| Ballerina Music Boxes, inlaid music
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| | now if, 30 years ago, they'd sold their
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| boxes, musical jewelry boxes, cylinder
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| | lathes, workshop tools etc. and taken up
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| music boxes, and antique music boxes are
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| | farming. Not me though, I hasten to
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| delicate and beautiful. As most music box
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| | add."10. For those antique and music box
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| and antique collectors know, in order to
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| | collectors looking to find valuable and
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| preserve them, sometimes repair and
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| | interesting pieces for their own
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| restoration is needed. For this special
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| | collections, where would you suggest they
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| work, it is important to choose a company
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| | go either online or offline? How about
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| that is reputable and an expert in this
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| | those who are just starting a
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| area. This is the second part of an
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| | collection?"Take advice from your
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| interview with music box and mechaical
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| | friends. Don't necessarily follow it, but
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| insturment repair and restoration expert,
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| | give it some thought. Subscribe to music
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| Mr. Jim WeirJim does all kinds of antique
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| | box sale catalogues, it's a good way to
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| musical box repairs and restoration. His
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| | check what things actually sell for; they
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| work includes comb repairs, releading and
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| | often give the hammer price of items from
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| tuning, dampering, cylinder repairing,
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| | previous sales. Go to music box auctions
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| and organ bridge work. Jim also offers
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| | if you can; not necessarily to buy
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| all manner of musical box work on disc
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| | anything but to observe, to get a feel
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| and cylinder music boxes..Let's listen as
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| | not just for how much pieces sell for,
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| he continues to give us an inside peek of
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| | but for what sells and what doesn't. Try
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| this unique business.6. What if your
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| | to figure out why what looked like a nice
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| least favorite part of running your
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| | box didn't sell. If you're really
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| business? Your favorite part?"Paperwork.
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| | interested in buying a specific musical
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| Dealing with taxes and Customs (although
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| | box, either from a dealer, private seller
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| I've got quite good dealing with Customs
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| | or at auction it can save you a lot of
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| and Carriers). My favorite part? There is
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| | heartache if you get someone who knows
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| a satisfaction in finally getting a job
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| | what they're looking at to check the box
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| finished; there's also a fair amount of
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| | over and advise you of likely repair
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| satisfaction in finally getting paid."7.
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| | costs before you buy it.A lot of repair
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| What are some of your favorite music box
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| | costs can be itemized; if a potential
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| and collectible pieces and why?"A 26"
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| | customer emailed or wrote to me (even
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| consul model Stella. It belonged to the
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| | `phoned me) with a good description of a
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| late Bruce Devine and literally arrived
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| | box needing repair, I would do my best to
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| in pieces (it had been dropped from a
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| | advise them as to how much the repairs
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| crane while being loaded). Originally
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| | could cost before they part up with maybe
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| Bruce gave it to one of my trade
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| | a lot of money to buy it. I don't charge
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| customers, who passed it on to me. Then
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| | for this and neither do most restorers;
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| my trade customer ducked out of the deal,
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| | having given advice we all hope for the
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| and I ended up working direct for Bruce.
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| | work if the customer goes on and buys the
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| It was an `interesting' experience and
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| | box. If the box is a particularly fine
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| quite a steep learning curve. At the end
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| | example, and likely to be expensive to
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| though, the box did sound good. Excellent
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| | buy, it's can be worth paying a restorers
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| tune arrangements."8. Is there any
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| | time for them to go and check it out at
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| interesting history associated with some
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| | the sellers address. I've done this; a
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| of your pieces?"I don't collect musical
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| | collector armed with an itemized
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| boxes; without being funny I genuinely
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| | potential repair cost of something he's
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| cannot afford to. Some of the pieces I've
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| | interested in buying is in a very strong
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| worked on have had `history'; as an
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| | position when it comes to arguing the
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| example the Stella referred to above.
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| | sale price with the seller".Jim ends with
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| Another would be a rare long and short
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| | saying this about his hopes for the
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| pin Forte-Piano box (maker unknown) I
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| | future:"To bring in more work and pay off
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| overhauled for a customer in France. It
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| | the mortgage. Ok, there's a lot more to
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| had a silver presentation plaque in the
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| | life than that but one way or another,
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| lid; as far as I could gather it was
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| | the bills still have to be paid. Most of
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| presented to a Mayor in 1847 for some
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| | my work to now has come from dealers;
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| kind of `service to the townspeople'. I'm
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| | what I'm hoping is that by advertising in
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| not up on French politics, but the middle
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| | the MBSI Journal, I'll attract more work
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| of the 19th century were turbulent times.
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| | direct from the public. In theory I
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| One of the nicest stories is a box I
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| | could put up my public prices, but in
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| fully restored for an old lady in
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| | practice I cannot, at least not to
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| Edinburgh. She was in her 70's. The box
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| | customers in the USA. They already have
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| had been in her family since new, and she
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| | to pay shipping costs, and the simple
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| had last heard it play when she was a
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| | fact is that whether a musical box needs
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| child."9. What important advice or tips
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| | comb work, cylinder work or a full
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| would you give to someone who would like
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| | restoration, there's a top limit to how
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| to start a business such as yours either
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| | much most people will pay to have it
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| online or offline?"I wouldn't. Things
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| | worked on, irrespective of how long the
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| move faster now that we have the
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| | work takes. People have to make choices;
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| Internet. To get fully involved in this
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| | your car's broke, your washing machine
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| kind of work takes time, which the whole
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| | leaks and the antique music box you
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| `I want it NOW' approach of the Internet
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| | inherited from your Grandmother squeaks.
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| doesn't favor. I was lucky in that I had
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| | Which one do you spend your money on?
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| a skill with clocks that I was able to
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| | That's about it really; the sun's shining
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| sharpen and direct to music box work. If
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| | and it's time to get back to the
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| I had to give advice, I'd say by all
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| | workshop."I'd like to personally thank
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| means get involved with music boxes, or
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| | Jim for taking the time to share with us
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| whatever else begins to drive you, but
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| | this valuable information about his
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| try to maintain a backup. The wisest
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| | business as well as letting us get a
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| thing? Learn that `quitting' is not
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| | sneak peak into the world of music box
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| necessarily a personal failure; it's
| |
| | repairs and restoration. Jim Weir can be
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| recognizing that some choices can turn
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| | reached at or by telephone/fax at
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| out to be wrong. There are maybe a few
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| | 01144-1575-572647.
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| music box repairers who would be happier
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| |
|
