[ Michael Start wrote about using his old Pianola rolls as
 [ wrapping paper.

If you do that there is actually a market for good roll spools, for
housing the small numbers of new issues being cut in GB.

Two years ago I totted up the two major British roll auction top bids.
This was for rolls that sold at all, not the reserves on the ones that
were not bid for (usually =L=0.50 each).  The average at that time was
=L=3.17, so unless you have very ordinary rolls (and I could give you
an idea if you sent me a list) it's well worth while considering
auctioning them.

I am one of the crazy collectors who will go mad seeing some titles
and the most I've ever paid for a roll was =L=20.50 ($33).  But I had
one lady in Cheltenham, whose tuner sees the MMD, write to me about
disposing of her 60-roll collection and having told her about the
auctions.  On the basis of being told the first 15 rolls she picked up,
I offered her =L=2.50 ($4) across the board, saving her despatch and
packing -- so that's another possibility.

Details of these auctions, 'Post-Bid Plus' of the Player-Piano Group
(of which I think you don't have to be a member to dispose of rolls,
but do to bid for any) and 'Post-Bid Enterprise', are on the MMD web
site under "Resources".  Both use the simple "winner pays X percent
above 2nd highest bid" system which encourages crazy bidding.

Dan Wilson, London