Broadwood evaluation

[Israel Stein]

At 08:56 PM 9/1/2008, Wim Blees wrote:
>Subject: Re: Broadwood evaluation
>Message: 1
>
>Gene
>
>Questions. Did they buy this instrument, or was it inherited? If 
>they bought it, the value is what they paid for it, adjusted for 
>inflation. If they inherited, the value was what it was worth at the 
>time of inheritance, adjusted for inflation.
>
>Other than that, I would give the factual information on the piano, 
>(serial number, age, size, etc.) Indicate all the problems with the 
>piano. (bad pin block, rusty strings, etc.). Then state that because 
>of the unique nature of the piano, since there is no replacement 
>value for the instrument, that the "as is" value of this instrument 
>cannot be determined.

Sorry, Wim, but that's just not so. Here in California there are at 
least two dealers (one in San Francisco and the other in Los Angeles) 
who specialize in 19th-century European instruments, and there is 
quite a lively market in them. They are quite the showpieces for 
certain kinds of upper-income households, after being refinished, and 
sell for very nice prices. I don't want to go into the ethics of this 
sort of thing, but the fact is that there is a specialized market in 
them, and appraisals ought to be done by people who are familiar with 
this market.

Your area, Gene, is definitely within this market, so I would advise 
you to walk away from this and refer them to someone who knows that 
market - or you might step into something sticky... If you wish, I 
can put you in touch with someone...

Israel Stein