Randolph,  It saddens me to see this kind of thing happen to you
or anyone on eBay or elsewhere.  As a collector, a buyer, and yes
<gulp> a long time eBay seller (don't stop reading yet folks), I feel
deeply about your situation.  As an ardent reader of MMD over the past
few years, I remember your past posting in this wonderful journal
looking to replace your QRS roll.

At that time, I looked through all the rolls I had and found that
I had that march title in my personal collection, but not in the rolls
I wanted to sell.  I was debating on offering it to you anyway, but
when I also saw others post and mention their rolls and then saw that
title pop up on eBay in that group you later bid on, I thought to
myself, "you would surely get one of those".  End of debate.

I personally collect a lot of good (in my opinion) marches, and this
roll I had (Harding March, U.S. <The Best> Regular Player Piano Roll
#10536) was one of my favorites.  A wonderful four-handed, well
orchestrated march it is.  This may be a "no words" version of U.S.
41515, and do not think it is by Clair. <sorry>

I can say from personal experience that the majority of sellers on
eBay are fine upstanding people, as are the majority of readers and
subscribers of MMD.  However, the majority of people who sell rolls on
eBay do not own pianos.  (At least this seller was up-front enough to
warn you in the description, even if they were not honest enough to
take responsibility).

If you do not own a piano, you can not attempt to examine/test a lot of
old rolls without tearing them irreparably. I would say the majority of
those who sell on eBay and who do not own a piano, do not even really
know what a piano roll is, how it works, or how to tell in any way if
they are good, or even playable.

It always amazes me to see a few sellers represent rolls as playable,
and then after questioning, determine that they have never owned a
piano.  Many sellers however, tell you outright that they either bought
these at a sale and do not know what they are, or that they do not know
how to test them, or that their aunt owned them and had them in the
attic.

Any of these cases (and more) raise red flags of caution to me as
a buyer.  Thoroughly examining a seller's eBay "feedback" is no
guarantee, but often it will give you an idea if you might get your
money back if things go wrong.  Most sellers will do the honorable
thing if not initially approached in a threatening manner, I have
found.

I have met some very fine people on eBay who are also regular readers
of MMD (and vice versa).  I must declare however, that the only time
I have been genuinely defrauded on eBay as a buyer, was by a person who
used to frequent this journal.  Couple that event, with the more recent
case of the "disappearing seller" who advertised some rolls here in the
not too distant past, and you see that there all kinds of people just
about everywhere.

I have tried to buy rolls that were advertised here on MMD.  Try as
I may, I was never ever able to be the "first" to email the seller and
purchase the rolls that were listed here.  eBay may seem like a pure
"greed" venue to some, but it at least gives just about everyone a shot
at just about everything.

Randolph, as much as I hate to part with it, if you are still looking
for another roll and will but email me, I will describe the roll to you
(play it if you want to call) and let you have it for shipping costs
if you find it is what you want.  As a seller, I do not like the bad
experiences either, so I hope in this way to take some of the bitter
taste of your eBay experience.

Regards to all,

David Haibach

 [ MMD is not transmitted by 'broadcast'; rather, each email is sent
 [ individually to every subscriber, roughly ordered by ISP.  Thus
 [ all the AOL users receive MMD at about the same time, and so on.
 [ Should we ask Jody to make the transmission order random?
 [ -- Robbie