Dear MMDs,  The large auction of mechanical music which took place in
Chartres (France) on May 12th was a success.

Although the international situation is not too good, and it is a
period of elections in France (President de la Republique, and in a few
weeks, the national representatives), there were many buyers in the room
and on the phone, from France, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, the
United States, and other countries.

Here is a short report; the complete price list with the catalogue
is published on the MMD web pages :

  http://mmd.foxtail.com/Auctions/Chartres0205/

Add circa 11% premium to the given hammer prices in euros.  (Note that
the figure of the hammer price in euros gives roughly in dollars the
price with premium ...).

The auction started with circa 30 lots of engravings, mostly German and
from the XIXth century, picturing organ grinders.  The estimates were
often largely over-bid, especially for the best pieces.

No. 709 : "Heres Moggy and Michael... and Organ", a saltimbanque family
with an organ player, a very fine English hand coloured print, end of
18th c. was sold for 290 euros (or ca 290 US dollars with premium).

No. 726 : "Two colour very lively dance scenes with barrel organ", one
of these scenes on a large sailing boat, were sold for 520 euros.

Two large organs were offered :

 - One 52 keys on a trailer (No. 839), a recent reconstruction using
old elements, was sold 24,500 euros.

 - A rare 38 keys Limonaire (No. 764), needing complete restoration,
for 10,200 euros.

Several barrel pianos (759 and 765), needing cleaning went for 1450
and 2000 euros, and a large one (No. 855) beautiful, but needing
restoration, went for 900 euros.

Many organettes : 3 Organinas Thibouville (754, 870, 874), all needing
adjustments, went for 1500 to 1600 euros. A good "Autophone Cabinet
Roller Organ", with 10 "cobs", No. 778 was sold 1200 euros.

A musical chair (No. 777) in good condition, end of 19th c., with small
2 tunes movement, 950 euros.

A rather rare Melodico piano No. 763 (small 30 keys model), needing
restoration, 1900 euros.

A "Magic Organa" accordion No. 846 (restored, with modern drums and
cymbal), 6500 euros.

There were many musical boxes in this auction, many needing various
adjustments or restorations as indicated in the catalogue.
Nevertheless, some were in good condition, and rather rare models.

Two large upright disc musical boxes, numbers 756 and 762, a 40 cm
and a 50 cm disc Polyphon, were sold at 3200 and 4600 euros.

A rare Bremond (No. 772) all reeds (36 keys) and no metallic comb music
box, needing some adjustments, with 2 cylinders (on the 6 shown on the
tunesheet), was sold for 4200 euros.

A Capital "cuff" music box No. 856 (middle size, 58 teeth, cuffs of 14
cm), sold for 3800 euros.

A large Mira table disc music box No. 872 (47 cm discs, Mermod made),
2800 euros.

A rare "Multista No. 2" Billon Haller interchangeable musical box,
No. 843, cyl 21 cm, with Ch. Ullmann label, sold for 6000 euros.

A curious gambling table No. 873, with Mermod music box, and coin
operated 5 cyclists race (needing serious completion and restoration)
was sold for 5500 euros.

Several serinettes, all needing restorations, between 400 and 950
euros.

In the automatas, a good small musical picture was sold for 3000
euros, a Bontems Buisson d'oiseaux 5800, a rare Phalibois "barrister",
No. 806, for 8200.

This time there were no pneumatic pianos, but a lot of circa 112
Duo-Art rolls, in various conditions, fetched 800 euros, whereas
two boxes of "Debain" planchettes, for an Antiphonel, were sold for
60 euros.

Curiously, two "station" music boxes, one with 3 dancing dolls,
were unsold, as the reproduction of the "cathedrale de Strasbourg
astronomical clock".

In fairground art, you could buy a large fish for 2500 euros,
a Limonaire jumping horse for 1600 euros, a Girafe by Mathieu Pere
for 2100 euros and ... a Harley Davidson for 1500 euros.

The Scopitone was unsold, and so was the 32 keys "Ludophone" organ
No.  853, but a large fairground automaton of a Fortune teller lady,
"Esmeralda", sold for 6100 euros.

For today, that's all, folks !

The next mechanical music auction in Chartres (1 hour from Paris,
France) will be Sunday, Dec 8th, 2002.

Best regards from Paris,

Philippe Rouille
http://www.musicamecanica.org/