I can certainly understand the allure of a beautiful wood finish -- after all, patterns and colors play a role in pretty much every piece of furniture I have ever bought. I bought a black piano myself. As much as I'd like to think that I bought my own piano based solely on its sound and touch, the reality is that I might very well have picked another piano if mine were to have come in, say, some really ugly bright magenta with criss-crossing bright green stripes!
I agree with you that pianos will depreciate much slower than automobiles. Whether the
majority of Steinway pianos actually depreciate slower than pianos of other brands, I came across a few interesting debates on that subject without reaching a firm conclusion. (Certainly there are historical Steinways and exceptional Art Cases that auctioned for $millions... but those are very rare, and the
majority of Steinways that were built and sold would follow a very different depreciation curve.)
My impression is that for most pianos, the ones that depreciates less for their owners are the ones bought used -- because the first-hand owners have taken the largest depreciation hit. (Even used Steinway D's coming off the C&A fleet would be quite a bit cheaper than brand new Model D.) Otherwise, as with pretty much any consumer item -- once you buy, it depreciates.
So my personal philosophy is to not mind the dollar value depreciation curve all that much, but concentrate on extracting joy and musical utility from my piano. Given a set price that I have already paid for my piano, for me, the "return on investment" would be measured by how much joy/utility I extract from my piano over the years rather than how much I (or the one who would be inheriting it from me) would be selling it for in the future. (This works for me because I have a piano that I'm quite happy with with no plan to sell it in the foreseeable future. But I'll admit that if one were to buy an interim piano with intention to resell it later, then resale value becomes a real concern.) Unless one actually sells it in the future, the "appreciated/retained value" of the piano would be
"like the sound of a tree falling in the forest - with no one there to hear it!" )
Sorry to go off a rant like this. There is certainly joy in admiring a beautifully crafted, beautifully finished piano in and by itself. So I have nothing against owning a beautiful-looking piano, just like owning other visual art works. I hope you will love and enjoy your piano, in your own ways, with which ever piano you end up buying. Good luck!
Topic: Steinway L Ebony vs. Satinwood