<font color='black' size='2' face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif'> <div>In my opinion, and from what I've been told, square pianos were never very good, even when they were brand news. (Maybe that's why they stopped making them after 40 years of production). I've restored a few, even Steinway squares, and none of them turned out to be what I would call great instruments.  They play, and with care, can be enjoyed as a musical instrument, but even a properly restored square isn't as good as a modern piano. If the minister is going to spend any money on a piano, that it would be much more practical to spend it on a newer used piano. </div> <div> </div> <div>I don't know where the church got the estimated values on this piano, but I would suspect it was done by an antique dealer. Perhaps as an antique piece of furniture, the piano might be worth $3000, but as a musical instrument, it's not worth more than a couple of hundred. And after spending money to restore it, it might be worth $5,000. A far cry from the anticipated $25,000. </div> <div> </div> <div>The piano store I work for recently sold a Steinway square in reasonably good condition for $3500. </div> <div> </div> <div>About 20 years ago I was asked to look at a square for evaluation and possible repairs. A young man had purchased it from his family's estate in the Ozarks for $5000 and moved to it St. Louis. He took out a loan to pay for it, because he was told it would be worth $25,000 with just a few thousand dollars worth of repairs. He almost cried when I told him the piano was worth maybe a couple of hundred, and that even after spending $5000, it might be worth about $2000. <br> </div> <div>A customer here in Hawaii spent $10,000 to restore a Decker square. She now thinks it's worth $25,000 and wants to use it as trade to get a restored Queen Ann grand. She's still looking for a dealer who'll make a deal with her.  </div> <div> </div> <div>Wim</div> <div style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3px"><FONT color=blue size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></div> <br> <br> <div style="CLEAR: both"> <div> </div> </div> <br> <br> <div style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">-----Original Message-----<br> From: Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net><br> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Sun, Apr 22, 2012 5:39 am<br> Subject: [pianotech] FW: FUMC Estate Sale - Piano<br> <br> <div id=AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672> <STYLE>#AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 td{color: black;} #AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 A[href] { } #AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 p.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 li.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} #AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 a:link,#AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} #AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 a:visited,#AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} #AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Arial; color:blue; font-weight:normal; font-style:normal; text-decoration:none none;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} #AOLMsgPart_1_5bb74d5b-b91b-4357-bc36-4ea6a7d2d672 div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </STYLE> <div class=Section1> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT color=blue size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">A friend sent this to me, wondering if it might be worth buying for her son. She is a reverend, and cannot afford to light campfires with $100 bills at all.   I’d appreciate comments on this from people who know about technical stuff, but who also know if a square in 21<SUP>st</SUP> century really might be a viable instrument to a person who is not going to be a high level performer, specializing in Period Music.   Thanks, </SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT color=blue size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Les bartlett</SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT color=blue size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR align=center SIZE=2 width="100%"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div> <div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">Hello to all of our great customers. </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">We do not have a sale scheduled until May 18 & 19.  We have not yet begun work on the sale, so will not have a list and photos until early May.  However, there is one item in the sale we want to tell you about.</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">There is an Emerson square grand piano.  The piano was made about 1885, and is truly beautiful.  For someone who wants this piano as a musical instrument to play, it would have to be restored.   Without restoration, it is just a pretty piece of furniture.   It would be perfect for a house museum.   We are asking $3000 for this piano.  After restoration, its value would be $25,000 to $30,000. </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">If you want this piano for yourself, great.  If you know of anyone who might be interested, we would appreciate your sending this information to them.</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">Here is the link to photos and additional information about this Emerson square grand piano.</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><A href="http://fumcestatesales.netfirms.com/Emerson-piano-contact-Linda.jpg" target=_blank>Piano</A></SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=4 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">First United Methodist Church</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Estate Sale Committee</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><FONT size=3 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR align=center color=gray SIZE=1 width="100%" noShade> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal color="#000000"><FONT size=3 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">No virus found in this message.<br> Checked by AVG - <A href="http://www.avg.com/" target=_blank>www.avg.com</A><br> Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2411/4952 - Release Date: 04/22/12</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> </div> </div> </font>