Three years ago the Randolph Herr estate [Randy's brother, Michael 
Herr] called me about his nine-foot Steinway ex-Duo-Art piano.  I had 
no clue as to its condition at the time and made a offer to buy the 
piano.  As time passed the brother decided it was worth fifty thousand 
which was double my offer.

More time passed and I saw the piano offered for sale on the Internet.
We reconnected so I had photos sent.  I could not determine the
condition of the piano but was told it had a new soundboard and strings,
etc.  We made a deal, as his price had come down, and I was getting the
so-called "Green Piano" and one other Duo-Art in the basement.

I had paid a piano tuner to look at the nine foot piano but not the
others.  It did have new strings but not a new soundboard.  I paid 
a moving crew to pick up the pianos only to have them refuse as the
pianos were in pieces.  So I didn't complete the deal.

A month ago Herr called my partner and tried to sell him every piano 
in the house for five thousand dollars.   I said okay but first I am
going to have a player guy look at the pianos.  Everything was still
in pieces so I passed on this deal.  The house has since been sold and
as far as I know the pianos were headed to the dump.

It is a shame to see this but if the owner had paid a tuner that knew
Randolph to at least put the parts with the pianos then he could have
sold them.  I have about a thousand dollars invested in movers and
tuners.  It's a shame to see this happen to what I think ended up being
five Steinway player grands and three Steinway upright players.

The moral of story is don't leave someone a bunch of pianos all in
pieces, and if you do then leave a note telling them they are worth
nothing until they are put back together.

Don Teach
Shreveport, Louisiana

 [ MMD articles about Randolph Herr are indexed at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/archives/KWIC/H/herr.html
 [ -- Robbie