owners of the 1830's Andrews pipe
organ, 1man. 2 ranks of pipes, a real piece of craftsmanship, and I
believe the price to have been quite a bargain.

     lot #136  Estey 2man & ped. w/pipetop......$400
     lot #141  Shininger bell organ...$900

Later in the sale, a melodeon was carried out in front of the crowd, no
question as what was being bid on.  A lyre leg, water damaged, not in
great condition melodeon sold at $750!!!!

     lot #173 Ivers & Pond reverse painting on glass sign....$1100
     lot #174 Geib square piano $500
     lot #179 German clavichord $2500
     lot #202 Regina 27" changer $18,000
     lot #203 Regina 15" changer, flat front w/gumball dispenser $17,000
     lot #331 Mills double Violano  $52,000
     lot #332 Mills single $29,000
     lot #333 Seeburg KT w/flute pipes $11,500
     lot #334 Seeburg KT Special $16,000
     lot #335 Nelson Wiggen $11,000
     lot #336  Seeburg Celesta $6200
     lot #337 Link 2-E  $10,500
     lot #338 3'tall Nipper $900
     lot #340 Reproduco $1900
     lot #342 Pianino $6000
     lot #343 Wurlitzer BX w/roll changer $18,000
     lot #343A Tangley Calliope $8000
     lot #???  Wurlitzer 153 band organ $18,000
     lot #347  Regina Sublima $3500
     lot #834 Conn O Sax....$11,000

Sorry, I have none of the phonograph prices.

I spent most of the auction seated with Art; I wish I had a dollar for
every time he was asked to autograph video tapes.  People were coming
up to him all day/days asking about instruments, the museum and general
well being.

I was up to see Art and his wife Elsie, a couple of days ago and they
are doing pretty well.  There is a noticeable "relief" that the museum
trouble is over.  he loves to hear from people, old friends and people
that visited the museum.  You can write him at P.O.Box 294, Deansboro,
NY 13328.   There are also copies of the Musical Museum video available
from Art.

Losing the Musical Museum is like losing an old friend, we all suffer
from its loss.  But I am not the one that can truly speak for
it......While the auction was going on, television news team came and
interviewed Art and several reporters were coming and going asking many
peoples opinion.

Art was seated watching the auctioneer, arms crossed on his chest and
his legs out crossed at his ankles.  A reporter comes up behind us and
asks Art, "....what do you think of what's going on here today"?  Art in
a matter of factly tone replied, "oh, this is fine".    "NO NO NO!!!!!
I mean how do you really FEEL about everything that has happened"????
demanded the reporter.......Art turned in his chair facing the reporter,
canted his head, held his arm out in the direction of the
auctioneer...."Look, these are my children...I cared for them for
years... and now they are being adopted by new families who will
continue to take care of them......How can I ask for anything more"??