Dealer

[Guy, Karen, and Tor Nichols]

At 05:42 PM 8/17/97 +0000, you wrote:
>> Date:          Sun, 17 Aug 1997 15:49:47 -0400 (EDT)
>> From:          Les Smith <lessmith@buffnet.net>
>> To:            pianotech@ptg.org
>> Subject:       Re: Dealer
>> Reply-to:      pianotech@ptg.org
>
>Les,
>
>It was OK but nothing special.  We've all seen and heard 
>special pianos and you can't describe it you just know it.  
>This isn't one but it could be a decent piano with work.  I 
>talked with a local private dealer/rebuilder and he has one M 
>from the 30's in original condition, looks great, sounds great 
>(he says).  He wants $13,500.  He has an L from the same era for 
>$13,000.  I realize this is a much newer piano but $22,000 for 
>what is there is just too much.  Anyway all I did was report 
>what I found and my opinion...I'm not going to run away from 
>that!  That is what she wants...my professional opinion.  I'm 
>interested, Les, that you think is a reasonable price.  Jim 
>Bryant thought it was too much, how about other technicians?  Is 
>anyone selling used Steinway M's in the $22,000 range?
>
>David ilvedson, RPT

David,
	Just loaded up a S&S M that the fellow gave away for 9k to a friend (of
his). That's low, for sure. 22k may be high, but I gotta wonder...Why buy
it first, and then have it looked at? Even with a "stipulation" on the
sale, did she pay cash or finance? Dealers have to spend a lot of effort
protecting themselves from stupid people, did the dealer just "hold the
check"? I doubt it. Bet the salesperson has already spent the commission
(at least mentally).
	Old sales ethics axiom goes: If the customer gets what they want, at a
price they accept, it's a good sale. There are always special
circumstances, of course, but I believe on this one, you'd be best off
sticking with the technical facts, and proclaim the market "too weird" to
judge. S&S people can be......obsessive?....shall we say, and it really is
a seller's market. 
	I have to 'swap hats' all the time, being the dealer and the tech, but
it's not usually too hard to figure out the right thing. It's ALWAYS the
right thing, no matter what else changes.

guy


Guy Nichols, RPT
nicho@lascruces.com
	"Irreversibility is the mechanism that brings order from chaos"
						Prigogine