I think that 20-note street organ rolls are highly priced by the
current makers today.  The price seems to be a high, as it was assumed
years ago that a high level of takings would come from playing the
instrument in the street to the general public.

A 20-note roll for Celestina organ is only $25 new, for the same amount
of work from the person making the roll.  When you go to 31-note Pell
size, you are talking about $120 per roll.

The biggest bargain in organ rolls is the Aeolian Orchestrelle 58-note
roll, which I sell second-hand at $10 each.  It is all down to supply
and demand and also the type of music being made.

Here in UK all new makers pay tax on new music made where the composer
has died less than seventy five (75) years ago.  (This was 50 years
before 1992).  I think rules in USA are tunes are copyright 28 years,
which can be renewed once only for another 28 years = 56 years total.

This tax drives prices up, which is why I buy most of my new 58-note or
organette rolls from makers outside of UK, and why many makers of new
music rolls gave up around 1992.

The only way to avoid the tax is to only make tunes where the composer
died over 75 years ago; this is a shame as even old favourites like
"Daisy Bell" are not out of copyright here in UK.  It was written in
1892 (108 years ago), but Harry Dacre died in 1940, so another 15 years
to go on this one, unless authorities in UK change the rules again!

Kevin McElhone