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