Piano Fiasco

[Robert Wilson]

Hi Terry,

In England this is a rather grey area.  The price of a
used piano would reflect how much the dealer paid for
it plus the work carried out and the free delivery to
customer.  Therefore it follows that you would not
necessarily be able to sell the piano the following
week for the same amount as the price paid is not a
'market' value as such.

Older pianos are worth what someone will pay for them
rather than a specific value that we can attribute. 
I'm constantly surprised what people will pay for a
heap of junk! - and when you turn up to tune it you
have to grit your teeth and smile sweetly!

Bet wishes

Bob


--- Don <drose@dlcwest.com> wrote:
> Hi Terry,
> 
> You should have researched the information before
> answering. We often don't
> know current retail prices on all the many makes of
> instruments. Would your
> answer have been the same if for example this
> instrument had one of the new
> magnetic action retrofits? Or standwoodized? Or new
> hammers and shanks?
> Please look before you leap.
> 
> At 05:20 PM 10/11/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >No. This customer specifically asked me what I
> thought the piano was worth.
> >And I told her. There was no other reasonable
> choice in this situation, and
> >I would do it again.
> >
> >Terry Farrell
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "w peterson" <wpeterson2@socal.rr.com>
> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> >Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2001 2:13 PM
> >Subject: Re: Piano Fiasco
> >
> >
> >> I think a god point to remember is that a piano
> or PSO represents a dream
> >or
> >> is an object of sentiment to a lot of people.
> Every good home has a piano.
> >> Most people never take care of their piano, and
> those that do  not want to
> >> hear that they have been taken nor that they have
> a bad piano or PSO.
> >You
> >> the technician stand to loose the customer as
> your honesty has made them
> >> feel foolish.  You will also lose the dealer, and
> some of the techs that
> >are
> >> in servitude to that dealer.  Whistle blowers
> almost always loose.  There
> >is
> >> a lot about biz that stinks.  Bill Peterson
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> >> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> >> Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2001 4:44 AM
> >> Subject: Re: Piano Fiasco
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hi Robert. Thanks for responding.
> >> >
> >> > > Recently a local couple sold their C-3 for I
> think around $15K which I
> >> > inspected
> >> > > and thought to be in pretty good shape.
> >> >
> >> > How old was it? Was I grey-market?
> >> >
> >> > Terry Farrell
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "robert goodale" <rrg@unlv.edu>
> >> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> >> > Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 9:39 PM
> >> > Subject: Re: Piano Fiasco
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > > 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
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
> 
> Regards,
> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.
> 
> mailto:drose@dlcwest.com
> 
> after Oct 29
> mailto:drose@sk.sympatico.ca
> http://donrose.xoasis.com/
> 
> 3004 Grant Rd.
> REGINA, SK
> S4S 5G7
> 306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner


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