Piano appraisal   Article by OzPianoman         Update for March 2008

Piano History: Expert's handbook names some 12000 piano makes (might have missed a few, I reckon)
But it's still a wonderful book to own...Pierce Piano Atlas, 11th Edition
and would be a much treasured gift for any serious piano player !

Old pianos may be handed down from a relative, picked up dirt cheap at garage sales or purchased on a whim from some used furniture shop.
A new owner then considers its unique qualities, thinks about giving it a facelift, becomes somewhat curious about its origins and the piano history.   Searching the web they'll sometimes find our Piano Advisory.

Most likely, the nearest you'll come to finding any free information will be a web site listing 680 piano names with a date for when the company was established. And the other 11320 ?
Well... some piano manufacturers simply didn't keep production records.
Most did of course, but then much European piano documentation was lost or destroyed as a result of a war or two.

And maybe that's why it's not so easy to get details about your particular piano.
Perhaps in order to learn more, you'll need to pay someone for their time and trouble?
Many owners simply wish to know whether they should consider theirs inherently or potentially "valuable" - either as a musical instrument or as an antique - and worthy of restoration?
In such cases, I can only reply that although it may well be a fine and reasonable instrument - until seen, I have no way of providing any reliable answers.

OzPianoman says:

A number of web sites suggest that you can submit details and for a fee you'll receive a written Piano appraisal

Piano "experts" may well be familiar with various makes and models, but can you imagine the difficulty involved in judging "unsighted" any one of 12000 piano names?
Among these, many will have been subjected to adverse Atmospheric Conditions, Rough Handling, Neglect, or Vermin attacks (yes indeed - for we Mice the living conditions are most pleasant within this musical environment of yours. For our nests we use those lovely felt bits found in abundance, not to mention some excellent softwoody stuff, convenient for us to gnaw on, great for keeping our teeth nice and sharp!)

So clearly, online pricing methods are most likely vague and can have little bearing on a piano's true value.

Is it possible to appraise a piano without a personal inspection?

In general, there are few guidelines to aid in estimating a piano's value and an experienced piano technician's assessment of its worth will be based on many factors, including certain personal preferences.
Owners will sometimes assume their paino is worth a certain amount, perhaps having noticed similar models being offered by dealers, or privately advertised at high prices.
But in order to dispose of them many sellers are forced to accept trade prices and - as is often the case with cars, boats, etc - "asking" price is seldom what buyers PAY for used pianos.

Your old piano may be well constructed, well kept and seems to be working ok ... Its "quality" however, can't really be determined until examined by a piano specialist; And that usually means someone actively involved in regular sales of older models in your local marketplace. You'll get piano merchants to call around and make offers ? Most piano shop staff know that's a complete time waste and will politely decline; Unless you're willing to pay for it... So you're probably looking at paying an "independent" expert a $50-$70(?) fee for his a written opinion - not on what it's worth exactly, but how much you might get for it by Private Sale.

What is my piano worth? In performing a valuation we consider such things as:
1 The type of piano : 2 Its size : 3 The make or brand name : 4 Age of the piano : 5 General condition : 6 Its Playability : 7 Operation of the more than 4000 action components : 8 Tuning Pin tightness : 9 Condition of the Bridges : 10 The Keyboard - material used & appearance : 11 Clunks, Squeaks and Rattles : 12 Soundboard integrity : 13 String condition : 14 Musical tonality : 15 The instrument's potential for restoration : 16 ( and probably most important of all ) "how we FEEL" about this particular piano.

We also take into account current market conditions, prevailing economic influences and insight into buyer interest levels at any given time.

Whilst you may be reluctant to pay for a valuation, you'll no doubt appreciate the difficulty for sellers to obtain pertinent information by other means* unless you take Dealers piano prices (should they express interest in buying) as a guide to its "rock bottom" value.     (see footnote)

Piano stories / Happy endings ? Piano Tuning Tips? WAIT BRIEFLY... Want a Quality Grand piano? See & Hear music from the above? Selling? Got a Good piano? Ask me about piano tabs?

Best Piano Course ?               More piano advice and a Pianoman midi ...                            

Piano Servicing Information :-
How To Tune Your Own Piano   How To Repair Your Own Piano
How To Rebuild Your Own Piano   How To Refinish Your Own Piano

* Footnote:
Since first writing the above, I discovered this online appraisal service and Piano Classifieds option which you may find helpful...



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