Yes -- some family members I visited over Labor Day made a point of
showing me the latest Hammacher Schlemmer catalog.  I expected some
silly stuff, but was impressed with the genuine Jaeger & Brommer organ
on the front.  I was less impressed with the number of pipes (total
of 39, as I recall) and the price of $20,000, about twice that of a
31-keyless, 84-pipe Raffin.

No mention of the scale size, but the catalog did seem to mention paper
rolls.  Maybe 26-note, with 13 extra celeste melody pipes?  I'm
gratified to see a "real" instrument being offered from an established
builder, but I hope anyone with $20,000 to spend will ask around for
other options first.  Heck, that's not too far short of a working
Wurlitzer 125!

As for the music boxes, I too was impressed by the _low_ $100 price on
the disk box, when a Thorens goes for four times that (I forget who
makes those now; Reuge?).  It looked really nice in the photo, and
would make a great gift to someone you wanted to "infect" with our
strange desire for mechanical music.  I seem not to remember much about
the paper-playing box, but if also $100 then it's a bargain as well.

Maybe the H-S employees couldn't stand their oak-cased calliopes and
accordions any longer!  This marks a welcome change.

  --Mike Knudsen

 [ Here's some search hits from Hammacher Schlemmer online
 [ catalog.  Their titles except my comments in ()'s:
 [
 [ Authentic German Old-Country Organ Grinder:
 [ http://www.hammacher.com/publish/78768.htm     $ 21,499.95
 [
 [ Swiss-Percision Reuge Music Box (their typo):
 [ http://www.hammacher.com/publish/77192.htm     $     89.95
 [
 [ Player Piano Holiday Music Box (plays paper tape):
 [ http://www.hammacher.com/publish/77166.htm     $     99.95
 [
 [ Holiday Symphonium (small music disk box):
 [ http://www.hammacher.com/publish/77165.htm     $     99.95
 [
 [ The Nutcracker Music Box:
 [ http://www.hammacher.com/publish/55113.htm     $     39.95
 [
 [ The Schimmel/Colani Pegasus Concert Grand Piano:
 [ http://www.hammacher.com/publish/18726.htm     $150,000.00
 [
 [ Musical Pocket Watch:
 [ http://www.hammacher.com/publish/14840.htm     $  1,995.00