P & G Investments -- Columbia, MO USA

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Brokers of Investment Grade Vintage Pianofortes

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 What type of buyer R U?

Type 1 - "Lookers who have no money and can't afford right now" the item at which they are looking. At the same time these folks are looking, they are perhaps dreaming of the day when they can afford the item, but for now, just can't swing it. Hopefully, these folks are going to be upwardly mobile later, and will be able to afford the item in the future, but they don't buy right now. Been there, done that! Gee, Whiz, mebbe I will book a room on the RMS Titanic Some Day! Meanwhile I will watch the news on the Maiden Voyage to NYC!

Type 2 - "Lookers who have no money and can't afford the item at which they are looking, and never will have the money" for the item. There is generally very limited upward mobility potential. They are not able to buy because the item will probably always be outside of their financial means. I have felt like this more than once in my life. These folks couldn't afford to book passage on the RMS Titanic, and never thought about it again. Ehhh... these folks missed the news headline about big ice and 300' gashes below the waterline!

Type 3 - "Lookers who are shyly, mildly, moderately, or enthusiastically looking." They research, comparatively shop, ask questions (sometimes repeated questions), make repeated trips to the piano store, and eventually buy something that fills a need. Nine out of ten times these people make a purchase by using OPM (other people's money) since they have effective borrowing power at a lender. These folks could just as easily be driving a Chevrolet station wagon or a Mercedes Benz. Many times you really don't know who they are until they get the checkbook out of the overalls pocket. Many times they don't wear silk suits or designer dresses. It's nice being here, isn't it? Actually these folks could afford to book passage on the RMS Titanic, but thought the prices somewhat steep. They booked passage on the RMS Carpathia, instead, which by the way went through the same ice field in the North Atlantic in April 1912. They did arrive late in NYC Harbor from their passage, however, their Steinway in the hold didn't get waterlogged!

Type 4 - "Professional Lookers." These folks also go to all the Realtor open houses on Sunday afternoon and are real students of the market. These people can find every flaw, blemish, and excess furniture polish on the instrument. They also find fault with the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican. They never buy, because it takes the "joy of looking" out of their life. I've done some of this, too! These folks never buy any gold or silver either, because it is either too cheap or too expensive! They will still be professionals when the paper money system collapses, and then ask why? They generally don't know how to make a decision because they always listen to someone else thinking for them. They waste my time and theirs. They love to play musical chairs on the RMS Titanic... these folks also follow every FED RE$ERVE FOMC meeting and believe they understand FED$PEAK GREENSPAN-EASE! We suspect most of 'em have 125% or better home-equity loans on top of their mortgages, so they are all maxed out on credit anyway!

Type 5 - "Perfectionist Lookers."These folks live under a guiding light bordering on religion which is a belief that the world and everything in it is perfect. I want an ornate case, a certain model, a certain manufacture date, a certain special Siberian mahogany, a certain bright tone, a certain dark tone, a warm fuzzy tone, a certain hard tone, a certain price... et cetera...et cetera... et cetera. They may be penniless or the son of Rockefeller. Who cares! When the list of "I want's" is greater than the length of the Declaration of Independence, these folks wouldn't know the right piano for them if it fell out of the sky on top of them. They never buy, because either they can't make up their mind, or no instrument is perfect enough. I'm always a little afraid of being here, because, what happens if I actually stumble on what I say I want? These are also the kind of folks that believe if the gash in the hull of the RMS Titanic was only 250' long, instead of 300,' the RMS Titanic would still be afloat at Disneyland!

Type 6 - "Internet Cruiser" --  this is a new type I have recently discovered....this is the Kool Daddy-O who uses the Internet to find the "best deals" on CDs, Books, Travel, Cars, Yachts, Battleships, Aircraft Carriers, Foreign Countries, learning German Guaranteed in one week (Latin and Greek in only 2 weeks), and probably most of all...buys all of his computer equipment on the Internet. He has a "herd oriented" mentality based on the current broad spectrum of how many business folks currently do business on the Internet. This is the business mentality or mindset that "volume is king" to making profits. "Internet Cruiser" is this Kool Daddy-O Kat who loves Web Auctions, and usually is the first with the low bid, and the last one to bid one second before the auction closes. If he can't get a $100 item for $4.99, he will go elsewhere and buy it because everyone on the Internet needs "his" $4.99 to stay in business...

"Cruiser" generally does not understand the word "service" in any language....but demands both lowest price and "service" when he spends $4.99...for a $100 item. These "Cruisers" are generally a pain in the arse, and wouldn't know a bad piano from a mediocre piano to a great piano...because they want it for $4.99... Smart new piano retailers generally try to show the Cruisers the low quality Asian pianos with the shiny finish. The Cruiser generally isn't smart enough to know a decent new Steinway from a fine vintage restored Steinway....Cruiser tries to get the new Steinway retailer to sell the $50,000+- Model B for $30,000... and then hops over to the vintage store to place a $18,500 offer on a $30,000+- restored instrument... Yep, Cruiser is a real pain in the arse...  These folks are the type that think Captain Smith on the RMS Titanic actually is the CEO of the Lollipop Guild in MunchkinLand in the Wizard of Oz! They move so fast that they don't think! -- never connecting all the dots. These are also the kind of folks that if they found two identical two of a kind Steinway art cases -- one from NYC and one from Hamburg, Germany -- they still couldn't decide to buy anything, because it wasn't perfect enough. These folks are just plumb dumb assed crazy in the head! Nothing will ever please 'em, and I don't try to!

Therefore, in my analysis, Type 3 persons are the usual "piano" buyer with effective purchasing power to buy just about anything they can afford. These persons when looking at new instruments have a nationwide series of dealers with both domestic and foreign makes to satisfy their need. Although some models in larger grands may be limited, there is usually a more than adequate of supply of new instruments. Usually if they are interested in a vintage instrument, the instrument either falls in their lap or they go on a nationwide search. Usually, the instrument falls in their lap. Sometimes the instrument falls on them and they don't even know it. Very few search the internet or go an a nationwide search... it probably doesn't occur to them.

Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 buyers also cannot be told apart unless you really get to know them well. Type 4 and Type 5 are usually fairly obvious after a couple of conversations with them, if one doesn't catch on the first time. No, there is no rhyme or reason as to which type is classified as to which buyer type number. I just made this up based on my observations...and knowing myself...as I can be, and have been all 5 Types myself... Honesty? Sure!

Bear, what about Type 6? Well, usually, if you use Bear's Horse, Water, Trough Philosophy on them they will either run off to chase another horse... or eventually get thirsty... after he realizes most folks don't care two Hoots about his $4.99... When the marketing mentality of the Internet changes... perhaps so will "Cruiser"...

Buying Vintage Gets the Gold, Folks! 

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