Mark Kinsler wrote:

> There are several common themes.  One is the noveau-riche collector
> who wants instant status and instant results, and is willing to pay
> for both.  There are always people, less than scrupulous, who are
> willing to accommodate him. ... The honest restorers are always going
> to run into problems, too.  It's very difficult to make any kind of
> a living working with stuff you care fiercely about.  ...

Well said.  Let's look at the bigger picture; this problem is not
at all just about collectors & restorers of mechanical music.

I'm from a "big city".  If one watches the evening news, one is
constantly bombarded with news stories about crooks taking advantage
of the un-informed.  Many times when you  really listen to the story,
it ends up being a matter of greed on the part of the victim.

In conversation with restorer friends one quickly realize that the
restoration business is not a bed of roses either.  Many collectors
would not work for the nominal rate per hour which many restorers end
up with after the machine is finished.  As a high school administrator
I don't have to restore for a living but, if you hadn't heard, we in
education have our problems, too.

As an educator I see the bottom line as not everyone out there (col-
lector or restorer) is a schemer or crook.  I know there is no easy
answer but the best defense for the collectors is to educate themselves.
Know your machine and know what you are able to pay for in the work you
farm out.

For the restorer you should know the monitory boundaries: know what you
are going to do for your client and give a product you can be proud of.
Both should put it in writing so there is no mis-understanding in the
end.  Remember that if too many corners are cut in the restoration,
your square will most assuredly become a circle.

Over my 20 years working in schools and dealing with teenagers I have
found most things can be resolved to both parties satisfaction.  Most
problems come from third parties.  In mechanical music, too, many
unhappy dealings are magnified out of shape by the all-knowing
unconnected third party.

The owner should care about the education his trustworthy rebuilder
can offer.  The rebuilder should always offer previous work as his
references to show he so trustworthy.

Gary Stevenson