I read Tim Trager's email on displaying antique mechanical music at the
major theme parks with interest.  I am afraid Tim is fighting a losing
battle, at least for the major parks.

We (my business, Mechantiques) bought the collection of antique
mechanical music from Disney World in Orlando.  It involved some 25
pieces and required two full size moving vans to move out.  It was
certainly a sad time, especially since I had never taken the time
to see these machines on location.  (I always too busy working on
my "real" business, the one that pays most of the bills, to visit
amusement parks.)  But it was also very understandable.

Tim cites the issues with regret, but I think they are simply facts.
In any area of antiques, people relate primarily to what they
personally remember.  When you are trying to attract literally millions
or tens of millions of people to a theme or amusement park, you have to
go after the common denominator.

People with kids today remember the 1950's at the earliest, probably
later.  Most of them are going to be comfortable with themes they
remember or major movie themes or major historical themes.  But
importantly, the presentation also has to be able to handle what is
now millions of attendees instead of thousands.  And what kid who
spends hours a day in front of a computer wants to see "crude" antique
mechanical music when they can see elaborate and sophisticated
animation or computer generated presentations or games?

"The times they are a changing" as somebody said, and that's just the
way it is.

Antique mechanical music does still find a place in public areas, but
I think the market is quite small and the personal desire to show it
has to be there, just as Tim said.  It works at Clark's Trading Post.
It would work in connection with an antique steam train park.  It is a
limited specialty market, not today's mass market.  That is regrettable
but I think that is the way it is.

We have a couple of mechanical music machines on view at our historic
hotels here in Eureka Springs (Seeburg H, Mills Violano) and we are
going to put a few more on display (Carl Frei Street Organ, Welte Salon
Style III, Calliope, etc).

I would like to have a larger display if I had the right place for it,
but I don't expect it to really draw customers; it is more for my own
satisfaction and to keep the awareness of these machines going some.

We can't afford to let visitors play the machines because, as Tim said,
the wear from the usage is more than the revenue.  But these historic
hotels weren't bought to make money on, they were a personal effort to
preserve something and maybe have a little fun in the process.  That's
why we don't have to pay attention to the pure economics, but the big
amusement parks do have to.  Face it, they are a business, not a
charity.

Marty Roenigk
Mechantiques & The Crescent Hotel & The Basin Park Hotel
75 Prospect Avenue
Eureka Springs, AR 72632