[ Jill Miller wrote in 991209 MMD about the music box
 [ which she found at a store in Victoria, Australia.

I wouldn't call your box an 'el-cheapo', but it is a little less deluxe
in appearance, and it does not include the four secular tunes (but it
has four more Christmas tunes than the deluxe model).  My guess is that
you will have trouble obtaining the 4 secular disks unless Mr. Christmas
is willing to supply them.  My experience with them has been that these
items are all made, packaged and shipped from China, Malaysia or the
like.  The stores on the list are all volume retailers and do not carry
parts, repair or handle accessories unless Mr. Christmas should choose
to release a "package" of additional music disks for the boxes.

The Sankyo disks that I found were from a specialty music box shop that
handles all types of music boxes including some high-priced ones from
Reuge, Sankyo and other box makers.  I have not checked San Francisco
Music Box Company although it is possible that they might carry them.

Sam's Club is a subdivision of Walmart and is a "member warehouse" type
of retailer.  Sam's Club typically purchases huge quantities of certain
items and then sells them at prices lower than most everyone else.
That is why the deluxe Mr. Christmas music box costs the same at Sam's
as the non-deluxe box costs at the regular retailers.  I don't know who
else might be retailing the deluxe model, and I still haven't seen one
of the non-deluxe boxes.  I don't know if any of the retailers on the
list which Mr. Christmas sent you do business in Australia or not.
I think that Bea Robertson or someone described the two units four to
six weeks ago on the MMD.  You wrote in MMD:

> On the last page of my "Instruction Manual" it does say
> "Replacement discs or discs up to sixteen are available from
> Mr Christmas for $1.00 per disc plus $2.50 shipping and handling.
> Call Mr Christmas 1-800-4MR-Xmas and be sure to mention which
> music box."  The web site is http://www.mrchristmas.com/
> This is different from the price Bob has been given?

I suspect that Mr. Christmas has only 20 disks total -- the 16
Christmas songs included with the standard model plus the four secular
tunes included with the deluxe model -- and that specifying the model
will get you one or the other of the two groups.  If you do this, be
sure to specify the deluxe model or you will just get another 16 of
what you have.  They are all interchangeable so you can use the deluxe
group.

The price I paid for a couple individual disks was at a "tourist"
music box store and was extremely high for what they are.  I did want
to try a couple new tunes and to verify that they would work in the
Mr.  Christmas box (they do).  We need a friend in the business that
can get these for us at a realistic cost !!!

I'm afraid I haven't been much help but good luck with your search.

Regards,

Bob Conant