Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > September 2003 > 2003.09.14 > 01Prev  Next


Market Value & Cost of Restoration - Orchestrelle
By Kevin McElhone

As an example, 20 years ago I bought my 2nd Orchestrelle, which I still
have, =L=225 (about $350).  It had not worked from a music roll for 30
years, having been hand played in a local church all of that time.  It
had not been fiddled or botched, indeed it had been maintained(!) by
Davies organ builders of Northampton.

I had them come and look at the instrument -- the quote scared me off:
over =L=2000 ($3,000).  I therefore spent over 400 hours stripping it
down and renewing what I could myself with advice from them.  I worked
only a mile from their workshop and took parts in for them to do that
were beyond my expertise (I had never done one before), such as rolling
the thread onto new phosphor-bronze valve stems.

It still cost over =L=1,500 and obviously would have exceeded the
original estimate by a factor of double so I was glad to have done my
bit.  I had been advised at the start that the organ would be worth the
value of the work done, forgetting the purchase cost, so only bother if
I was keeping it.

This is why the Orchestrelle is the best bargain in mechanical music and
always will be in my opinion, having cost =L=350 when it was new in 1898.
What does that equate to in today's money?

I still have Orchestrelle rolls for sale, _new_ and original.  Only 130
of the _new_ piano rolls from Laguna, Duo-Art and 88-note, are left now.
Please ask for list.

Kevin McElhone, Northampton, UK


(Message sent Sun 14 Sep 2003, 11:39:56 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Cost, Market, Orchestrelle, Restoration, Value

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page