Bill Maguire's posting was troubling to me -- specialized tools in the
scrap heap?

Yes, the lack of demand for specialized rebuilidng services may have
reduced the tools' value, but there are still people out there who
would buy them, although only at "fire sale" prices.  Still, that would
be better for the tools to survive for another generation, than for
them to be scrapped.

As peoples' interests change, some hobbies go out of fashion, and value
too: for instance, Avon bottles.  The values may go up as interest is
rekindled; the public is fickle!

Bill claims that he can't even sell his stuff on eBay.  That's
difficult to believe, as almost anything can be sold on eBay.  Maybe
not for what one wants to receive, but it still can sell.  I know, as
I've lost money selling stuff on eBay.  But, on the other hand, the
stuff is now out of my life, and cluttering someone else's life; there
is value in that!  (I'm a packrat on the twelve-step process; I'm not
certain it's working yet!)

By the way, in my family we look upon this loss of value as "The Dewey
Effect": if you want to know what to invest in, check out what we are
doing, and then do _anything_ else! :)

I just had to post, I can't stand the thought of stuff being thrown
out when we now have the tools to pass almost anything on to someone
who thinks they need it.  "Don't throw away -- eBay!" (Or some other
internet selling forum you like).  Now about those chainsawed pianos:
I hope some of them were Acrosonic spinets!

Just another strung-out technician,
David Dewey