http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2233136073

[ I'm sorry that this didn't get published in time for Digest readers
[ to see this in the Digest first.  We don't usually spend a lot of
[ time on eBay items anyway, but I wanted to take the opportunity to
[ quote the description and the bid history, as I think its valuable
[ to track what's happenning with prices at auctions.

Quoting from Bid Description:

Rare And Wonderful Seeburg Model G Orchestrion with snare drum, bass
drum, Violin, Flute and Mandolin pipes and piano in perfect working
order, having been professionally and completely restored to play
beautifully for many, many years to come. By some reports, only fifty
of the model G still exist. This particular machine is even rarer than
most, having six foot pedals compared to the typical two as well as
additional "Flute", "Violin" and "Mandolin" selectors. These additional
functions served to create sounds and rhythms such as the sounding of
a gong, a drum-roll, pound a single bass drum or provide other accents.
Sometimes referred to as a Photoplayer, the added functions of an
orchestrion such as this would have been used in a period movie house
to accent the drama of an early 1900's silent movie. Very few of these
mechanical music machines were made. The G was the jewel of Seeburg's
Orchestrion models and is among the most desirable. This is a must
for any serious collection.

[ The seller estimated the selling price would be $20-$30K.  The final
[ price was $75K with 58 bids!!!   Online bidding went from a starting
[ bid of $10.5K on 24 March to $37.5K on March 25.  Live bidding began
[ on March 28 at 9:50 am and ended at 9:51.  During that last minute,
[ the price went up to $75K.  I'm stunned.  Should I be ?
[ I'm assuming it was proxy bidding.  --Jody