[CAUT] "antique" pianos?

[Fred Sturm]

	You might also consult Ken Eschete.
	I don't know how to get at "antique value" for pianos. It certainly  
seems that there ought to be some degree of antique value at some  
point, but where can we get a handle on it? (Looking at the kind of  
old "junk" people purchase and show off in their homes, alongside  
finely executed old furniture, makes it clear that there is demand for  
the old and well made, and old pianos certainly fill that bill). I  
have always tended to appraise pianos "as a musical instrument," and  
told customers that antique value if any is outside my expertise.
	Monetary value is a function of market and demand - willingness to  
pay. How do we get at that? Are there antique folks who would have a  
handle on the sales of old pianos?
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On Aug 18, 2008, at 2:57 PM, Greg Granoff wrote:

> I strongly second Alan's remarks--this is something you should  
> definitely
> talk to Bill Schull about.  He gave a fascinating, very eye-opening  
> talk on
> this subject at Dale Erwin's shop recently, and has a lot to say on  
> the
> subject.  And no, Steinway would not be interested (go figure!) in  
> this
> piano except as something perhaps to update to "modern" standards in  
> their
> restoration shop.  Bill is exploring--blazing a trail is more like  
> it-- on
> the whole issue of obsolete vs modern design and the business of  
> conserving
> vs restoration or "modernizing" and what this means for a dwindling  
> stock of
> examples of original instruments from this period.
>
> Greg Granoff  RPT
> Humboldt State University
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf  
> Of David
> Ilvedson
> Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 1:34 PM
> To: jminor at illinois.edu; caut at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] "antique" pianos?
>
> 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
>