Artificial Environment Syndrome

I thought I would just drop you a quick note on the "artificial
environment" syndrome I experience that frequently happens during
some auctions.  This is true, as I have found after 40 years+ of
dealing in mechanical music, as well as other things, and it is
frustrating.  These three things hold out:

#1: An artificial retail environment is often created by the auction
firm to realize maximum yield for their stuff, only to evaporate the
second the sale ends.

#2: You and I can rarely realize that kind of retail by our own
humble means to draw these multi-millionaires to our sales, or even
an auction.

#3: An event like this Milhous sale was a "show off" social event
for many rich people who could care less if they over paid or not.
You can't make a value judgment.

In conclusion, the host auction firm, Sotheby's, has been in business
for over 200 years!  Can you imagine the size of their bidder list?
It must be awesome.

So I go back to the grind of reality, buying and selling phonographs
and music boxes at a fraction of the price that the Milhous brothers
realized.

Rick Wilkins