Hi all!  This is my first message to MMD.  Please Help!

I finally returned home today at 2 A.M. (Sunday, Father's Day) from
the auction of the Dr. Baldwin collection.  Sadly, I did not bring
home the coin operated 22-1/2" Polyphon I drove 700 miles to bid on.
Before I could raise my arm the bidding exceeded my maximum, eventually
selling at the hammer price of $13,000 and making the buyer's cost
about $15,200.

But I did manage to purchase a lot of 26 Criterion 11-5/8" discs,
and at 2 A.M. I woke up my wife to listen to them.  Unfortunately,
I discovered the Criterion discs I had purchased did not fit my
music box.

The disc size is right, but my double-comb Olympia requires a disc
with two offset holes next to the center shaft, while the discs
I bought have only one offset hole.  The hole in the newly purchased
discs does line up perfectly with one of the two holes in the discs
I already have.  Both types of disc appear similar in every other way,
i.e.  design, artwork, and names.  Some of my working discs are labeled
"Olympia", while others which work equally well are labeled "Criter-
ion".  All of the new discs purchased from the auction are labeled
"Criterion".

Does anyone know why the Olympia/Criterion people made two kinds
of discs?  Otto made his discs from zinc metal which is quite soft,
and I have noticed wear around the holes caused by the two pins which
fit into them.  Was the addition of the second hole a technical
improvement to reduce stress?  Or, more likely were the single hole
discs intentionally designed so they could not be played on some
machines, like mine?

It would be very nice if a simple expedient such as drilling a second
hole would solve my problem, but I've been around too long to expect
an easy solution.

In any event, should these single hole discs not be adaptable to my
music box, I have for sale 26 Criterion discs (with one offset drive
hole) available for exactly what I paid for them plus shipping.

 [ Baldwin auction prices split to a separate article.  -- Robbie

Regards,
Wayne Eidelbus

 [ Welcome to the MMD author's circle, Wayne.  I hope that, after you
 [ allay your anxiety, you'll write again and tell us more about your
 [ collecting (and bidding!) adventures.  Meanwhile, I hope you get
 [ some soothing advice about your new discs!  -- Robbie