Dear MMDs,  Here are some results from the auction (more than 200 lots)
which took place yesterday, Sunday Dec. 10th, 200, in Chartres, France.

To answer some concerns expressed by some American members, no item was
forbidden to leave France, and no item was "preempted" by the French
museums.  Several buyers came from England, Germany, and the United
States, and they seemed quite happy with their purchases.

Here are some of the most interesting results.  (A complete listing of
results will be published soon on the MMD Web site.  Many thanks again
to Robbie Rhodes and Joyce Brite who put the catalogue with an English
translation on this site).

All prices are given in French Francs, at the hammer, _without premium_
(10,764 %).

To get a rough estimate of the price _with the premium_ :
 - in US $, divide by ten and add 50 %
 - in British pounds, divide by ten, and add 5 %

604, Revue de l'AAIMM (French assoc. of collectors), (1976-85), 1400 FF

609, Chapuis, histoire de la boite a musique, softbound, 2000 FF

622, Zilotone, 4800 FF

635, An Ariston reed organette (19 keys of course, and not 20
     as put erroneously in the catalogue), 2400 FF

640, A 6 tunes Christmas coin-operated cylinder musical box, 4000 FF

643, A "Mignon" 22 notes (double reeds) organette  12500 FF

645, A Molinari NY portable barrel organ, 7 tunes, 23 keys, 30000 FF

Several other portable barrel organs made 22, 28, and 37,000 FF.

646, A portable barrel piano by Amelotti (Nice), 10000 FF

Various large mechanical pianos with percussions, from 7000 to 17000 FF

Three bird cages from 6500 to 17000 FF, and a twittering birds bush
by Bontems, 36000 FF

656, Vichy, a fine automaton of a violin player, 72000 FF

658, Vichy, a peasant feeding his pig, 96000 FF.

660, Decamps, A small acrobat performing on a ladder, fetched 40000 FF.

670, A catalog of a company renting automatas (180 models featured),
3700 FF

681, A very good musical box movement in a clock base (teeth by groups
of four), 13500 FF

683, a good forte piano movement (case not original), 10500 FF

684, An excellent Regina table model ("Cupola"), using discs 20.75 inches
     38000 FF

692, A rare Kalliston, model Pankalon (17,5 width band), 16000 FF.

Many phonos and gambling and coin operated machines.  Let's mention
No. 737, a large Rol-a-Top "Bird of Paradise", Watling USA 1935,
sold for 29000 FF.

Perhaps these results will raise some comments or interest for
'such or such' category of machines !

Curiously, nobody was interested in several plastic and battery
operated musical toy locomotives, using cranked discs (or even cranked
railways !) to produce enchanting whistling music ... Personally, I
could not resist buying them.  The brand is "Tomy", made in France, but
it looks more like some Fisher Price systems.

Best regards from Paris,

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

 [ Thank you, Philippe.  I will place the complete list of prices paid
 [ with the catalogue descriptions.  The files are temporarily at
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Events/  but they will soon be moved to
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Auctions/    -- Robbie