My harpsichord repair business is in the tank. Harpsichords were a hot item while Domenico Scarlatti was playing, and everybody thought it was the instrument of the future. But when he died in 1757, the whole plucked instrument business started to slide. People just seemed to lose interest. I might have waited too long to get into the plectra field, I guess. Who ever would have thought that pianos were going to do nearly as well as they did? And who could have predicted a Mozart, or a George Gershwin, or even a Liberace for that matter? Meantime, the Koreans have just come out with a disposable string pairs cartridge that’s guaranteed for two hundred sonatas. First they sell you a jack retainer for $19.95 You slide it in to anchor the jacks, pull out the old strings, slide in this pre-packaged, pre-tuned string pair cartridge, take out the retainer and boom … you’re playing again. They also offer discounts for replacing string pairs that aren’t even worn out yet. Home harpsichord repairs. How do I compete with that? And get this ... the Koreans are using Delrin / Celcon amalgam quilling! Excuse me, but amalgam? Doesn’t anybody care about quality any more? I tell you, Korea is going to kill the harpsichord business, once and for all.
It doesn’t help that my spinet and lute referrals have dropped right off. They were just a sideline, but it’s almost as though nobody plays them any more. Anyway, the writing’s on the wall, so that’s it. I can take a hint. I’ve already moved all my strings, my pedals, my ivory naturals, my rosewood jacks, all the quilling, felt buffers, plectra, parts and tools into the spare bedroom at home, and this is my last trip. I’ve got room for a couple more oil lamps in the back seat of my Toyota, and maybe that big cuspidor in my office, but once that’s done, I’m finished. Josiah can keep whatever I don’t take. I need to be out of here before daylight. I hate to sneak out like a thief in the night, but a guy has to look out for himself in this world. I feel kind of bad for Josiah, because things haven’t exactly been brisk in the horseshoeing business, and he’ll be on the hook for the whole month’s rent for the shop and warehouse. Still, he has to take some of the responsibility for that, though. I mean, what was he thinking? Four years of Blacksmith school, two more years apprenticing, another year or two to open up his own business, and now nobody rides horses any more. He should have seen it coming. Haven’t you ever heard of a horseless carriage, Josiah? Wake up and smell the mead.
Right now, though, I’ve got to consider my next move. I'm working on a plan for all my parts stock, especially the ivory pieces and the rosewood jacks. Those two items in particular are really rare. I bought them years ago at an auction, and they must be worth a small fortune by now, so if I can find a market for them, I should be able to raise enough cash for my next venture. I’m thinking that Singapore is the way to go right now. Harpsichords are on the upswing there, and I won’t say this out loud, but their Cho harpsichords are every bit as good as Sorli or Herz. Maybe better.
Man, how am I so unlucky to be stuck in North America with not a customer in sight, when everybody and his dog in Asia owns a harpsichord? I’ve got to get busy and find a buyer in Singapore, before I get scooped by the Koreans. It shouldn’t take too long to track down a parts dealer, then I’m thinking four, five months to sell off the lot. I should be able to clear close to six figures, and then, finally, I can look to the future. I’ll be back in business. A friend of mine can get me an absolute goldmine of platens and carriage return bells. Ribbons are cheap enough, and once I track down a key and spring supplier, it shouldn’t be more than six or eight weeks before the grand opening of …
TypeSoft! Ta-daa! Typewriter repairs for home and business. Free bell tuning with every repair, and auto double-spacing upgrades available for most manual portables. Speed upgrades for all pre-war electrics, one hour ribbon rewinding, same-day service for all Smith Corona and Underwood models, manual or electric, and one-day turnaround on Olivettis and most other European models. On-the-spot tab resetting for first-time customers. And typewriters are way smaller than harpsichords, so I don’t even need a warehouse.
The future looks bright. Finally.