Yes. I have offered Purchase Consults since starting my business. Every time I talk with a client about upgrading or looking for a piano, I suggest they do most of the legwork, looking through the ads, visiting pianos, etc., and then when they think they have one, call me and I'll go and give it a complete assessment. Of course, I suggest they send me a link to the piano ad if it's an online one and often we can tell right away if it's not worth pursuing.<div> <br></div><div>But yes, it's a valid service, much like taking a prospective used car purchase to your mechanic.</div><div><br></div><div>William R. Monroe</div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 3:01 AM, <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com" target="_blank">tnrwim@aol.com</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><font color="black" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <div><font style="background-color:transparent" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have put an ad on Craigs list once in a while in the musical instrument sales section, advertising "piano appraising". But then "they" said I couldn't do that. So now I run an ad for "used piano for sale", which says </font>I do appraising, and that I will give them some free advice over the phone. I do get a few calls and I don't mind spending a few minutes with the people who call. As a result I've gotten some tuning and repair business out of it. But very few want to pay me to do an on sight appraisal for a fee.</div> <span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"> <div> </div> <div>Wim </div></font></span><div><div class="h5"> <div style="clear:both"> <div> </div> </div> <div></div> <div></div> <div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica">-----Original Message-----<br> From: Euphonious Thumpe <<a href="mailto:lclgcnp@yahoo.com" target="_blank">lclgcnp@yahoo.com</a>><br> To: pianotech <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech@ptg.org</a>><br> Sent: Sun, Nov 18, 2012 8:36 pm<br> Subject: [pianotech] Gems in the junkpile<br> <br> <div> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="font:inherit;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-stretch:inherit" valign="top"> <div>Once a piano-centric society, ours has become so piano-illiterate that, perusing Craigslist, one may find real junkers advertised for $$$$$$$, and the occasional gem for only $, or even for free. (Or, at least, free to a tax-deductible organization: such as a church, school, or retirement home.) So, I'm wondering how one might avail oneself of this situation to make a few $, while being of service to others by helping them avoid buying disasters. Perhaps one could advertise "Great pianos, cheap!", and then serve as a "scanner" and "consultant"? Then go along with the customer, for a fee, to examine the chosen prospect, make sure it has no serious problems, get the price down if warranted ( splitting the difference) and then help with the move, and other typical aspects of used piano acquisition, such as cleaning, regulation and tuning?<br> <br> Thumpe</div> </td></tr></tbody></table> </div> </div> </div></div></font></blockquote></div><br><br> </div>