-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD --

I am not currently a subscriber to the MMD (although, as you may recall,
I made a few contributions in the past) but I am writing in response to
two recent postings which were passed along to me by a friend of mine
who is a subscriber.

Kevin McElhone had reported a sale of a 20-note roller organ for a very
high price in an English auction last week, and Ed Kigler reported what
appeared to be an even higher price for a 20-note roller organ in
Preston Evans' auction in Georgia a week ago Saturday.  I believe Ed
is mistaken, though, about the sale in the Georgia auction.

The high price was paid for a Grand (32-note) roller organ with 7 cobs,
not a 20-note organ.  The Grand is a much scarcer model and for many
years has commanded a much higher price than the Concert/Chautauqua/Gem
models.

I was following the bidding on the Grand Roller Organ in the Georgia
auction by phone but lost interest when it reached the high 3,000s and,
seconds later, when the bidding stopped, the auction employee reported
to me that the final price had been $4,250 plus a 10% buyer's premium
of $425, or $4,675.

I thought this was a very high price even for a Grand, but it is
nothing like the out-of-sight bid on the 20-note organ Kevin reported,
which is clearly an aberration.  (20-note organs -- even ones in very
good condition -- still sell regularly on eBay for prices in the
hundreds of dollars).  By contrast, a Grand Roller Organ with 7 cobs,
I would think, would normally sell for something in the mid $3,000s.

This particular organ did have some good cobs with it, including "The
Washington Post March", "Yankee Doodle/My Old Kentucky Home" and "The
Bowery", rather than the unfamiliar songs, repetitive hymns and obscure
classical pieces that are so often found with Grands.  I know this
because I identified the unidentified ones for Preston Evans over the
phone.

I have become very interested in the music on the Grand roller organ,
as I have been for many years in the music on the 20-note roller organ,
and I would be happy to hear from anyone else who is fortunate enough
to have a Grand.

Richard Dutton
rollerorgancobs@aol.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep to reply]