<HTML>In a message dated 7/26/01 5:24:50 PM Central Daylight Time, JIMRPT@AOL.COM writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">"Invest" in an S&S to make money?? Well I wouldn't suggest it........... but over the long term you would certainly lose less than with some competitive brands. I would be interested in 'specifics' as to these "unethical" practices by S&S. Short of 'specifics' I would rather think this sort of stuff ought to be in private and not on the list.........but that is just my opinion. Jim Bryant (FL) </BLOCKQUOTE> This has been brought out before, by me. Three years ago a customer asked me to appraise a S&S S he had bought 10 years earlier for $20,000. He was told the "investment" story by the local dealer and now wanted to cash in his investment, and make a bundle. He called the Steinway dealer and was told new S's were selling for $35,000. He assumed that is what he could get for his piano. He was astounded that I would not only not give him $35,000, but that his piano was worth at most $20,000 if he tried to sell it himself, and that I would only give him $10,000 I am sure there are other customers who have been "duped" the same way. This is, in my opinion an unethical way of doing business. And from what I see on the list, many others agree. Look at the Steinway web site. There is nothing wrong with what they say. But the way they say it leaves a lot to be desired. Wim </HTML>