[CAUT] "antique" pianos?

[David Ilvedson]

That is a very old Steinway and may be of some value as an antique.   To find out a auction house would to evaluate it as an antique.   Wouldn't Steinway be interested in that piano?

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "John Minor" <jminor at illinois.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org
Received: 8/18/2008 11:31:38 AM
Subject: [CAUT] "antique" pianos?


>I had  an elderly private customer with an 1869 8' 5" Steinway with rosewood case 
>and serpentine legs, etc., in mediocre condition and not very playable. I appraised it 
>as a piano(around 10K) rather than an "antique" and she was surprised it was not 
>worth a lot more. I attempted to explain to her on the phone that pianos need to be 
>event older than that to have any "antique" value, or be a hard-to-find instrument. 

>Has anyone had this happen? How do you explain to the public that old pianos are 
>just that...old pianos?

>John Minor
>University of Illinois