My thoughts on the mechanical musical instrument hobby.  I believe
that the most valuable mechanical musical instrument is the one seen
and heard by the most people.

A simple 88-note retro-fitted coin-op no-name out-of-tune piano in
a pizza cafe is worth more than the best fairground organ that sits
in a private collection that gets viewed only a few times a month.

The MIDI and solenoid activated shiny black baby grand piano playing
Barry Manilow tunes in the fancy hotel lobby is more valuable than the
restored Mills Violano sitting in the music room of a rarely visited
house with 10 other "expensive" instruments.

If more people could actually hear, see, and touch nice historic
instruments then the hobby would be healthier.  I know collectors are
worried about their instruments losing 'value' as the instrument is
left out in the public becomes scratched and broken, but if the
instruments are not in public they are becoming less valuable anyway.

Hoarding instruments is bad for the hobby.  Nowadays player pianos
needing little repair are going to the local trash dump.  In fewer
years than we want to believe, that Mills Violano will find the same
fate.

John Preble
Abita Springs, Louisiana