The Signature Newspaper – December 11, 2008

A 1957 toy piano in very poor condition has been revived by David and Annie Enke [of La Veta, Colorado]. The original piano belonged to a cousin of Ricky Tims who commissioned David and Annie to do the restoration. Toy pianos were very popular in the 50's. This particular piano was made by Jamar, one of two major toy piano companies from that era.

“Even as a child that old toy piano has always captivated me,” states Tims, “but it was not mine. A year or so ago I asked my cousin where it was, and we located it in her garage. The wood casing was falling apart, the metal tines were rusty and some of the plastic keys were broken. I claimed it as my own and vowed to have it restored.”

Not only did Tims want it restored, but he wanted it to become a serious performance instrument - and he wanted the new version to be red. "I could have purchased a new one for half of what I invested to have this one re-done, but it wouldn't have been the same."

“Every part of the toy piano needed repair. It was a real challenge, but a fun one,” remarked David Enke. “It’s now an instrument that can be taken seriously.”

Tims will be featuring the toy piano in his upcoming "Christmas in a Small Town" concerts next week at Tims Art Quilt Studio.