John Hunt asks about the value of a badly-restored item in an antique
shop.

$4250 sounds about $4200 too high.  Where there is some bad workmanship
evident, you must expect more bad workmanship.  You would most likely
be better off buying an old piano that had never been touched.  I'll
bet that if you buy this one you will have to spend over $4000 to get
it right.

On the other hand, if it doesn't sell at $4250, the shop owner can
probably make it move by raising the price to about $7000.  This'll work
because it increases the apparent quality.  He'll stay out of trouble as
long as he makes no guarantee whatever of the actual quality.

Peter Neilson
Sanford NC