[ Ref. Bruce Grimes' article in 081224 MMDigest ]

Wow, If that had been my piano, I'd have made a _huge_ stink and
get the media involved (anything to get action before dealing with
a lawyer).  This whole thing is going way beyond "common" sense and
any real protection for endangered species.  If Customs had a problem
with the piano, they should have impounded it and contacted the
recipient, not take punitive action on their own.  Self-righteous
bureaucrats gone amok.

I have a complete set of unfinished ivories that I bought from Tuner's
Supply Co. back in 1975 or '76 to use on a player restoration I was
doing.  After trying gluing down one key, I decided it was just too
much work and put plastic ivories on the piano.  So here I am with this
set of ivories that someone could use to restore a piano, but I guess
I can't do anything with them.  The crazy thing is, not all "ivory" is
ivory, and not all of it comes from illegal or even endangered sources,
but it's like asbestos -- no touchy, no matter what scientific research
shows, nor what variables are involved.

David Dewey