Wallace Venable makes an interesting point that seldom is discussed.
What is the real reason for collecting reproducing pianos, just to
center on this one instrument for now?  Do you go for the mechanism
and technology or is the music on the rolls what is of interest?

Well, after buying and restoring two Steinway Duo-Arts, one Mason &
Hamlin Ampico and one Welte T-100 Vorsetzer, I had to ask myself the
same question.  At first, so long ago, rolls were scarce and not at
all easy to find, especially if the type of music was a consideration.

Then storing hundreds of fragile old rolls and having to jump up and
change them every ten minutes became more and more of a chore.  So
playing the piano occurred less and less often as the years went along.

The interest is definitely the music and the artistry of the musician
that was the center of the interest.  So what to do?

The purchase of a top-of-the-line Yamaha Clavinova digital piano, which
has sounds sampled from their concert grand, a laptop computer and
Spencer Chase's superb disk with some 5,000 titles on it in MIDI format
completely solved the problem.  Then creating sub files of popular
tunes, operetta, Broadway show tunes, dinner music, romantic classic
and  orchestral transcriptions now permits an evening of superb music.

Not to say one should forget the pneumatic instruments, by all means
not; but if the music of those golden years is what one wants, this
definitely is a good and musically satisfying way to enjoy it.

Jim Crank