Steinway

[Farrell]

> HOWEVER one should not be purchasing a Steinway as an investment.  One
> should purchase a Steinway because they like the way it plays.
> Unfortunately the darn things are sooooooo expensive (new ebony  M is
37,500
> list) that most *normal* people can't afford to buy them!  HENCE the
strong
> secondary market.  It is all about supply and demand.  Are they worth it?
> I've played many different instruments, If you find an excellent example
of
> each, so far, Steinway is worth it.  (Although I played a Bosendorfer that
> came really close!)

I'l stop my ranting. The paragraph above is how they should advertise.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Luderer" <Bluderer@sloanandcompany.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 8:29 AM
Subject: RE: Steinway


> Interesting "rant"  You are of course comparing the price of a new
Steinway
> to the price of a used (abused) Steinway.  Remember apples to apples.  You
> should look at the cost of *that* instrument new to truly test whether or
> not the instrument held its value.  My *reconditioned* 1927 M cost my
> parents $2,500 in 1965. (probably paid too much for it) I was recently
> offered $14,000 for the instrument, which requires some work (as the list
> knows) due to playing it too frequently :>() I'd say that the instrument
> held its value relatively well.
>
> HOWEVER one should not be purchasing a Steinway as an investment.  One
> should purchase a Steinway because they like the way it plays.
> Unfortunately the darn things are sooooooo expensive (new ebony  M is
37,500
> list) that most *normal* people can't afford to buy them!  HENCE the
strong
> secondary market.  It is all about supply and demand.  Are they worth it?
> I've played many different instruments, If you find an excellent example
of
> each, so far, Steinway is worth it.  (Although I played a Bosendorfer that
> came really close!)
>
>
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 7:44 AM
> > Subject: Re: Steinway
> >
> >
> > > Maybe the bottom line in my rant was that you take a Steinway that
costs
> > > between $35,000 and $90,000 today (model M through D). Take the same
> model
> > > that is 70 or 80 years old, and it is worth $5,000 to $10,000. Take a
> > Story
> > > & Clark (or any other Brand X) that costs - how much - maybe priced
like
> a
> > > Kawai or so - $15,000 for a six-foot black (oops - ebony!) grand. What
> > would
> > > a 75 year old Sorry lil' Cluck be worth today - maybe $2,000 (I
realize
> > > zero, but you know as well as I that if the keys make some
piano-related
> > > noise, someone will buy it - A Diamond in the Rough!). So which piano
> > holds
> > > its value better, one that looses $80,000 in value, or one that looses
> > > $13,000? Or let's stick with the six-foot example - one that looses
> > $40,000
> > > in value or one that looses $13,000? Don't get me wrong - I would
rather
> > > play a Steinway for 75 years rather than the cheaper piano - but we
are
> > > considering a money investment here, not how nice a piano plays or
> sounds
> > > (or at least the ones that sneak out of NY with non-reverse-crown
> > > soundboards).
> > >
> > > I think the point is that no piano is a good long-term investment of
> money
> > > with the intention to grow your money. So why advertise it as such?
> Unless
> > > of course you are willing to make a profit at any cost. It may well be
a
> > > better investment than a porterhouse steak (in the long term), but
> > > advertisement of it being a quality investment of money is BS. I have
> > heard
> > > the story many times, and I know well that many, many folks read that
> junk
> > > and believe it. You can call them dumb, but just like Ed McMann, et.
al.
> > > selling sweepstakes tickets to old folks that use their life savings
to
> > > order $5,000 magazine subscriptions and then fly to Tampa to claim
their
> > > non-existent winnings, it is just plain unethical. Just because an
> > > advertisement does not tell an outright lie, it is not necessarily
> > truthful.
> > > They are simply preying on folks that are not piano knowledgeable, and
> > that
> > > stinks.
> > >
> > > Terry Farrell
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Steve Grattan" <lostchordclinic@ameritech.net>
> > > To: <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> > > Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2001 1:35 PM
> > > Subject: Steinway
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hi,  I looked up a new Steinway in the 1991 Ancott Directory and the
B
> > was
> > > > $37,040.00 and the D was
> > > > 56,040.00.  Both are ebony prices.
> > > >
> > > > Steve Grattan, Associate
> > > > Lost Chord Clinic
> > > > 1602 Griswold Street
> > > > Port Huron, MI 48060
> > > > lostchordclinic@ameritech.net
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >