Purchasing used player piano rolls and music box disks can be a
wonderful way to start a collection inexpensively for a first time
collector.  When you have a great customer email list like we did
two weeks ago.  Then a friend decided to "help" us add a new program
to speed up our antiquated computer system.

Lo and behold, things got complicated and a list of 2-1/2 years of
customers, email addresses, phone numbers and want lists, not backed
up on a zip drive like all my friends said to do, disappeared.  Our
computer crashed, taking all of this gold from us.  We are posting here
a letter that has also been posted on our web site and eBay:

"To our valued and loyal customers:

"Orange Coast Piano has experienced complete computer failure, causing
 our company to be without any Internet services for over two weeks.
 We greatly apologize for this unusual situation.  Our computer lost all
 of its hard drive memory, including all email and web site customer
 data.  We have now unequivocally learned the value of backing up files.
 We had a new computer designed specifically for our needs and is now up
 and running beautifully.

"Our great customer support is what makes Orange Coast Piano a
 definitive force in the music industry, now celebrating our 22nd year
 in business.

"Please send us your pertinent information (i.e., email address, name,
 phone number and desire list) so we can once again include your name
 in mailings with our extensive product lines, including inventories of
 music boxes, discs, player pianos, rolls, automatic musical instruments
 and other unusual specialty items.

"We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and always greatly rely
 on your loyal support and assistance in this unfortunate situation.
 Once again, thank you for your continued patronage.

"Sincerely yours
 Mr. Kim Bunker, General Partner of www.playerpianos.com"