For those who follow sale results of music machines, I pass on the
following -- guaranteed to amaze!

Tuesday of this week, at a five session estate auction in London Ontario
Canada, there was listed a Stella Music Box:

  Lot #812 - Antique "Stella" Music Box In Patinated Walnut 29" X 21
  1/2" X 12" case with top interior and exterior cemtered by Rosewood
  panels inlaid with floral arrangements of exotic coloured cabinet
  woods retaining the metal makers "Swiss Made" plaque stamped with
  patent date as April 9th, 1889, complete with crank and in excellent
  playing condition designed with lower storage drawer for the twenty
  17 1/4" punched steel discs.

  Suggested selling price - three to five thousand Canadian Dollars.

I inspected this item, to see what was "excellent playing condition."
There were at least eight teeth broken from the top comb.  Could not
see the bottom comb.  The inner boards on each side of the bed plate
had been poorly replaced - different wood, wrong size!  The twenty
tune sheets were in poor shape: dry, bent in places, and the center
holes were well worn and out of round.  The motor did run and it did
clink and clank and make music box noise.  The outer case in general
was not too bad but needed help.

One Music Box for the price of two --  The hammer price was (to a
telephone bidder) Ten Thousand Five Hundred Canadian Dollars.  Add to
that a 10% buyers premium.  Now it is Eleven Thousand five hundred and
fifty dollars.  This number now attracts 7% goods and services tax and
8% provincial sales tax.

The grand total paid by some poor soul was Thirteen Thousand Two
Hundred and Eighty two dollars, fifty cents.

In U.S. Funds, at the present rate of around $1.44 Canadian to purchase
$1.00 U.S. Dollar, the selling price would be Nine Thousand, Two
Hundred and twenty three dollars, ninety five cents for this "Stella"
that would take another two thousand Dollars to properly restore.

Was it P.T. Barnum that said "there's one [sucker] born every day."

Regards to all from the land of the Metric Dollar

Ken Vinen