Dear Group,  Craig Smith's lamentations concerning inaccurate or
misleading descriptions of (in this case) a music box and other
like ads on eBay are echoed by myself and no doubt many others.
The Internet auction house is a very new and therefore unusual way
of bidding for the purpose of obtaining what is by definition "used
merchandise".  Pitfalls and deals gone sour are part of this new
game; nevertheless it has also turned up some real gems.

I know I am not solitary in the deep breathtaking sighs and eye-rolling
reactions of disbelief.  At times, even boiling anger concerning some
of the claims made by the item owner themselves or even worse, the
listings that have been posted since day one: "A friend ask me to list
this very rare ... ..."

My suggestion to the readers of this log are simple.  Keep your blood
pressure manageable like I do by enjoying the humor in it!  Some of
the ads with stray dogs, half-dead lawns, and dented bumpers amongst
crumbling drywall are as funny as Hell closed on a snow-day.  And
especially when pictured along with the "rare and valuable antique
roller piano" the poor sap is trying to offload.  In my experience it
has given me a humorous alternative to the myriad of [Johnny] Carson
knock-offs and infomercials aired in the wee hours.

But count me in and at the front of the Tar and Feathering line when
it comes to the unscrupulous practices of those hawking "antique
nickelodeons" -- the ones you've all seen as built-up and grossly
misrepresented as genuine artifacts of the period they're surgically
altered to be from.  This is unethical and disgraceful to put it
mildly.  And those responsible are ruining the fun and enjoyment of
collecting "real McCoys" as well as hurting the business of maintenance,
of which I depend on.  It is usually the people who intentionally
mislead;  persons in the professional/retail piano business themselves
who know exactly who they are.

Much has been written lately on MMD concerning a decline in musical
automata.  I know from experience this is a major part of the problem;
combined with retail piano dealers deliberately withholding repair
information on grandma's Pianola for the purpose of high-pressuring
the sale of a CD-driven player.

From the temporarily sunny northwest,
Eric J. Shoemaker