<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> Friends, Some of you expressed interest in knowing more about The Original Bluebook of Pianos (subtitled The $$$ Source for Buying and Selling New and Used PIanos) by Bob Furst.  I received this book a couple weeks ago and am willing to give you some of my impressions, probably a lot more than you ever wanted to know.  No problem -- it only took me two hours to write this.  <G>  If others bought the book and wish to give their impressions or need to correct anything I wrote here, I would welcome that. If interested:  web site - www.bluebookofpianos.com                     email - Rdpublishing@aol.com --R&D Publishing Company, 9463 West 77th Place, Arvada, CO  80005-4033 If you buy this book allow up to six weeks for delivery. The Bluebook apparently was originally intended to give information to individuals seeking to buy a piano.  Parts of it currently would be useful only to members of the piano industry. For those who don't want to read all the stuff below, I'm sorta glad I bought the book but I'm not sure how much I'll really use it.  It was worth the money to me to see what it was (about $40, I think).  It's about an inch thick, 8 1/2 X 11 inch format.  The pages may be photocopies and are punched and held together in a fiberboard binder.  My copy has a couple duplicate pages in the wrong places as if someone got mixed up putting the book together, and at least a little of the text is missing.  Some pages are printed on one-side only, then suddenly they will start to be printed on both sides.  It would be easy to believe that the books are put together one at a time when an order is received.  I found the grammatical and typographical errors unnerving. If you buy this book I can't foresee how you will react to its contents.  On the plus side, some of the historical information on various name brands may be difficult or impossible to find anywhere else.  On the minus side, you may take strong exception to some but not necessarily all of the opinions printed.  And I have no way of judging historical or factual accuracy.  But I figured it's worth the gamble since I guess I'm in this business for the long haul, and even if you wish later you hadn't plunked down your hard-earned greenbacks, it's not like you're making a major investment.  You might even find some parts amusing; I did. Layout and Content Forward/History of the Piano - about 12 pages beginning before Pythagoras and including the dulcimer, spinet, clavicytherium, and the invention of the pianoforte.  The last half concentrates on the last two centuries. The Art and Science of Buying a Piano - about 21 pages giving information to the general public (all text) on piano construction, where to find pianos for sale, touch, tone, etc. The Gay Nineties to the Great Depression - 1889-1929 - 90+ pages listing piano name brands of the period alphabetically, followed by some stars, usually three to six.  I was unable to find the significance of the stars.  Each name is followed by information, anywhere from a single line to a half page (and on rare occasions even more), on the name brand and frequently includes remarks on quality.  I would think this section would be of great interest to those who are interested in pianos of this era, and I haven't seen anything quite like this anywhere else.  Is it authoritative and accurate?  Good question.  Maybe, maybe not; I have no way of knowing. The Great Depression to the Asian Invasion - 1930-1959 - 30+ pages.  Brief historical introduction to the period, followed by entries in the same format as the former section.  If a piano is still in production, it may be listed in more than one section of the book.  Since I run across some of the pianos described here, I wonder if some of the information was supplied by the companies who made the pianos.  Some descriptions seem to me to be very kind for what we perceive the pianos to be.  (Asian invasion?!) The Asian Invasion to the Information Age - 1960-1979 - 40+ pages.  Same format.  Why does Kawai get only three lines while Kimball gets almost a page and a half?  There is no connection between the amount of material included and the quality of the piano described.         The "Grand" brand name gets a page.  Quote: "Grand feels they offer an instrument most suited to the mass music market simply because they have developed a precision built piano with a fine sound, in a beautifully finished and styled cabinet to be sold at a price that enables more people to place a marvelous musical instrument in the home."  Hm.  Not quite the way I would say it. The Information Age to the Millenium - 1980-2000 - 30+ pages, same format. Pro-Net Discounts, Lease Return, and Residual Piano Prices - about five pages I do not understand.  Depending on your slice of piano business, I reckon you will. Price Schedule for Used Pianos Based on Condition - 9 pages.  For a number of makes and models, lists five prices which are: rebuilt/refinished/like new, refurbished, excellent, good, and fair conditions.  What shall I use as an illustration?  Maybe the 45" Baldwin -- chances are nearly all of us have run into those.  R&R, $3,065; Refur, $2,550; excellent, $2,350; good, $2,500; fair, $1,510.  The suggested prices are based on condition only; age is not mentioned anywhere that I can see. 1998-1999 Retail Prices, Now to be Used as Lease Return - about 16 pages.  You know if this section interests you.  (Does anyone really lease a 9' Bosendorfer?) Serial Numbers Identify Approximate Year of Manufacture - 11 pages.  Believe it or not, has some serial numbers Pierce doesn't. 2000-2001 New Piano Prices - 60+ pages.  Same idea as Ancott. Glossary - 4+ pages.  Primarily piano parts, some theory and a little other stuff mixed in. Okay, so it's up to you to decide if any of this is of interest to you. Regards, Clyde Hollinger, RPT</html>