<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>But somehow the public thinks we should know about all keyboard instruments, just because we work on pianos</span></font></i><i><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:navy;font-style:italic'><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>A true word indeed. Perhaps the best reason to at least try to be a little familiar with the market. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoAutoSig><b><font size=6 color=navy face="Bradley Hand ITC"><span style='font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:navy;font-weight: bold'>Dean</span></font></b><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><u1:PersonName u2:st="on"><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt; color:navy'>Dean May</u1:PersonName>             cell 812.239.3359 <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Terre Haute</span></font></st1:City><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'></u1:City> <u1:State u2:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</u1:State></st1:State>  <u1:PostalCode u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</u1:PostalCode></st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place></u1:place><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Willem Blees<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, October 22, 2007 11:27 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> pianotech@ptg.org<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: buying a piano on the Internet</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>I like Ron's assement, but in all honesty, read the second to last paragraph. It appears the buyer did a self evaluation and appraising, based on books and articles he read.   <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>I have run across people like this who claim the previous tooner offered $5000 for the piano. I quickly tell them to contact the tooner and get his money. The other "appraisal" I've heard is: My neighbor's son's roomate's father moved pianos for a local dealer when he was in college, and he, (the neighbor, who now has a lineage that supposedly has some merit), claims the piano is worth.....<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>On a serious note, appraising pianos can be very difficult. One does have to have a knowledge of current market prices of both new and use pianos, and a knowledge of what it takes to recondition, or even rebuild a piano. Not all RPT's want to get in the business of appraising, just as not all RPT's want to get in the business of working on players, much less organs. But somehow the public thinks we should know about all keyboard instruments, just because we work on pianos. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT<br> Piano Tuner/Technician<br> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Honolulu</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">HI</st1:State></st1:place><br> Author of <br> The Business of Piano Tuning<br> available from Potter Press<br> www.pianotuning.com<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>-----Original Message-----<br> From: paul bruesch <paul@bruesch.net><br> To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName> <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Mon, Oct 22 9:58 PM<br> Subject: Re: buying a piano on the Internet<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <div id="AOLMsgPart_2_b8afad70-0834-4881-8b41-9c0201cb0cf2"> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I'm wondering if the appraiser was an RPT.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmailquote><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On 10/22/07, <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>David and Jean Weiss</span></b> <<a href="mailto:djweiss@ntelos.net">djweiss@ntelos.net</a>> wrote: </span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p> <div bgcolor="#ffffff"> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'>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.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'>David Weiss</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>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 t! heir 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. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-top:7.5pt;text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:7.5pt'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free <a href="http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/index.htm?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000970" target="_blank">AOL Mail</a>!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>