MMDers,  In the many postings concerning the stoppage of QRS roll
production virtually no mention has been made of the influence of
eBay.  It is my considered opinion that eBay is the primary cause,
if not the sole cause, of the problems with roll sales at QRS.

Piano roll listings on eBay on a daily basis range from 400-800.
Each listing may contain anywhere from one to several hundred rolls.
On rare occasions there have been listings that contained several
thousand rolls and even up to a whole large truck load.

In a conversation with Bob Berkman of QRS a few weeks back he commented
on rolls selling for as little as 20 cents apiece on eBay.  In reality
those very large lots bring only a few cents per roll.  There is no way
on an economic level QRS can compete with type of competition.  I will
have to admit to being part of this decline as I have been a heavy
collector for many years.  If I had not been able to purchase rolls at
extreme discount levels I would not have many rolls.

Another thing to consider is that piano rolls are their own worst enemy
-- they simply last too long!  For example, I have several hundred 58-
and 65-note rolls that are hovering around the 100-year-old mark.  In
other words, these rolls outlasted the individuals that bought them by
many years!

Well, these are a few of my thoughts on the QRS roll production
stoppage.  If anyone has any bright ideas on how to avoid this event
I'm sure QRS would love to hear from you.

Tom Hutchinson