P.O.I.

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Greetings, 
     I was recently encouraged to write the following ideas down, perhaps it 
would pass muster and find its way into the Journal, (since we seem to agree 
that content may be a limiting factor in what is actually in that publication 
and this topic here is about pianos and money, two things most of us are at 
least passably fond of).  

    The POI is "The Point of Inheritance."  It is that moment in time in 
which the older generation begins to bestow upon the younger set those 
relics, mementos, and money that can't be "taken with them."  The passage of 
estate, while often beset with in-law bickering and family values tossed in 
the fireplace along with the old newspapers, is also a time when the wisdom 
of the elders is allowed a shot at making a difference.  Grandparents like to 
think they can affect future generations, usually along the lines of quality, 
values, and appreciation for culture.  What better vehicle than music and the 
equipment needed to make it?  
      As piano technicians, we should be aware of the possibilities open to 
us at this nexus.  It is not only a time in which treasures are tossed, but 
investments can be sold, and the old grand that has been in the parlor, (the 
one with the bass cheek bleached white from its 50-year view out of the 
picture window), is a prime candidate for us to save a musical instrument 
(doing good), and make a great paycheck (doing well).  
      I have been here so long that I am seeing these old clunkers which I 
have been propping up for decades (usually just before Christmas) passed down 
to the daughters and grandkids.  I have learned that at the POI, Grandma is a 
sitting duck for the restoration pitch.  I can honestly tell them that any 
piano has a lifetime of its own, but with a careful restoration, that old 
Steinway can, Phoenix-like, rise from its verdigris slumber and once again be 
the center of a family's musical aspirations.
    Grandma will get sorta misty-eyed when I get to the part about the piano 
beginning a new life and that the  heirs will bless them for having done it.  
I mention that the decendants will also be able to pass it on to the 
great-great-grandwhatevers.  I mention that the piano can sing once again.   
Better they sign the check out to me and send the piano along its way in fine 
shape than giving the money directly to the kids, (who would then waste it on 
overpriced remodeling of the house, dinosaur SUVs, etc.). 
     This is not some casual scheme to separate the elderly from their money. 
 It is a carefully thought out plan of action that makes sense economically, 
aesthetically, and morally.  If a technician has been the "family tuner" for 
many years, there is usually trust there, and there is nothing wrong with 
leveraging it for the benefit of all concerned.  From the heritage 
perspective, what better object to remember ancestors with than a fine 
musical instrument?  From the aesthetic angle, the classic American grand 
pianos can be restored to out-perform the vast majority of new instruments 
sold today, (at a fraction of the cost, even including new soundboards)!  
>From the moral side of the equation, the resources dedicated to the artistic 
restoration of the old piano are well-protected; the piano can represent a 
solid financial investment if the future requires the inheritor to let it go 
for more pressing concerns,(and the tech should position themselves to be of 
service in brokering the piano if that does happen, 10% isn't an exhorbitant 
figure). 
    So, planning is important. The proposal can't be a quick one, it may take 
years to frame.  We are selling our reputation with a job like this, and the  
honest technician will not rebuild a piano that was junk to start with, but 
when the estate begins to be divided, and there is a quality piano and funds 
to be dispersed, it makes sense to get in there and make a pitch for doing 
what is right for the family and the piano.  After all, doesn't little Susie 
deserve to start her musical life with as nice a piano as her 
mother/grandmother/uncle Dave in New Yawk,etc did? 
    I have nothing but disgust for those that sell the gullible elderly on 
the idea of restoring their piano for resale, as in , "Pay me to rebuild this 
piano and you will be able to sell it at a good profit as soon as the work is 
done".  I have seen that scenario played out to the detriment of the owner 
too many times.   What I am suggesting is that we be ready when the family of 
means decides to "pass along" the piano.  It is up to us to explain that 
pianos have a service life, and simply giving it 'as is' isn't enough.  If we 
know that the piano is worth rebuilding, and that there is a new generation 
that can use it, this is the time to speak up, while the checks are being 
written and the siblings are salivating. 
      There is nothing wrong with us making a profit on our work and the 
P.O.I. offers a great place to do it.  It can also allow us to "stay in the 
family" for another generation,(I have several customers that were new-borns 
when I began tuning for their parents).  People will spend the money on their 
children that they were never comfortable spending on themselves.  We should 
be there for them.   
     Just something to think about. 
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT