I was at our local AMICA Christmas meeting last weekend and I saw a
really interesting Hallmark Disney Christmas ornament.  Glenn and
Shirley Roat offered one of these ornaments as part of the gift
exchange.  It was a six-inch tall figure of Mickey Mouse playing a
saxophone.  Cute, and it sounds pretty good too!  It plays two
Christmas tunes.

Then she brought out four more little Disney figures.  And each one
plays two other tunes.  Together they make up the Disney Christmas
Band.  But here's the really neat part.  If you put two or more of them
near each other and start one of them, the other one(s) join in after
the first measure and they play the tunes together.  We placed all five
of them around the room and they all joined in with a tune.

OK, they aren't really very mechanical (although they do move with the
music and play from a pre-recorded series of notes), but it's closer to
mechanical music than a phonograph, and the MBSI includes phonographs
in their 'definition' of mechanical music instruments.

Last year they offered the Peanuts band that was similar, also cute.
I'll let you know if my wife Kathay doesn't buy them for me for
Christmas, and perhaps five of you can get together and buy me a set.

Regards,
Craig Smith (who is off to buy a Christmas tree in 10 degree weather)