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About 12 years ago I purchased, in a Christie's rare coin auction, a ":large lot" consisting of dozens of music medals and 100+ other items they didn't know what to do with. The latter were mostly autographed photos of musicians, given to the violin theoretician --I've forgotten his name-- who was the source of this wonderful collection. There were two Michael Rabins, at least one presented to the older man by MR as a respectful teenager. Among my customers were several good string players, including long-time Met Opera cellist Gerry Kagan. GK, who died last year, had played with MR in a string quartet when he was 18 and MR 14. He said MR would have been the USA's finest violinist. Or maybe he said he WAS the finest, and would have become the finest in the world. I was told I could value the Rabins at about the same level as the excellent, very personal Menuhin. I think this was because they valued his greatness, and less because of a scarcity factor. These musicians/colleagues were agreed that Michael had a "difficult relationship" with his mother. I believe they leaned toward the suicide theory. I think I recall it said that he had supposedly climbed up on a kitchen counter and fell off. They were highly skeptical about the "accident" and took no pains to exonerate mama. I don't know if this is helpful in increasing understanding, but at a minimum it suggests the "mother from hell" part of the website name is not gratuitous. --Paul J. Bosco Manhattan