Q.R.S. used to run an old piano-roll mail auction service.  Dan Wilke,
of Buffalo, had a nice little office and workshop on the third floor
of the Q.R.S. plant.  He would take in large and small lots of rolls,
check them out, and list them in a mailer that was sent out periodically,
monthly I think.

Certain rolls, depending on the composer or the performer would bring
good high bids.  Anything by Zez Confrey attracted buyers, and so did
many old march or jazz rolls.  But the bulk of the offerings went for
minimum bid, which I think was fifty cents, if they sold at all.

Q.R.S. stopped running the auction around January 1999, and Dan Wilke
left Q.R.S.   There were other similar auctions and maybe still are,
but I can't imagine they are very profitable, considering the work of
examining the rolls, listing them, mailing out lists, handling bids,
and then packing and mailing the orders, and doing all the bookkeeping
involved.

Mathew Caulfield
Irondequoit, New York