Key recovering

[Tunrboy@aol.com]

I saw Yvonne Ashmore's ad in the May PT Journal.  I'd be happy to have
someone else do keytops for me.  It's not my favorite service. I have a
special shipping case for keys, but my question is:  Is it safe to send
them through either the mail or UPS?  What if they get lost somewhere along
the way?  That could be a major loss resulting in much pain and suffering
for me.  Even if they're insured they can't be readily replaced.  Any ideas
on this?

   Ted Simmons

Well Ted, I'm glad someone asked.
I used to ship ALL keys needing retopped off in a plain box with (need I say)
recycled styrofoam chips.  One day we sent off a set for the university's S&S
D (at the time it was the only recital hall and the only performance piano in
Boise).  Well, curse the luck, the only set that really mattered in ten years
and ONE KEY DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK.  Naturally there was panic throughout the
land and a replacement was made (it didn't fit).  About a month later the
original was found in another state (keys were swapped from another order)
and the madness ceased.  Now I ship alot of keys for retopping, most are
spinets or old uprights, but when it counts, I do it myself (or sleep
fitfully until all 88 make it back into their safe, loving keyframe).
 I should note that this occurred long ago and no one mentioned in this
thread had anything to do with the aforementioned nightmare.

Eric Leatha, RPT
tunrboy@aol.com