<HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER= -LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none">Can  you imagine com= ing into the home, removing your jacket, revealing your tuners kit stra= pped to your chest..?...;-]  Don't make me pull out my voicing too= l.... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, California <BR= > <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5p= x; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message From: "Brad Smith, RPT" <STAFF@SMITHPIANO.COM> T= o: "College and University Technicians" <CAUT@PTG.ORG> Received: 2/1= 1/2006 4:53:47 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] The Ideal Tool Case Revisited<= BR> Jeff, I feel your pain. As one of the older members= of "Tools Anonymous", (A non-profit organization that helps those of u= s who can't resist buying cool tools for the slightest excuse)....I hav= e also struggled my whole life with the problem of buying tool cases an= d nifty luggage in general.  If it has an adjustable strap or Velc= ro of some kind, I will likely find it irresistible. I once joined the = Audubon Society, just because they offered a neat tote bag. At a recent= PTG convention, I think I averaged $250 of purchases per break, and ne= arly $1000 at one table.  Regarding tool cases, the only t= hing I've found that will help this condition is the following process:= Take the old tool case and store it out of view for six months= .  When you see it again, you'll get a similar feeling of exciteme= nt like when you bought it in the first place. Rotate the tool case= s into daily use as needed.  If you have a severe condition, you m= ight have to rotate 3-4 cases.  This should prevent at least one p= urchase annually, even though it will not completely eradicate the prob= lem.  It is a permanent condition, with no known cure. You= 'll also need to come up with elaborate exuses to justify these purchas= es, either to your spouse or perhaps the IRS.  Every situation is = different, and every spouse will exact their own unique punishment, as = will the humorless and unfeeling Internal Revenue Service. I ha= ve a customer who is one of the country's top gun leather (holster) mak= ers. <A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href== "http://mitchrosen.com/welcome/welcome.html" target=_blank>http://mit= chrosen.com/welcome/welcome.html </A> Someday, we'll get him to use = his craft to make the ultimate cool tool bag, with customized leather p= ouches for all of our tools. He laughs at me when I ask about it, becau= se it would be prohibitively expensive.  But I can dream can't I ?= Life is short, buy the GOOD one. -- Best Regards, = Brad Smith, RPT <A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,e= vent,this)" href="http://www.smithpiano.com/" target=_blank>www.Smi= thPiano.com</A> II III II III II III II III II III II III </DIV= ></BODY></HTML>