Usually I keep these little things to myself, but duty to MMDers
calls when one of the postal auctions comes up with something
exceptional. The Post Bid Enterprise List No 18 is offering what
looks like a big collection of original classical Duo-Art rolls which
include most of the well-known Beethoven sonatas. Although the
reserve is shown as
=L=5 ($8) you'll need to bid =L=9 minimum for these.

There is also an unusual number of Chopin pieces on 65-note rolls,
which will be of little interest except to those people with
pushups. Most PBEers who bid for these will have dual-scale players.
Say =L=3 minimum bid.

Also in the list is a fair collection of books on organs. I will
guess these have been placed by Frances Broadway's husband Michael,
formerly an organ tuner and restorer (and a well-known pianolist in
Italy and Central Europe), for a contact in the organ world.

The rest of the 1227 items include the usual organ, 88n and song
rolls, with a lot of Cecile Chaminade this time. Although no British
list usually contains much good jazz, there are a few (1970s John
Farrell) Jazzmasters here.

The setup is the same as in the US auctions - you pay a small
percentage over the bid below yours, so you can bid =L=100 for
anything you just must have. (It's just a pity if No 2 bids =L=99 !)
Equal bids are won by the earlier bidder.

 [ =L= is "British Pound sign" ]

If you have a truck ticking over in the London area, three upright
players in need of restoration are offered free for taking away - a
Steck 1910, a Rachalls 1910 and a Weber 1921. I suspect the Steck in
particular is potentially a good piano in its own right.

PBE make a charge of =L=3 for putting you on their mailing list, so
if when you write you put a $5 bill in "for the doorman", that ought
to smooth out that part of it - you'll get the next three or four
lists as well. Closing date is midnight Friday 27th November for this
one. (If faxing late, London is on GMT at present, 5 hours after EST,
8 hours after Pacific.)

  Post Bid Enterprise
  Mrs F M Broadway
  39 Sydner Road
  LONDON
  N16 7UF

  phone +44 (0)171 254 6145  fax +44 (0)171 249 0130
  (0) is used inside UK only.
  no e-mail

PBE have not asked me to make this post. As I say, I usually keep
their goodies to myself but I'm now in a state of wondering if I
should abandon another bedroom to roll storage.

Dan Wilson, London