I have mixed feelings about the repair of a piano.  Prices vary as
does the quality of the workmanship.  I have seen many poor repairs
over the last 40 years.

Loose tuning pins in an old upright player or any other old upright
are a major job to rebuild properly.  I pay my tuners $1500 to $2000
to restring and replace a pinblock.  Add to that delivery pickup and
overhead (rent, electricity, insurance, etc.).  I have seen people that
have little or no experience try to restring a piano, with very poor
results.  Is it worth the money?  Yes, if you enjoy your piano.

Another question was raised concerning piano action work.  That is
work that is tedious and must be performed by people with experience.
It takes a lot of practice to do it right.  In some cases the cost can
be high.  I would suspect that anyone with great mechanical expertise
could do most of the job themselves.  Some tuners will actually help
you do your own work.

Don Teach
Shreveport, Louisiana