My wife and I aren't considered rich on our salary, but we have a nice
house and people call it "the museum".  We have a modest collection
including an Ampico upright piano that we were given.  Our greatest
financial investment was the Edison Amberola phonograph.  Almost every
week we receive at least one phone call asking us if we can find a good
home for a player or reproducing piano.  These come all the way from
free to $9,000 at the moment.

We of this hobby need desperately to encourage people, especially
teenagers, to learn how to restore an instrument.  Remind them that
these instruments are binary and are early forms of computers.  The
competition is disappearing.  Once hooked, the joy and finances should
increase.  Home schoolers need projects and are urged to begin a small
family business.  Here is a great opportunity.  In the meantime, my
wife and I can certainly enjoy those collections that we can in no way
afford, some of which are worth far more than our house plus the rest
of the houses on our block in New York City.

And when home, we often have guests who see our piano for the first
time and the roll cabinet next to it.  They ask, "What are all those?"
We demonstrate a roll and they want a concert.  Then we invite them to
a meeting to see and hear more.  Some even become members of AMICA and
end up building collections of their own.  My own brother and
sister-in-law in California are great examples.

Vincent Morgan, New York City