Subject: Re: [Harp-L] was Harmonicas Shipped to Iraq, now let's ship harps to Ir

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Dave:
 
If no one else has mentioned it, Doc Belcher of Harp Depot has been doing  
this for a few years already...and when I talked to Richard of the Harp  Depot 
store at the Garden State Harmonica Festival....I believe he said their  count 
is up somewhere around the 12,000 mark so far - (that's 12,000 diatonic  harps 
shipped to the troops, and out of their own pockets, to boot!).  
 
This is an ongoing project, they'll continue no matter what. When I  
expressed an interest in helping (contributing to the cause), Richard said  donations 
would always be welcomed.  They clearly already have a system in  place to 
ship the harps.
 
_http://www.HarpDepot.com_ (http://www.HarpDepot.com) 
 
My original question about Herb Shriner's "old" harps would have  been about 
the difficulties of a soldier in the field finding the necessary  equipment to 
clean/disinfect a used harp...but I just read the article  about his sons' 
intention to donate their father's collection, and these  marine bands were 
bought by him many years ago, are clearly new old stock,  unused and stored away 
until now.  The sons guesstimate the value of the  harps at $40 - $50 each, so 
they understand what they're donating.... the troops  would be getting a neat 
collectible instrument.  Very cool, and a nice  memento to bring home, as I 
see it...especially this close to the  Holidays.   
 
(I gather that when donations of the usual kind  - treats, baskets,  etc - 
are made to our troops they're distributed to all  soldiers/sailors/marines 
scattered throughout the world, so I'm not sure the  Harmonicas will all end up in 
Iraq, unless they're specifically designated to be  sent there. Couldn't some 
end up in Afghanistan and Guantanamo, or on one of our  many ships at sea? I 
find that thought immensely appealing as well).
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 8
Date: Mon, 26  Nov 2007 10:12:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Payne  <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] was Harmonicas  Shipped to Iraq,    now let's ship
harps to  Iraq
To: Harp L Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:  <629210.70675.qm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I hate to see those beauties living out  such a hard life in the desert, but 
a good gesutre. 
Maybe we ought to  pick up on this. Perhaps we could send some harps to the 
miltary personnel  overseas. I'm an outdoors writer by day and I put out a call 
for fishing flies  for this little flyfishing school some guys started in 
Baghdad for the military  guys and gals last year. Collected about $4,000 worth 
of flies. If someone we  could all trust, like SPAH itself, or one of our 
trusted elders, would collect  harps and send them overseas, we could really get 
something going. SPAH, I would  assume would need a few bucks for shipping, 
which we could collect too, but the  shipping would not be that much. I was 
sending big boxes of flies over for as  much as it would cost to send something 
across the street. Harmonicas are  heavier though, we'd have to make it so that 
whoever is collecting these harps  doesn't get stuck with shipping costs. Maybe 
if we could figure out the cost to  ship per harp, each guy that donates a 
harp would have to send that amount with  his harp. Couldn't be
much more than a buck or so.
Maybe we could  get something worked out here, agree beforehand no prewars. 
What do y'all think?  

Dave Payne Sr. 
www.elkriverharmonicas.com  "




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