<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">That's cool Paul,</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The only treasure I've found is a 1905
Canadian penny (really large and copper) and a Indian nickle and liberty
dime. They were in a piano I got for free. That was fun. Much
better than a mouse skeleton I also found!</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Paul</font>
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<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>"Paul McCloud"
<pmc033@earthlink.net></b> </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">10/08/2008 03:06 AM</font>
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<div align=center><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Please respond to<br>
pmc033@earthlink.net; Please respond to<br>
Pianotech List <pianotech@ptg.org></font></div></table>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">"Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org></font>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">What You Find In PIanos</font></table>
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<br><font size=1>Hi, List:</font>
<p><font size=1> You've heard the story. The reality
of old age forces the elderly owner into a nursing home, and they give
up the beloved piano. The new owner buys it cheap to let the kids
play on it, and calls the tuner to "make it play again". The
tuner shows up, and discovers a fabulous treasure inside. I've heard
a story years ago about finding thousands of dollars stashed inside an
old upright. As far as I know, it's a true story. </font>
<br><font size=1> Well, now I've got my story...</font>
<br><font size=1> I got a call to tune an old Hallet-Davis
spinet this afternoon. It's in fair shape, a broken key, and needs
tuning badly. The new owner purchased it from an elderly woman, who
had moved to Florida to live in a nursing home. It sold for $100.</font>
<br><font size=1> The woman was a kind of do-it-yourselfer,
and had investigated the broken key before I arrived. She showed
me the sticker wire, which she pulled out of the piano to show me, with
the broken elbow still attached. We talked about it for a while,
and I pointed out the nasty yellow mold which had grown up inside. I
decided to check the rest of the elbows, and crouched down to remove the
bottom board. As I did so, I mentioned in a joking mood, "You
never know what you're going to find in the bottom of a piano." As
I tipped the board out, I saw a pile of elegant boxes stacked up in the
bottom of the piano. They appeared to be like jewelry boxes, except
for the fact that they were larger, and many were in sleeves for protection.
I showed the lady what I'd found, and we marvelled at what turns
out was a collection of coins. </font>
<br><font size=1> There were many proof sets, dating back
to 1970, of whatever coins were minted in that year. There were commemorative
coins, each with a certificate of authenticity and purchase price. I
think there were about two dozen boxes, which are pictured in the attached
photo. Well, I'd like to say that it amounted to a king's ransom,
but no there was no gold, and the price tags amounted only to a few hundred
dollars. It seems that the old man had stashed the treasure in the
bottom of the piano, and told not a soul about it (or the poor widow, suffering
from dementia, forgot they were in there). </font>
<br><font size=1> We laughed at the coincidental find, and
she promised to return the collection to the woman who sold the piano.
The lady went online to discover what they might be worth, but found
that they really weren't worth all that much more than they did 35 years
ago. </font>
<br><font size=1> I spent a couple hours tuning the piano,
and left after promising to return to replace the elbow next Friday. (Darn,
I wish I had one with me).</font>
<br><font size=1> </font>
<br><font size=1> Isn't piano tuning fun?</font>
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<br><font size=1> Paul McCloud</font>
<br><font size=1> San Diego</font>
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<br><font size=1>Paul McCloud</font>
<br><font size=1>Service Technician for PianoSD.com</font>
<br><a href=http://www.pianoservsd.com/><font size=1 color=blue><u>www.pianoservsd.com</u></font></a><font size=1>
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