Hello again,  Perhaps I should reiterate a bit of the news about
musical instruments which contain ivory so that people don't get too
extreme in their concerns.

There is no restriction on the possession of a piano that has ivory
keys.  The DEC [New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation]
is not going to come into your home and chop up all your pianos.
You can own all the pianos and piano keys you want.  And you can move
them around all you want for non-commercial purposes.

But -- if you want to sell, offer for sale, purchase, trade, barter
or distribution it in any way[*], including on-line, you have to obtain
a permit from the DEC, which is free.  That does mean that the owner of
a store or shop that offers pianos for sale must have a permit for each
piano.  If you don't have a permit, they can arrest you and there is a
hefty fine.  If the value is high enough, it is a felony and there is a
possibility of jail time.

Here are the exceptions:

- If the ivory article or rhinoceros horn comprises less than 20
percent of an antique that is at least 100 years old;

- If the distribution or change in possession is for educational or
scientific purposes, or to a museum chartered by the board of regents,
or by special charter from the New York State Legislature;

- If the distribution is to a legal beneficiary, heir or distributee of
an estate;

- If the article is a musical instrument that contains ivory or horn
and was manufactured no later than 1975.

You can see that the last item addresses pianos and similar items.
You can also see that this last item specifically requires you to have
a permit.  The big deal is getting that permit -- without it you are in
violation.

Regards,
Craig Smith
Western New York State

[*] I'm told that 'distribution' includes giving it away and
putting it into the trash.  Check the web site for more details:
  http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/ivoryfaqs.pdf