| Ballerina Music Boxes, inlaid music
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| | is repair work, everything from full
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| boxes, musical jewelry boxes, cylinder
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| | restoration to part jobs, particularly
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| music boxes, and antique music boxes are
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| | comb and cylinder work. I've got a very
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| delicate and beautiful. As most music box
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| | good team of pinners (the people who put
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| and antique collectors know, in order to
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| | the new pins into the cylinders for me to
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| preserve them, sometimes repair and
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| | finish) and after advertising in the MBSI
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| restoration is needed. For this special
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| | Journal, I'm beginning to pick up new
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| work, it is important to choose a company
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| | individual work from customers in the USA
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| that is reputable and an expert in this
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| | as well as my regular trade work."2. What
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| area. With a little research, these
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| | made you decide to start a business
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| companies usually can be found no matter
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| | specializing in antique musical box
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| what part of the world you are in. One
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| | repairs and restoration? What was your
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| such company and expert is Mr. Jim
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| | inspiration or motivation?"I trained as a
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| Weir.Jim does all kinds of antique
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| | clock repairer. One day a customer
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| musical box repairs and restoration. His
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| | brought in a 15.1/2" Polyphon and asked
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| work includes comb repairs, releading and
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| | me to `fix it'. That's where it
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| tuning, dampering, cylinder repairing,
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| | started."3. What have been your major
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| and organ bridge work. Jim also offers
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| | challenges/obstacles over the years? How
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| all manner of musical box work on disc
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| | did you overcome them? "To reverse your
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| and cylinder music boxes.I recently had
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| | question, I'm still trying to figure out
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| the privilege of interviewing Jim about
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| | how to overcome them. My worst problem,
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| his musical box repair and restoration
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| | or `obstacle' if you like has been
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| business, which, by the way, is operated
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| | myself. Some of the work I've done has
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| out of Scotland. Let's discover more
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| | been fairly intense; taking it on as if
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| about Jim; his hopes, and get an in depth
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| | it were some kind of personal challenge
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| look as to what it is like to operate a
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| | has not perhaps been the wisest thing to
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| music box repair and restoration
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| | do. I'm largely self-taught, and I'm not
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| business.Jim started off with saying this
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| | a good teacher, or a particularly good
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| about himself:"What can I tell you about
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| | pupil come to that."4. What specific
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| myself? Well, I'm 56 and have been
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| | types of online or offline marketing
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| working on musical boxes for the best
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| | tools are you using successfully?"I'm not
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| part of 30 years. My wife and I live in
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| | sure how successful it will be; it's
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| Scotland with our two daughters; one's at
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| | early days yet but I've just started to
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| school and one's at University. Depending
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| | advertise in the MBSI Journal. I've
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| on workload my wife and both daughters
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| | picked up a couple of jobs that way. I
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| help with pinning cylinders; I guess it's
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| | don't advertise anywhere else, and I
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| a family business really?"1. Could you
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| | don't use any online marketing tools."5.
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| describe your online and offline business
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| | Have you always envisioned yourselves
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| operations, your services and/or products
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| | doing what you are doing now? Has it
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| in detail?"I've used the Internet to find
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| | always been a passion? What did you "want
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| workshop supplies, including the machine
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| | to be when you grew up?"No I've not. When
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| I use for grinding and finishing repined
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| | I was at school, I wanted to be a train
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| music box cylinders. Other than that, my
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| | driver. Musical box work has become a
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| business is primarily offline. Most of it
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| | passion though; trying to get the best
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| comes to me from people who already know
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| | possible sound out of a musical box is
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| me, although I've recently started
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| | part of what drives me."JIm will continue
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| advertising in the MBSI Journal. I hardly
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| | to give us an inside peek of the music
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| ever buy and sell musical boxes; I have a
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| | box repair and restoration world in part
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| good workshop but not a retail shop or
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| | 2 of this article series.I'd like to
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| display counter. I have checked out
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| | personally thank Jim for taking the time
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| potential purchases for customers,
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| | to share with us this valuable
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| telling them what level of repair work
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| | information about his business as well as
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| they are likely to get into before they
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| | letting us get a sneak peak into the
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| buy a specific musical box, and where a
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| | world of music box repairs and
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| customer is looking for a particular type
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| | restoration. Jim Weir can be reached at
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| of box I've sometimes been able to find
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| | or by telephone/fax at 01144-1575-572647.
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| one, but other than that my main business
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|
