-- forwarded message, please reply to sender and MMD --

Dear Mr. Kukral,  I have a 1919 Ampico Symphonique Player grand piano
of my late grandfather's that I am interested in selling in the very
near future.  I positively love the piano; however, it requires too
much space for my two-bedroom apartment and unfortunately I don't play
as much as I would like to.

My grandfather originally bought the piano from Don Morton at Pacific
Piano in Chatsworth, California, in the 1960s and has had it ever
since.  The two numbers I could find imprinted on it are 5229 (on the
soundboard) and 97001 (on the string frame).  After it survived the
Northridge earthquake of 1994 it was stored correctly in a safe storage
facility.  In May 2003 I had it moved back into my grandfather's
apartment so he could enjoy it during his last years.

I called Mike Morton at Pacific Piano (Don's son) to come tune it,
and according to him the piano surprisingly didn't need tuning but he
suggested a restoration, making it far more valuable.  His informal
appraisal at that time was eight-thousand dollars for its current
condition and, depending on the quality of craftsmanship, could be
valued from thirty-two thousand to approximately forty-thousand dollars
after restoration.

I am very fond of this piece but I must part with it.  I do not have
the desire to have it restored but hope there may be an interested
party that does somewhere.  In addition to the piano I will include
approximately three-hundred song rolls in their original boxes and in
great condition.

I hope that you are able to help me find a caring home for it and
appreciate any advice that you may be able to lend on legitimate buyers
at a fair price.  I truly thank you in advance for your assistance and
I hope this finds you well.  Thank you for your time and please feel
free to forward this email to whomever it may interest.

Sincerely,
Hunter Wilson
huntedone@adelphia.net.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]