Dear MMDers,  I just read the item about the Mr. Christmas Symphonium
disk music boxes.

Probably you all know that there is a Mr. Christmas grand piano which
I have seen only at Sam's Club.  This plays a disk that is not
compatible with previous Mr. Christmas disks although I think the basic
mechanism is the Sankyo music box player.  These disks are metal and
have punched holes with the punchout forming a little "tang" which
operates starwheels.  This is almost identical to the Regina disks.
The piano is rather neat and while it plays, all the white keys are
moved up and down as though the piano was being played by a roll
player.  Very cute, costs about 80 bucks.  (We weren't going to buy
any more of this stuff but couldn't resist and came home with one.)

I have also seen a new Mr. Christmas disk player at Lowe's (yes the
home improvement store).  This one plays the old style disks (just
punched holes in them) and is similar to last year's disk boxes except
that it has a window in the front with a ballroom scene and four
animated dancers.  This looks a little like the barrel organs with a
moving scene in the front.  Maybe this is the Symphonium referenced
above as I have forgotten the name on the box and haven't seen the one
at Walmart.  If so, the one at Lowe's was about $80 and the $55 price
at Walmart would be a bargain.

I don't know if these things are collectible or not.  I took a couple
older ones (new in the box) to an East Coast Chapter, MBSI, meeting a
couple weeks ago and sold them for what I paid for them.  They were
both sold within the first five minutes of the mart.  I don't know if
that means that people are trying to buy the older ones or if they sold
simply because it is getting near Christmastime.  (Yes, it is almost
Christmas --  I saw the displays in the stores!)  I would be interested
in any other opinions.

Good hunting,
Bob Conant