I don't know how the restoration business is going for all of you,
but for me here in western Michigan it's almost gone.  I am thinking
of throwing in the towel and just concentrate on my line of suction
boxes and automation kits.

I'm getting only about one service call a month and haven't had
a major rebuilding job in a year.  It just doesn't pay to go out on
service calls and the costs of materials is now so high that I have
to quote a steep number for rebuild, and no one wants to pay that any
more.  I don't even see piano rolls in the antique shops any more.

I'm not looking for sympathy or some kind of pep talk; the loss of
business is probably more of a location thing, but I'm starting to
lose interest in rebuilding altogether.  I don't mind making the
suction boxes -- they are profitable and I can build them pretty
quickly.  I'm still moving over 100 per year all over the world.
I feel good knowing that these pianos had one foot in the junkyard,
and my kit allowed the owners to continue to enjoy them.

I do have a lot of parts, courtesy of John Wrasse, and I will be
starting to put them up soon on Craigslist or eBay: many Standard
stacks, wind motors, a few Ampico stacks and some nickelodeon parts
that came from the Durrell Armstrong auction.  I just don't have room
for them anymore, and I know a lot of you "pack rat" rebuilders can
relate.  I will be keeping my small stash of cloth and tubing to
support my existing clientele, but I'll be unloading the parts.

At one time I wanted to run a player piano junkyard, but there's
just not enough interest, and most rebuilders either have their own
pile of junk, or if they need a very specific part, they come here
and post the request on MMD.

I'd be curious to see if others share my experience or if I'm just
not pushing my service hard enough.  I have a day job, as rebuilding
and servicing can't pay the rent.  It's always been a hobby for me,
and I still do enjoy the work.  I hope all of your aren't seeing the
decline in interest that I am.

Eric Bergstrom - PianoPro Service & Bergytone Products
Grand Haven, Michigan