HELP ME

[chriss0104]

I recently recieved a piano from a friend who didn't want it, and i just want to know how much it is worth. i have no intention of selling it, i'm just curious. it is a Stienway and Sons upright piano, made in 1876. yes, 1876. i contacted Steinway and Sons, but thay said they needed to send out someone to appraise it, and i don't want to pay for that. it is in excellent condition, it is in-tune, and only one key doesn't work. does anyone know a ballpark guess on how much it is worth?

[pianisten1989]

I'm sorry, but I think you have to pay for someone to come and look at it. Hopefully, you can fix the key that doesn't work, but there are much more than that. It's all the mechanic and stuff as well. So it's, for me who isn't very much into the actual instrument, impossible to say anything from your description.

[keys60]

Saying it is in excellent shape doesn't cut it. Has it been rebuilt or restored and if so when? Don't sweat the one key that doesn't work. It can be fixed. Could be a broken action part, out of adjustment or just stuck. Either get it appraised or just fix it and enjoy it.

[silverwoodpianos]

The best help you can receive is from the technician you hire locally to tune and inspect this one after the move.

It may look like it is in excellent condition; inside there are 10,000 moving parts. What kind of condition are those parts in? That is the question you require an answer to before determining financial value, if any at all. Instruments of this age usually carry little in the way of financial value; they have other types of value; playability or sentimental….sometimes even historical if someone of note owned the piece.

[john90]

I completely agree with everyone else in what they have said. Having said that, pianos are all about entertainment. And you are asking for guesses. My guess would be $2000 with the note fixed.

New they probably cost about $20,000. In general, the older they are the less they are worth. At auctions Steinway uprights of that age typically fetch from $1000 and up. $2m being the record, for John Lennon's 1970 model. how famous was your firend? 

[keys60]

This really can't help much but just to show you this one, pretty much just for fun.

https://www.sonnyspianotv.com/gal_piano.php?id=34

ca.1909 52" Steinway upright was asking 4400. before sold. Notice how nice it looks. New hammers and shanks, had to be restrung at some point in its life. But its described as the original parts lasting indefinitely because "they just don't make them like this anymore". BULL! Wood, felt and metal all deteriorate and it doesn't take 100 years to do so.

Sure it plays, and could be fun to do so, but had that been a proper and total rebuild, it would be a lot better. I've seen them going for around this price to over 20K for a total restoration. ALL new action parts, soundboard, trap work, refinish every metal part, pinblock, strings, wippens (sic), finish. The works.
So, once again, have it appraised. It could be a decent investment or a nice keepsake. After all, "they just don't make them like that anymore".  

[richard black]

It's worth almost nothing. An upright piano of that age may be basically playable but is likely to need extensive rebuilding to be of much use to a serious player. Bearing in mind what a large upright piano costs even to have moved, the financial value is limited at best. Artistic value, now that's another thing, ditto sentimental.

[ignaz]

Hello, have the piano checked like other have posted. Below are the areas to look at and have a qualified tech look at.
1. The cast iron plate if it has cracks or is cracked the piano will never be a piano. It will not hold the tension of all the strings.
2. Pin Block. On that year the pin block should be exposed and not covered by the cast iron plate.  The pins should be able to hold a tuneing.  If not expect a big expense to fix that.
3. The action in an older upright may be all dried out and in need of replacement or if your lucky just regulated. This is also expensive.
4. A cracked soundboard is not that bad of an issue if it has that issue,  as long as there is no buzzing when you play.  if you play the piano in the octave above middle c and it sounds duller than the rest of the piano expect the soundboard to have lost its crown. 
The value is really based on your geographic area. Higher prices in some cities due to demand.
The tech will give you a ballpark figure. Hope that helps.

[john90]

It's worth almost nothing.

From your description, I think you will get at least $1000 for it, simply because of the Steinway name, however bad the inspection goes, even if the inspection says it is not worth fixing. It is going to be much better to learn on than a digital in my view, again given your description.

If you are not going to fix it yourself, call a tech out for a tuning as suggested above, it will need one after the move.

[chomikchomik]

$10000000000 IMHO.