Automated Musical Instruments

This collector not only has an ear for music of the past, but he also has incredible turn-of-the-century machines that play the songs of days gone by. While most people today listen to CDs, collector Richard Reutlinger only listens to automated musical instruments like player pianos. Here are quick tips on where to find these old-fashioned musical instruments:

• Look in antique stores or at auction for old automatic instruments. Unrestored music boxes and player pianos are about $200, while a restored photo player can cost around $35,000.
  
• You can find piano rolls in antique store for about 50 cents.
  
• Look for rare songs from famous performers. For example, Gershwin playing Kern is worth about $100, and J.P. Johnson is worth approximately $300.

Resources
AMICA - Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association
919 Lantern Glow Trail
Dayton, OH 45431
Web site: www.amica.org
Also in this Episode

Ultimate Collectors : Episode UTC-104
•	Collectible Corvettes
•	M&M Collectibles
•	Automated Musical Instruments