My favourite eBay (mis-)description of recent times has just
completed: item 7341709783, titled "String Assembly for pianola".
This turned out to be simply the strung back of a piano, no case
or action, photographed in splendid isolation and looking rather
surreal.  It was described:

  "Upright string frame for pianola.  Made by Booth Brooks Ltd in
  Burnham on Crouch , also says Simplex no 1.  Is still attached to
  the rear of the pianola and is fully strung.  There are no cracks
  or splits in the frame and until very recently was in a fully
  working pianola."

Its 'buy it now' price was well into the range that good-quality
complete players fetch.  Misplaced optimism about its usefulness to
those of us whose players are somehow missing their strung backs,
rapaciousness, or simply a joke on the seller's part?  You have to
wonder.

Julian Dyer