<HTML>In a message dated 6/18/01 12:14:59 PM Central Daylight Time, rbrekne@broadpark.no writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">"Steinway and Sons grand pianos need of course no introduction. I would, in spite of that, remind (you) that they still build their instruments in the classic piano building tradition., which imparts to the soundboard a unique lifespan, 70 to 100 years. This, in contrast to ordinary grand pianos, where crown disapears after just a few years. Steinway grand pianos are to be viewed as collectors items from the day of delivery from the factory" All in all... I knew I just had to share this with you. This in no way reflects my own opinons, and I am quite uncertain just how much Steinway and Sons themselves would support the statement... in which case they might be interested in making their real position clear on this matter given the rather official "Steinway and Sons" appearance to this letter. </BLOCKQUOTE> The statement about crown is not in contention. There are some of you who feel a soundboard needs to be replaced every 25 years, regardless of crown. Some think a soundboard is functional until it looses crown. Like I said, I am not debating that. What I have a problem with is the last sentence of the quote, that Steinways are to be viewed as a collector's item. Steinway even goes as far as to imply that their instruments actual are a good investment, and that they increase in value. The following is taken directly off the Steinway web site. "According to Forbes, over the past ten years, the retail value of a Steinway concert grand has appreciated nearly 200%.* An impressive record, to be sure - but one that tells only part of the story. The fact is, the appreciation of Steinway pianos is even more impressive when you look past the previous ten years - and take an historical look at appreciation over the past few decades. The numbers are nothing less than remarkable: Today, if the owner of a vintage Steinway grand decided to gauge the value of his or her piano on the open market, it is likely that the piano would command a price 4.3 times higher than the original retail cost.**" Basically what they are saying is that the retail price of a new Steinway piano is selling for twice as much as it was 10 years ago. Well, guess what? According to my collection of Ancott book, just about every piano manufactured in the world is selling for almost twice as much today as it was 10 years ago. So there is nothing new there. Furthermore, they are saying that a used Steinway will sell for 4.3 times more than the original retail price.  Again, if you compare the original retail price of almost any piano, it will sell for about 4.3 times the original retail price. What they are not saying is that the used piano, whether it is a Steinway or a Wurlitzer, has to be in perfect condition for it to qualify for that calculation. Don't get me wrong. I think Steinway pianos are great instruments. But the posts recently about Steinways being a Steinway if the parts are changed, and the implication by the company that their instruments should be bought as an investment that will increase in value over the years, gives me the implication that perhaps there is something wrong with the marketing techniques used by the company. Why would they go to such great length to give the public misleading information? What are they hiding? Personally, I think it degrades the name. I think Steinway should sell their instruments based on the fact that they are a good instrument, one that will give years of enjoyment, instead of the piano being a good investment that will increase in value. Just my view Willem </HTML>