Ed Chaban's posting in defense of Larry Broadmoore reminds me of
my experience over thirty years ago.

As an aid in my roll collecting, and a public service to other roll
collectors, I was trying to create a single source where people could
buy any perforated roll recuts made anywhere in the world, through my
service.  This embraced 88-note, Ampico, Duo-Art, and nickelodeon
rolls, from Larry Givens to Aeolian Great Britain to Eddie Freyer.
This included rolls not only from the US, but the UK, Australia, and
Mexico.  Loved those Mexican rolls, cut on waxed bread-wrapping paper!

Because of price variations, I even took a loss on reselling some
rolls, but I thought it worth it, to continue the project, and enable
me to obtain desirable rolls.  In order to do so, I had to purchase
a minimum number of each roll, with the risk of eating any I did not
re-sell after deducting one copy for my collection.  The program was
working fairly well, except for Harold Powell [Klavier].

I had corresponded with Powell, who knew and congratulated me on
what it was I was trying to do, which was to not compete with, but
complement his activities.  It made it easier for him to simply ship
me rolls in quantity.  If I recall correctly, they came to me just as
rolls, and I had to box and label them.  After an initial shipment and
re-sale which went very well, he sent me a listing and description of
the rolls to be included in his next release, and told me to go ahead
and send the information to my customers.

I did so and began to receive orders, complete with checks.  Weeks
passed with nothing forthcoming from Powell.  I asked him what was
going on.  He just kept stalling.  I caught holy h--- from my people,
and was roundly castigated in the collecting journals of the time.
I refunded all the payments made to me, with my abject apology and the
explanation that my source had not produced the rolls.

But my reputation was trashed, and the project died.  I am sure most of
"my people" were not able to have the opportunity to get further rolls
from most of my sources.  It was only later that Powell went on with
what he was doing, after the damage was done.

Among the supporters for my plan had been the folk at AMICA.  To my
surprise they even awarded me a lifetime, honorary or complimentary
membership -- I don't recall the exact terminology AMICA used.  It put
me in the category they had established to honor then-living roll
performers, composers and the like, such as Rudolf Friml, which frankly
embarrassed me.

I told them that was not necessary, and continued to pay my regular
dues.  Years later they messed up on a payment and lost my dues check.
I received very nasty dunning letters from someone handling memberships
at AMICA (it was NOT one of the people who had ordered from me; indeed,
it was a person I did not know at all).  I have to assume that person
was perhaps one of the many who had heard of the first part of the
information about the Munsick/Powell fiasco and blamed me, and then
never bothered with published corrections undertaken by AMICA and me.

I explained all this old history to the membership representative
at AMICA, and pointed out that I thought their unpleasant actions
improper, especially as I was supposedly an Honorary or Lifetime
member, and theoretically didn't have to pay any dues at all.  I
apologized for the delay, and sent in another check for my continuing
membership fee.  It was returned with another sour letter.  I don't
know why that person thought he or she had the authority to do any
such thing.

Needless to say, that was the end of my relationship with AMICA, to
the distress of friend Bill Knorp who set it up to begin with.  Oddly
enough, it was later when I heard that AMICA had its own problems with
Powell.  I believe they expelled him from membership or future
participation.  Sad, sad memories.

Moral: Be considerate when having problems with suppliers in
collectible activities and hobbies.  Anyone providing goods or services
in fields like mechanical music are doing it as a labor of love.

It's not like GM or Ford selling millions of cars.  And see what they
care, if you have problems with one of their products!

Lee Munsick
Appomattox, South Side Virginia, USA