Eliyahu Shahar said (051015 MMDigest):

> I can also add that if the British pianola group or music box society
> would accept PayPal then they would have more members.  I'm not going
> to pay $15 extra for an international bank cheque to join, though
> I would like to.

The Pianola Institute (PI) -- and therefore its supporters' group,
The Friends of the Pianola Institute (FPI) -- is just at this moment
testing a PayPal connection.  For the latest news go to the PI web
site: http://www.pianola.org/ 

What would you need to buy from them?  There's now quite a range
of reproducing-piano CDs and -- with the one-off Harry Medcraft
88-note/Duo-Art perforator now operating smoothly with Anthony
Robinson's warped-roll correction software copying original rolls
punch-for-punch -- discussions on future roll production are
proceeding.  FPI members get a number of these goodies free as
automatic benefits, plus the annual (highbrow for some) Pianola
Journal.

If not by credit card, I have always bought rolls from the USA using
Visa-supported dollar travellers' cheques and small-denomination dollar
bills.  Recently I have been paid by US citizens for work done in the
same manner, except they don't do the currency exchange.

The cheques have to be double-signed as though the payee is present.
I hand them over the Foreign Exchange counter in my local bank and
a sum amounting to an exchange rate of =L=1 = $1.85 is deposited in my
account.  This is about ten cents worse than the much-quoted tourist
rates on TV news or teletext.  If I try using a bank where I'm not
known by sight, I have to provide identification, but Amex cheques
are accepted by Lloyds/TSB at a better rate than the above, although
you usually have to tell the cashier this to switch it on.

Dan Wilson, London