Saddest O of the Week

[THEOFONE]

Hi group!!!!
           I have absorbed a lot of this information all week about how much
pianos cost, price comparisons, ect. and I would like to add my 2 cents
worth.(literally)
           The Consumer Price Index was re-vamped in 1967 with that year
having a value of 1. In the following 30 years, this figure has risen to
between 6.75 to 7.2.
What this means is that what you paid $1 for in 1967 will cost you $7 in
1997!!!!!!!
This is the real value of money--- buying power.The goods and services that
money will actually buy
            From my 20+ years in this buisness, I cant believe that anyone
thinks that pianos are expensive!!!!!! But from the prices we charge Im not
surprised. Think of this.
            An average $1000 spinet in ' 67 should cost $7000 today!!!!
(adjusted for inflation)
It doesnt!!!!! The average $5000 grand piano would cost $35000!!!!  The
average 9 foot concert grand that cost $9000 would cost $63000 today!!!!!!
             Seems to me, the ONLY thing that has close to kept up with the
inflation rate is concert grands. Today you can still buy a spinet for
$1500-$2000, a decent grand for $10-$15000 and a concert grand for $50-$60000.
This tells me that the average piano costs a little better than half today as
it did in 1967. Even one third less if you account for other factors. So
please tell me how they are more expensive???? They are cheaper now than
ever!!!! The only thing that I can think of is the AMOUNT of dollars they cost
is the perception of cost, NOT the real buying power of what they are
spending. $5000 is a lot of dollars in a number, NOT the real value when the
adjusted cost should be $12-$15000. The real value is today.
           One more comment. The price of tunings in my area in 1967 was $20.
At this time the Guild was allowed to set the price. If you adjust it to
today, the price should be $140!!!
Remember that this would give us the same buying power that we had in 1967
with NO increase in pay at all. Are we the only that does not do better than
we did before??? I have checked into fees for other services during that time
period ie. doctors, lawyers, steel workers, laborers, and EVEN the minium
wage. They have all kept up with or exceeded the inflation rate... Not piano
technicians. Is there any one out there that is getting 6-7 times their tuning
rate today than they did in 1967????? Please tell me, so I can crank up my
rate.
Dont think of the amount of dollars, think of what they will BUY!!!!!!
            Its no wonder to me that people think that the piano is dying, the
whole industry is.
What we have done ,as an industry(all music) is slit our own throat, then put
a tourniquette on it to stop the bleeding. Bleeding of suffocation- what a
choice!!!!!!!! 
            But, in our favor, please show me how to play last years top 10
RAP songs on the piano?????? Or  1 RAP song in the top 100!!!!!! Cant be
done!! Now, where is the value in the piano when it comes to this large
segment of the industry. Little. Thats NOT our fault. This is not a cost
problem, its a value problem.
             So there are exceptions, but this too much money thing is the
trend, and its NOT TRUE. It doesnt cost too much!! Its just the value THEY put
on it, and we have gotten caught up in it too. There is great room for
expansion, half of it is gone. So dont despair!!!!!
              Please dont sent a lot of hate mail because of this. It is only
another observation of what has been discussed recently. There are many
exceptions to what I have said, I know this, but the general observation is
true. You check the government figures. Alter the numbers %10, + or - , and
see where you end up? Where is the economic affairs comittee??
 ( was it worth 2 cents?)                                       Theodore Mamel
RPT
                                                                          Pitt
sburgh Chapter