<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16705" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I love piano work, and if I end up doing $300. fix
ups on old upright to keep busy, I'll be happy. I just had a call this morning
from and 80 year old guy with properties all over that wants to restore and old
Heine Grand from the 1890's, I don't think cost is an issue. It's out there,
this may not have been the job I was looking for a couple years ago, but I'd be
glad to have it as filler now.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fenton</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tompiano@bellsouth.net href="mailto:tompiano@bellsouth.net">Tom
Servinsky</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 12, 2008 5:11
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: the economy</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>The east coast of Florida requires
a bit higher than that. I guess it's all relative, but truth be told, times
are tough and they're going to get tougher before getting better. Those
living on just making ends meet during the good times are going to have to
make big adjustments, be it downsize, change of routines, or move.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>Being able to live in the various
scenes of paradise has its price and the reality of being able to afford
the great location definitely hits home when the market turns sour, or like in
our case, when 2 hurricanes hit your home within 3 weeks of each other the
entire economy shuts down for several months.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>My advise to all....make sure self
as marketable as possible. Stay healthy and keep your edge to your game.
Things will turn around in due time. In the meantime, get caught up with
family time and other things in life that interests you. Many times those are
things which get put on the back burner for the rainy day. Well....that rainy
day is here. Plan accordingly. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>Tom Servinsky</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=wimblees@aol.com
href="mailto:wimblees@aol.com">wimblees@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, October 11, 2008 6:44
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: the economy</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><WBR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: Gregor _ <<A
href="mailto:karlkaputt@hotmail.com">karlkaputt@hotmail.com</A>><BR>To:
Pianotech List <<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR>Sent: Fri, 10
Oct 2008 10:58 pm<BR>Subject: RE: the economy<BR><BR>
<DIV id=AOLMsgPart_2_8e625fb2-34e6-4e35-8d6e-cd9d4f1514db>
<STYLE>#AOLMsgPart_2_8e625fb2-34e6-4e35-8d6e-cd9d4f1514db .hmmessage P {
        PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px
}
#AOLMsgPart_2_8e625fb2-34e6-4e35-8d6e-cd9d4f1514db BODY.hmmessage {
        FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma
}
</STYLE>
Wim,<BR><BR>the good thing is: you live in paradise :-) At least I
think so. When I think about Hawai the first thing that comes into my mind
is Thomas Magnum, PI, one of my favorite tv serials. But real life is no tv
show, particularly if there is no Robin Masters who pays for the red Ferari
and the nice stately home :-(<BR><BR><BR><EM>A lot of my friends have the
same attitude. Don't get me wrong, my wife and I do enjoy living
here. When you're here for a week or two on vacation, presumably you
planned to spend the money. But when you live here, and have to pay for
everything, from rent to health insurance to the basics, it is very daunting
at times at how much it costs. Although I do have a choice, moving back to
the mainland is almost not an option. We spent what we made off our house in
Alabama to move here and sustain us the first 8 months. It's all gone. So if
we do move back, I literally have to start from scratch, with no money to
back me, (unless I dip into our retirement accounts).</EM> <BR><BR>How
many inhabitants are there and how many other tuners? Is there a piano
store? Could you sell some used pianos at times? Do you work only on Oahu or
do you hop from island to island? Just curious.<BR><BR><EM>The reason I
am confident that I will make it here, is because of the need for piano
tuners. There are about 800,000 living on Oahu. There are only 10 full time
and another 10 part time tuners. We could probably use twice that many. But,
and this is the biggest problem, it takes too long to get
established.<BR><BR>The Yamaha dealer just closed his doors. There are only
3 other dealers, and they are hurting, too. I do go to Kauai every 6 -
8 weeks to do a day's worth of tuning, but that is almost getting too
expensive. A year ago, the flight and renting a car cost about $100.
Now it's three time that much. <BR><BR>I tried selling a used piano, but it
took me almost 8 weeks to sell a 30 year old Kimball which I had gone over,
and would up selling for about half of what it is worth. I made about $500,
and probably did about $800 worth of work on it.<BR><BR>Bottom line. Unless
someone has about $70,000 to live on for a year, I would not recommend any
one to move here. <BR><BR>Wim <BR><BR></EM>Gregor<BR><BR>
<HR>
To: <A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A><BR>Subject: Re:
the economy<BR>Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:13:38 -0400<BR>From: <A
href="mailto:wimblees@aol.com">wimblees@aol.com</A><BR><BR><WBR>Terry<BR><BR>I
tune between 10 and 15, Most weeks not even that. At $ 115 per tuning, and
even with some repairs, PR's, and other stuff, I am averaging about $6000
per month in income. My rent is $2100, and with the other bills, including
taxes, electricity, car, cable, phone, etc, it all comes to about $6000 per
month. Just an average of 3 tunings per week will make life easy. Now,
if I can just figure out a way to do that, without it costing a lot in
advertising, I'll be happy. <BR><BR>I am confident, however, that I will get
the business. It just takes time. <BR><BR>
<DIV style="CLEAR: both">Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT<BR>Piano
Tuner/Technician<BR>Mililani, Oahu, HI<BR>808-349-2943<BR>Author of: <BR>The
Business of Piano Tuning<BR>available from Potter Press<BR><A
href="http://www.pianotuning.com/"
target=_blank>www.pianotuning.com</A></DIV><BR><BR>-----Original
Message-----<BR>From: pianolover 88 <<A
href="mailto:pianolover88@hotmail.com">pianolover88@hotmail.com</A>><BR>To:
Pianotech List <<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR>Sent: Fri, 10
Oct 2008 3:52 pm<BR>Subject: RE: the economy<BR><BR>
<DIV id=EC_AOLMsgPart_2_bc9caf65-5c34-4966-9a88-0f21913845b8>
<STYLE>#AOLMsgPart_2_8e625fb2-34e6-4e35-8d6e-cd9d4f1514db .ExternalClass #EC_AOLMsgPart_2_bc9caf65-5c34-4966-9a88-0f21913845b8 .EC_hmmessage P{padding:0px;}#AOLMsgPart_2_8e625fb2-34e6-4e35-8d6e-cd9d4f1514db .ExternalClass #EC_AOLMsgPart_2_bc9caf65-5c34-4966-9a88-0f21913845b8 body.EC_hmmessage{font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;}</STYLE>
20 pianos-tuning only, not including PR, regulation, repair, accessories, at
an average of $100 minimum per piano, would yield $2,000, or $8,000=2 0per
month. You must have MASSIVE expenses and/or debt if you can't get by on
that. If you add all the other extras above, you could easily ad d another
$2,000-$5000 per month.<BR><BR><BR>Terry Peterson<BR><BR>> Date: Sat, 11
Oct 2008 09:42:59 +0800<BR>> Subject: Re: the economy<BR>> From: <A
href="mailto:justpianos@our.net.au">justpianos@our.net.au</A><BR>> To: <A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A><BR>> <BR>>
wim<BR>> > HAVE to tune 15 - 20 piano a week, in order to make
a<BR>> > living. The bad news is,?I am only tuning 10 - 15 piano a
week.><BR>> <BR>> <BR>> With respect,what do you charge, and
what are your high expenses that you<BR>> can't get by on 15 tunings a
week?<BR>> I would be looking again at my business plan.<BR>> Bruce
Browning<BR>> The Piano Tuner.<BR>> <BR>> <BR><BR>
<HR>
See how Windows Mobile brings your life together—at home, work, or on the
go. <A href="http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093182mrt/direct/01/"
target=_blank>See Now</A> = </DIV>
<DIV class=EC_aol_ad_footer id=EC_MAILCIADB034-90b648f0360450></DIV><BR>
<HR>
Discover the new Windows Vista <A
href="http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=windows+vista&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE"
target=_blank>Learn more!</A> = </DIV><!-- end of AOLMsgPart_2_8e625fb2-34e6-4e35-8d6e-cd9d4f1514db -->
<DIV class=aol_ad_footer
id=MAILCIADA034-886748f12c526d></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>