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<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>Gibson took =
over with two
results:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>Good: Gibson =
believes in
shipping quality products, so Baldwin got a shake-up wake-up in that
regard.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>Bad: Gibson =
likes
SuperStores selling their whole line with big inventories. They =
don't like
Mom & Pop shops. You don't get to tell them what inventory level you =
want--they tell you. Many, many long-time good and loyal Baldwin dealers =
were
forced out by Gibson's goonish tactics.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>Take a hurting =
company,
spend borrowed bucks to improve quality & image (good idea, I =
guess), then
make the product less accessible and less visible to Mr. & Mrs. =
America
(dumb idea, methinks).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>Yamaha? Well, =
what a great
opportunity for after-market parts makers. Even patents will not protect =
them if
they will not supply what the consumer needs to maintain products Yamaha =
made
(who cares when and where it was bought and sold). </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>A parallel =
model: UPS,
FedEx, and all the rest would never have gotten the tiniest toe-hold in =
the
package business if the USPS hadn't had its bureaucratic head up its
quasi-governmental backside back in its total-monopoly
days.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>No point in =
whining or
complaining about business practices because you can't fix stupid. =
Better
to opt optimistically for options and opportunities. (Ain't =
that
awsomely alliterative?)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>Maybe Wal-Mart =
will buy the
Baldwin name and have Pearl River build pianos to sell in their
Communist-Chinese, Slave-Market Outlet SuperStores--I can see the =
fallboard
decal now ...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT
face=Arial>LESTER-BALDWIN</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=center><SPAN class=421433417-08012005></SPAN><SPAN
class=421433417-08012005><FONT face=Arial>Built by the lowest bidder =
-- Made in
China -- Stored for 3 years in an open shed in Haiti</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=center><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial>Grand
Exalted Winner of Every Conceivable Award, Paris
1884</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=center><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT
face=Arial>Elusive AtchooHarm Action</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=center><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial>Patented Tone
Dud soundboard made from real wood by-products, mostly, and guaranteed =
free of
workmanship, quality, and tone for 25 years!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=center><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial>Some Assembly
Required -- Warranty void if Opened or Played</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=421433417-08012005><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan R. =
Barnard</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>Salem, =
MO</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>--<BR>
No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.<BR>
Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.9 - Release Date: =
01/06/2005<BR>
</FONT> </P>