The auction in Chartres was certainly an interesting one, with almost
200 pieces in mechanical music and automatas (plus more than 150 pieces
in gambling machines and phonographs).  Many people came from abroad
(England, USA, etc.).

Thanks to Robbie Rhodes, the English text of the catalogue is on the
MMD web site at "Events", and some images may be seen on the Musica
Mecanica web site ("News 98", see the URL at the end of this article).

Here are some results (in French francs, at the hammer. Add 11% premium).
An easy way to convert these results in dollars : multiply by 2 the
price at the hammer (without premium), and divide by 10.

Good automatas remain expensive:

 = Phalibois, A man with a barrel (No. 690), (it is the one illustrated 
   on the cover of the catalogue) 270.000 FF
 = Vichy, a peasant and his pig, 160.000 FF
 = Vichy, A cook with a pumpkin (No. 700), 150.000 FF
 = Phalibois, a moon (in need of restoration); 98.000 FF
 = Decamps, equilibrist (electrical, ca 1930), 172.000 FF

Good musical boxes find easily a buyer:

 = A large "Swiss station" box with a Jumeau doll (illustrated on the
back of the catalogue): 180.000 FF

 = A large interchangeable box for the Chinese market (Chinese tunes),
with a clock and 2 singing birds on wooden flutes: 100.000 FF

 = A good Nicole Freres 8 tunes, 44 cm cylinder, and a very classical
box with bells, drum and castagnet, 16.000 FF each

 = A Capital musical box with tapered cylinders (10,5 cm), 20.000 FF

 = 5 musical watches (cylinder or "plateau" movements) from 7800 to
26.000 FF

 = Two large singing birds Bontems bushes, 66.000 and 58.000 FF,
several singing bird boxes (mostly end XIXth and XXth century) from
15.000 FF to 31.000 FF, and several small cages (semi-modern) for a few
a few thousand francs.

 = Snuffboxes (some with teeth by 3 or 5) ranged from 3200 to 14500 FF

 = A lot of small musical things (musical tiles, albums, clocks, etc.)
from 500 to 2000 FF

Good playing portable organs (reeds or pipes) are always in demand,
from the small 16 key Thibouville "serinette parisienne" at 9.500 FF to
the classical Frati Harmonipan at 53.000 FF.

Many fairground sculptures or animals, some by Limonaire, from ca 6.000
to 15.000 FF

Etc., etc., etc.

Curiously, people were not interested in mechanical pianos (there were
5 of them).

Between end of November and mid-December, there have been or will be 5
or 6 important auctions of this type in Europe ( Germany, Switzerland,
France and England).  (See the "News 98" section of the Musica Mecanica
web pages, URL at the end of this message).

I would very much like to know how was the auction in Bern
(Switzerland) on Saturday Dec. 5th.   Was any MMD member there ?

Best regards,

Philippe Rouille  (Paris, France)
rouille@cnam.fr
http://www.cnam.fr/museum/musica_mecanica/