Need advice on C. Bechstein grand piano

[jscohen]

Hi,

I am looking for help with a C.Bechstein piano that belonged to my mother. It's a black B 176cm (5' 9") Grand piano. It was made in Berlin in the old factory in the mid 80s (1987?) before the company was bought out. It *may* have real ivory keys.

I would appreciate it if someone could give me some idea of what it's value is. I've looked around on the internet and can find essentially no modern C. Bechsteins for sale. (The only real dialogue about them I found on this site!)

I have found many appraisal companies that look like they are not very, uhhh, on the up and up. Any advice as to who to go to for an appraisal would also be welcome.

Everyone who has played this piano (including the tuner, it's tuned regularly) says it's  "special" with amazing sound. Unfortunately I did not inherit my mom's ear so I really can't appreciate it.

It's located in NYC.

Thank you for any help. Or even any attention.

James

[quantum]

I've played a C. Bechstein E.  What a sound!  Not in the best condition, but still it did shine.  It had a huge colour palette and was capable of ranging from a whisper to a thunderous clamor.  The sound really opened up in forte passages, not just loud but rich and complex. 

[wishful thinker]

James,

Nobody can value a piano as a sight unseen. The value depends on so much, not just make and year.  Imagine if someone said "I've got a four year old Ford, what's it worth"?

You say its tuned regularly.  Ask the tuner!  Not only will he know the piano, but he should know your local market as well.

Good luck 

[jscohen]

Thank you Wishful for your reply. However, even a car has a "ballpark" value. A 4 year old Ferrari will have a higher value than a 4 year old Kia, etc.

The tuner is no help in this case. He doesn't know the value nor has any good suggestions for selling it. (He suggested Craig's List! Do people really sell fine instruments on Craig's?).

Anyway, how does one sell a piano? So few are for sale on the internet I'm not sure whether there is no supply, or no demand.

James

[quantum]

Locate another piano tech in that case.  Perhaps one that rebuilds pianos has seen similar pianos would be able to give you a figure. 

I've seen some potentially good instruments on CL and Ebay, so people do list them in such places.

[jscohen]

Thank you Quantum,

But judging from the very few listings on eBay and Craig's of fine instruments, I'm somewhat doubtful that any are sold that way.

How are fine instruments like this sold? It seems as if I were to want to buy one, it would be hard to find a used one.

So is no one selling, or no one buying?

If I wanted to sell a, say, 1971 Boss 351 Mustang, there would be 100s of ways to do it. If I wanted to sell a 1985 Westfalia VW camper, it would be similar. And 1000s of potential buyers.

I have no experience in selling fine instruments, but clearly, it is a different process.

So, how do people here find and buy their fine pianos?

James

[richard black]

I would imagine a piano like that would be in the the $20,000 ballpark, VEEEEERY roughly. But like anything else second-hand, it's only worth what you can persuade someone else to pay for it! Because pianos answering to that description come up for sale so rarely, it's even harder to value, and so much depends on the details that make each piano unique.

[keys60]

Quantum is right. You really can't even ballpark sight unseen. Take a Steinway M. 23-35K totally restored. Around 55K new. Quite a difference. Unrestored in the past 20 years, maybe 12-15K. Still plays great, but that's the market drop. A piano tech would check the strings for rust, the pin block and pins for torque, without would be very unstable, cracks in the soundboard, condition and wear of the hammers, regulation, finish. There are appx. 5000 moving parts, every one of them adding or subtraction to the value.

If you want to try a ballpark figure, go to www.pianomart.com and see what's for sale.

As to how to sell, that is one way, for about 10% fee, or, since you are in Manhattan and there are so many dealers around, they could sell it for top dollar from their showroom on consignment for a usual fee of 25% of the selling price.

[jscohen]

Richard,

Thanks for the ballpark. But I see your point about these coming up so rarely for sale. Of course, for most items that lack supply should drive up the price. But pianos seem to be a different paradigm.

Keys 60,

Restored? Hmmm, would a piano need restoration if it essentially hasn't been played during it's 20 year life? I mean, just existing would necessitate restoration? Or is it like a car, it's condition is mostly determined by how much it is used and cared for?

Looking for a dealer for consignment sounds like a good idea.

Thank you!

James

[richard black]

Of course, for most items that lack supply should drive up the price.

Only if there's a great demand! I'd say demand and supply are pretty well balanced for quality pianos - there are not many for sale but there aren't many buyers, so things shift (perhaps a little slowly) and for prices that usually bear a sensible relation to the 'new' price.