Clunker pianos - what do you do?

[David Nereson]

So I have a question. You all run across the occasional  bargain piano 
and with a small amount of capital could keep a small inventory. Unless 
you are booked solid, you could use down time to work on refurbishing. 
So, when the real beaters show up you could offer a reasonably priced 
alternative to wasting money on a "money pit" and perhaps retain a 
customer while providing yourself with a better piano to tune. You'd 
make a few bucks on the refurb.

I'm sure this is not a new idea, but I'd be interested in hearing 
opinions from this very experienced list.

Steve Brooks

    I find that "real beaters" are seldom worth anything except the ivories, casters, wood screws, and possibly a few hardware items, and the foregoing only if they're in decent enough condition to salvage.  
Unless the soundboard doesn't have numerous cracks and doesn't buzz and rattle; 
unless the tuning pins are tight enough to hold a tuning; 
unless the finish is already decent enough that most people wouldn't be embarassed to have it in their home (well, OK, if it's going in the basement or a back room, it can be "funky"); 
and unless the bass strings aren't all tubby or buzzing, 
you just can't can't make any money refurbishing (reconditioning) the poor old things, especially if you pay any money for them at all.
Not only that -- they're hard to sell and sit around in the shop forever.
    --David Nereson, RPT
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