Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-15

- HE business OF renting pianos is the
.SITm most profitable one know Of" said
III dealer in that line very frankly yes
~ "And how does that happen9"
asked The STAR reporter.
"Well, in the first place, no really expensive
piano is ever rented; the risk would be too
great for one thing One could not afford to
intrust to stranger an instrument worth from
$500 to 81, 800, which is about the range for the
finest makes The pianos hired out are Of a
lower grade, worth from 1900 to $780,
'But what is the charger
Usually about 90 month"
''That is nearly 300 year. Pretty good in
terest, l should say, on a 1900 piano.
Decidedly SO; that is just the point of my
remark. don't know any other investment
that pays from 25 to 80 per cent per annum.
We have twenty pianos let all the time and you
can perceive that they must bring in some-
thing like $4,000 year."
HOW LONG A PIANO LASTS.
"What is the life Of piano."
Fifteen years, with fair usage. At the end
of that time the instrument is not apt to be
capable of further service; but in the mean
time we have cleared 81 900 or 100 on it. So
We are satisfied.
''Some people, though, probably give piano
very unfair usage?"
"Often that occurs. 1t is q source of loss to
us unayoidaby, but we can afford to endure it.
You see persons who rent pianos are not likely
to be 80 careful of them as if they their
own property. They let their children bang
upon them, and that is always very injurious.
The keys are so carefully pivoted that If they
are struck sideways instead OF perpendicularly
they are apt to be thrown out OF gear. An
active infant in this way and by
pounding can do good deal Of
hurt to piano IN comparatively short
time. And maybe the IS a month won't pay
for it. For the action which includes the KEYS
and all those complicated inside works which
make communication between the keys and
hammers. may be loosened. and then there is
nothing to do but to send the piano back to
the factory and have new action put in. which
costs from $40 to $50. People have other ways
besides this Of injuring an instrument"
COLD AIR IS BAD.
''Such as what, pray?'
"Why, they will subject the piano to extremes
of heat and cold. That is always destructive.
maid will throw open the windows of the over
heated paror and let the freezing air come in.
and no member of the family probably will
know any better than to do such thing
As a consequence the sounding board is warped
and cracked, the wires are rusted and other
damage done. 1t would be q great deal less
injurious if the domestic had poured several
pailsfui OF cold water into the instrument.
There is piano over in that corner which was
in house that caught fire, and afterward we
pumped IA gallons of water out of il. Yet, it
mas served very well ever since and has re-
tanned q remarkably good Tone Sometimes
the case OF the instrument Is married and
scratched, but that does not amount to so
much"
THE INsrALLMENr PLAN.
'Do people ever steal the pianos they rent
from you and run away with them?"
ut has never happened to us, though such
things are sometimes done. We have been
very lucky in that way. The people we have
more trouble with than with those to whom we
rent pianos are the buyers installments
Profit is ordinarily found in sell
| ing pianos that way, because neces.
| sarlly greater price il charged in
| such cases than il cash were paid. But often
| 1t happens that pianos purchased come back
on our hands after three or four months with g
loosened action and other damage done that
costs more to repair than we have received for
| the piano, the usual method being to pay
| something like SIS down and to give notes
| OF hand for SO each, falling due monthly
for the balance. 1t goes without saving
| that instalment customers often default in their
payments and then We simply grab the pianos
| People who purchase that way never seem to
be aware that in law an article so bought re.
mains the property of the seller until the las,
cent due has been paid. So, in order to have
that little fact thoroughly comprehended, we
| introduce II as part OF the contract which the
customer u obliged to sign before he gets the
instrument"