This email was written in response to a query I received this morning,
and to several other recent questions.  I think there is info in my
answer to these folks that will benefit most roll collectors with
sizable collections.  I also have approximately 5000 rolls and therein
lies the problem.  The limitations of the human mind prevent one from
remembering where to find a particular roll.

John Miller has produced two CDs: one is the label making program which
is amazingly complete, and the other the Piano Roll Data Base program.
I have used the label making program extensively over the last two or
three years and have produced and applied new labels to thousands of
restored rolls and their boxes. I made a mistake in the beginning by
not entering the information in the data base program while making the
labels.

I have a young lady working for me who is a very rapid typist.  Speed
is essential otherwise the cost of the process can be high.  We produce
three labels for each roll: one for each end of the box and an extra
label for the leader, if needed, or simply a spare which is left inside
the box.  With the typist doing nothing but the label typing the cost
averages about $.30 per set of labels.  However I do all the work of
cutting out the labels and gluing them on the boxes.

Interestingly, the cost of entering the data for each roll is also
approximately $.30.  However if the typist does the two procedures
simultaneously the cost is approximately $.40 per roll.  Obviously
there is also a reduction in the handling time as the rolls go past
the typist one time instead of two.

John Miller's web site can be found at http://www.pianorollstuff.com/
Hope this helps.

Tom Hutchinson