<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I get these calls a lot. I charge to evaluate a piano, something I discuss up front. Ocasionaly I encounter gems but generally, in this climate, the piano is trash. Sometimes people want a tuneup so they can sell and often I must tell them that tuneup cost will exceed likely market value. I point out that if the piano is repareable a potential customer may want to do that to have something more affordable then a new piano. Used pianos don't necessarily sell quickly here. I know someone who has had a collection for some time now that he hoped would be an investment. I've reviewed all of them and have steered people his way as they are good. I also have a piano store here and sell new pianos. I've sold more then he has. People want "new". If the piano is trash I don't waste their time and generally discount my fee and get out the door. There are lots of those type here. For some time an individual has been bringing dead trade-in pianos from dealers upstate and beyond and selling them as fixer-uppers. I don't think he has been selling much lately. Word gets around. <div><br></div><div>No doubt there are other markets where there are a lot of fine museum quality pieces. Humidity cycles a lot here and gets very high at times. It is not uncommon to see rusted out interiors. I've been called to estimate repair of a piano so the kids could take lessons. Fully sixty per-cent of the strings were broken. Much more was wrong with it but I was out of there quick with a recommendation to look at good used pianos or if they couldn't afford them to get a digital piano (not a keyboard) and plan on upgrading in three to four years if the student sticks to it.</div><div><br></div><div>There probably are quite a variety of experiences to relate regarding this.</div><div><br></div><div>Andrew Anderson</div><div><br><div><div>On Jul 28, 2008, at 5:46 AM, Garret Traylor wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Ron N. posted me an edited version of a newsletter article he wrote some time ago "It ain't the fall I mind, so much; it's the sudden stop." The article reminded me that I deal with the broader question I deal with more and more probably four times a week; a question that will likely increase and not decrease as the "Piano Boomers" near their ultimate fate. <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">When someone is trying to clean out their house, or another person is seeking a piano for their children to learn on; what advice do you give provide the initial callers as a choice between the (not) fixer-upper “Piano Boomer” and a better piano? Use professional mover to haul to the Dump? Service? Repair? Destroy? Rebuild? Newer Used? Digital?<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Kindest Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Garret<o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>