I don't restore mechanical musical instruments, but I've learned
several esoteric crafts (locksmithing, clock repair, audio repair,
telephone work) whose practitioners often claim to have 'trade
secrets.'

This always irked me: unless you're a magician, your employment should
depend on merit and experience, not privileged knowledge.  I've always
thought that the purpose of lists like this is to share knowledge and
thus promote a craft/trade/hobby that might otherwise decline.

On the other hand, it takes tremendous effort, a lot of money, a large
chunk of your soul to write, compile and distribute a book on a subject
you feel passionate about.  The effort deserves to be rewarded, and the
reward is seldom money.  Rather, it is that your book and thus a bit of
your life's work has found its way to someplace new.

I don't think that these two issues are mutually exclusive.  Anyone who
is sufficiently interested in player organs to ask a million questions
about them is quite likely to be a good customer for a book about them
as well.

Mark Kinsler
Lancaster, Ohio USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~mkinsler1