D. L. Bullock,

I've seen decent Rolmonicas go from about $100 with single roll to $250
with a half dozen rolls. Rolls go for $10-15 depending on condition and
box. I purchased some a while back from Moe Gouldy, you might try him at

    mgoldy@earthlink.net.geentroep       [remove .geentroep to use]

Playasax I've purchased in imperfect condition for as little as $35 (a
steal) to around $100 for good condition, but I've seen them advertised
for over $300. I'd guess in reality they'd fall somewhere in between.
Rolls may be interchangeable with a few other instruments, but still hard
to find. Some PlayASax have poor bottom casting (below crank) with a
defective alloy that self-destructs--but if yours looks OK now, it will
stay that way, I suppose.

Rolmonicas may be opened and rebuilt rather easily (You may find that the
valves are curled up or loose--it SHOULD play both on inhale and exhale),
but the PlayASax is difficult to get apart, in my opinion.

I find them both interesting, so just drop me a note if I can offer more
info.

- Todd Augsburger
Kenton, OH
allmax@bright.net.geentroep