If you have ever wondered what inflation has done to the price of
mechanical musical instruments, just go to the website of the Federal
Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, https://www.minneapolisfed.org/index.cfm 
and use their handy "inflation calculator"  shown on the right of their
homepage.  Enter the original price and year of your instrument and
this year of 2014 and you will get the inflation adjusted price.

For example, in 1922, the 5'2" Symphony model Hallet & Davis Artrio
Angelus sold for $2,250.  Based on this inflation calculator in
today's dollars that would be a staggering $31,728!  A copy of Leopold
Godowsky's Artrio Angelus roll #7973, "Bolero, Op. 19" by Chopin,
sold for $3.50 then or $49.36 today.

1922 is back when a dollar was really worth something, and these were
indeed luxury items for the well-heeled!

Dave Krall