I was in an antique store in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, last weekend, and saw
a unique tool box.  It was about 30 inches long, made of rosewood, with
beautiful inlay of musical instruments on the lid.  It had a great big
ugly door handle bolted to the top -- one of those you would expect to
find on a warehouse door or a large homemade tool box.

There was a big lock hasp on the front to lock up your tools.  (To keep
the kids out???)  The tag said "lovely English tool box".  (I guess it
came from England with other antiques?)  Price $165.00.

I was laughing out loud and the owner asked why.  I told her that the tag
was mistaken and that it was really a "Swiss tool box".  Then I told her
the truth: that it had been a music box in another life.

I would have paid about $40 perhaps just to keep my music box tools in
it.  That should inspire confidence in anyone bringing me a music box to
repair.  I hope to photograph it before it sells and perhaps I can share
it with the group.  I'm not in any hurry.

Randy Hayno

 [ Shine the ugly handle for the photograph, and if you can have it scanned
 [ into a JPEG image we'll place it at the MMD web site!  -- Robbie