Piano Fiasco

[robert goodale]

Farrell wrote:
<snip>

>  A C3 now costs about $20,000. So figure hers might
> be worth somewhere between $10,000 to $13,000 at a dealer, and perhaps
> $8,000 to $11,000 in a private sale.
>
> She looked at me in horror and told me that she had just paid $19,000 for
> the piano. She bought it at a dealer blowout - 50% off -
> going-out-of-business sale.

I haven't checked recently but I think a C-3 runs closer to about $25K new.
Recently a local couple sold their C-3 for I think around $15K which I inspected
and thought to be in pretty good shape.  $19K is probably too high, particularly
when you can get a completely rebuilt (inside and out) plain case Steinway M or
Mason & Hamilin A for a little more than that.  Yes, they probably got taken,
but I can assure you many more have been taken far worse than that.

> Now perhaps it is not good to mention names
> here, so I won't. I'll just call the dealer (which I understand is the
> largest dealer chain in the US) Mr. B. Now you may ask why the subject of
> this post has the word "Fiasco".

Nuf' said.  The dealer of which you B-speak is a Fiasco \:-).  I have heard many
sad things, even just recently.  The best thing that can be done in this case is
educate, educate, educate.  Buyer beware!

Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV