I'm wondering if the appraiser was an RPT.<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/22/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">David and Jean Weiss</b> <<a href="mailto:djweiss@ntelos.net">djweiss@ntelos.net</a>> wrote:
</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div bgcolor="#ffffff">
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">A client of mine forwarded me this advertisement
for a piano he was considering buying. If you're in the mood to laugh read
on.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">David Weiss</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Description of Piano from seller:<br>...the piano is a <span name="st">Beckwith</span> Semi-Concert Grand Upright, manufactured in 1898. The
appraiser rated it in very good condition. I will just tell you some of
the things that he noted. The piano is an antique and will have additional
antique value because of the carving and the cost to restore. It was
totally refinished about 20 years ago and has been maintained in a climate
controlled home. The value of this piano is $3250.00 based on age, condition,
size, grade and rarity of the instrument. <span name="st">Beckwith</span> pianos were made for Sears Roebuck. Grands,
Uprights and Players made by different manufacturers marketed by Sears, who
claim to have sold as many as 15,000 annually between 1883-1922. Due to
their towering height, these instruments usually had string lengths and musical
capabilities equal and often superior to actual grand pianos, thus being labeled
"Upright Grand" or "Cabinet Concert Grand" by their manufacturers.<br>
Unique and distinctive features of construction will be found in the <span name="st">Beckwith</span> Semi Concert Grand piano; the most
important of those special features is the sounding board construction which
includes the <span name="st">Beckwith</span> semi Concert Grand
bent acoustic rim. This gives the <span name="st">Beckwith</span>
upright the tone of a grand piano and makes it especially well adapted for
concert use. <br> "Cabinet Grand" is a term usually referring to certain
large upright pianos over 50" tall. ( this piano is 57" tall, 67" wide, and 28"
deep ). A 52" upright provides as much total soundboard area as a 7' grand
piano. Its #1 bass string's length nearly matches that of a
6'3"grand. In other words, you get grand piano performance quality in a
vertical instrument.<br> The appraisal values are stated in U.S.
dollars and are based on market values from several sources. Based on
comparisons of pianos of this age, condition and nature offered for sale in
newspapers and the internet by private parties, music stores, auction houses and
piano teachers. These values are certified through research in directories
of the Music Industry, such as, The Presto Piano Buyers Guide, The Pierce
Musical Instrument Atlas, The Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments and
The Bluebook of Pianos, and the Piano Times Newspaper<br> Hope this
isn't too much info! The piano is very nice and in very good
condition. I will say that we haven't had it tuned for awhile....our son
who played it the most has been away at college and then we decided not to tune
it since we were going to sell it. It is not badly out of tune,
though. It also has 2 or 3 soft keys, which could be adjusted by the
tuner. <br></div></div>
</blockquote></div><br>