Since Paul brought up the subject, I'd like to throw in my two cents
for what they're worth.

I thoroughly enjoy the MMD.  It's an excellent forum where I as an
amateur can participate in an open forum with many others with several
hundred years of combined experience.  There are subjects that I feel
I can contribute and subjects that I sit on the side and learn.  Many,
many thanks to Robbie and Jody for their hard work in maintaining this.

I have had experience with rebuilding players in the past and in the
last year I've learned enough to call myself a music-box repairman, but
I've been waiting 15 years to tackle the restoration of my Ampico.
Without fail, whenever I have a question or a problem there are at least
ten excellent answers waiting for me and many experts in this field that
participate and share their knowledge freely without consultation fees.
Many thanks to the experts as well.

I must admit that there are subjects that are discussed that I find
less interesting (the correct pronunciation of "calliope", for example)
and subjects that I find more interesting.  What is important to me is
that because of the MMD and _only_ because of the MMD I now know that
I can competently restore my Ampico and that, when I'm finished, I'll
have an instrument that I've dreamed of for the last 23 years since
I first heard of them.

I believe that most of the participants of this forum write because
they feel passionately about the subject.  It's exciting to me to read
such passion in a subject that I also feel quite passionate about.

Warm regards,

Eliyahu Shahar
(Could I be Israel's only mechanical music restorer?)