Regarding Tim Baxter's question about Steinway Duo-Art prices:  The
1924 UK Aeolian catalogue lists the Steinway Electric Duo-Art model 'O'
as costing 1100 UK pounds.  That was about US$4400 at the time (at a
rough rate of $4 per UK pound).

The Weber equivalent, the model 12, cost 890 pounds, about US$3570.
Prices dropped in the later 1920s, and many instruments were eventually
sold off at not much more than half the original cost, judging by the
promotional literature I have seen.

Looking back to my posting in MMD 1998.02.10, about UK prices for
Ampico instruments in 1927, I see that the most expensive was the Mason
and Hamlin, quoted at 935 pounds, which was about $3740.

As a comparison, these instruments when new cost considerably more than
a new 3-bedroom house in the London suburbs (400 to 600 pounds at the
time) -- houses which now are selling for 200,000 pounds or more.  The
reproducing pianos fetch perhaps 2 or 3 percent of this!  Perhaps this
explains why I have a smallish house but rather too many pianos.

Julian Dyer