Hi Jeffrey et al,  Regarding the comparison with the eBay 1916
upright, the action in my piano looks like the much later, perhaps
1920s, action.  It does not have the tall motor, but the motor is
slightly larger than the motor in a grand that I own.

The plate (one of three) that attached to back of the two "see-saw"
pneumatics is slightly larger.  It measures 6-3/4" by 3-3/4", whereas
the grand measures 6-1/2" by 3-1/2".  The tracker pneumatic is the
common shorter size, not the big one shown in the photo.  The tracker
bar has no tracking holes.  There is no sign of there ever having been
a pedal door, or the two cuts in the bottom board under the board.

The strike plate is aluminum and says "This AEOLIAN action..."  It
also has the built-in light, with electric conduit entering the right
interior near motor supply hose.  It has a "Repeat On/Off" switch and
a wooden take-up spool.  For what it matters, the stack is stamped with
a number "137753."  So it is definitely not the very early action but
it was never a pumper(?).

Another Duo-Art oddity: I have a Steinway LR grand, No. 225707, that
may be around 1924.  The case design looks exactly like the OR model
pictured in Duo-Art literature.  My tuner thinks that this was about
the time that the "O" was discontinued and the "L" introduced, and that
they are very similar.  But if this were true, the LR would not be so
unusual.

Recently there was a posting about an LR from the 'teens(?) that
someone was trying to sell for low 5 figures.  I purchased mine a few
years ago for $5,000.  It has an older rebuilding job, but plays well.
It needs refinishing but the case is otherwise in excellent condition.
When I saw the piano I gave what I considered to be a low-ball estimate
($5000), and even advised the owner on how he might market it to get a
better price.  Three weeks later I found out that I had bought the
piano, since he could get no better offer.  This leads me to believe
that the value of these instruments must have fallen substantially, if
it could fetch no better that $5000.  Does this sound typical for the
current market?

Craig Roothoff
Escondido, Calif.