Sears Catalogue Pianos circa; 1900

[TunerJeff@aol.com]

(Warning! A total digression, full of useless clutter and verbiage! Warning!)

Dear List,

     Posting that note about the price tag from the 1912 Beckwith (at $295)
got me to thinking. I went on a hunt through the bookshelves and
re-discovered a copy of a Sears "Consumer's Guide" from the year 1900. A
re-print edition actually published in 1970 (...hence the hunt... hadn't read
it for a few years!), but an excellent reduction of the original 4 lb.
monster.
     The page omissions, from judicious cutting by the 'editor' of this
re-print, are not at all out of place. The introduction states; "Not all page
number gaps can be blamed on the editor, as the original catalogue was
composed with a number of intentional omissions of varying length".
Interesting, eh?

On page 231 of the 1900 Fall Consumer's Guide  #110;
*********************************************************
$98.50     Our New American Home      $98.50
              Upright Parlor Grand Piano
Only consider, a full size piano, of mahogany or walnut
 burl finish, for $98.50. Such was never known before.......
**********************************************************

       And there is a lovely print of an upright piano featuring 3 pedals,
toe-block & turned legs, and a frontboard/music rack with an intricate design
featuring a pair of seahorses staring at each other from a growth of seaweed!
Quite a lovely cabinet. (No candle holders on this one.)

Dimensions (...smaller than most of those Beckwiths.);
Height; 4 feet 7 inches
Width;  2 feet 3 inches
Length; 61 inches

.... and the real kicker.
The shipping weight;
(...including bench, instruction manual, and crate) a mere 800 pounds.

Sorry for the digression! Hope folks find it interesting. Thanks for your
time.

Truly,
Jeffrey T. Hickey, RPT
Oregon Coast Piano Services
TunerJeff @ aol.com

ps-
 "All our pianos come with a 25-year guarantee! ... if any piece or part
gives out by reason of defect in materiel or workmanship we will replace it
FREE OF CHARGE.
Marvel of marvels. A perfect piano guaranteed to last a Lifetime!"

The book;
Sears Roebuck & Co.
Fall 1900
Publisher; DBI Books Inc., Northfield Illinois
Editor; Joseph J. Schroeder, Jr.
ISBN#; 0-695-80204-6

pps.
Reed Organs ran from $33 to $36 dollars and feature (...what I consider..)
absolutely ghastly ornate scrollwork and styling. Far more excessive than the
styling on the upright! The gentleman seeking info on these critters (...was
that Sy Zabroski?) might do well to see if the local bookstore or library has
one of these catalogue reductions on the shelves. Or similiar catalogues from
the correct era. Good-luck sir!
jef