Theodore, Maybe I lucked out but I am getting exactly 7 times what I got in 1967. Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta On Sat, 24 Jan 1998, THEOFONE wrote: > > 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 > > >
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