player piano - what do I do with it?

[djorgen]

I have a Beckwith player piano and hope folks will help me figure out what to do with it.

It is marked 1926 by hand.  I had it looked at by a couple of local fellows that work as a team.  One has experience specifically with player pianos.  They seem quite honest.

What they said, to the best of my memory: It was restored by who-knows-who or a person they do not have a lot of faith in (was done for a relative ~10+ years ago).  The baffles and several visible components are rubberized.  The wood refinishing job was not that good, but it looks good to me.  Underneath there are reasons to worry about the restoration quality - visible duct tape.  It needs a day of work to know more ($200).  They said if it was a family heirloom it is restorable, but I am looking to sell it.  I'd rather it not be junked, but I don't want to throw good money after bad.  Should I go the next level?  Where would I sell it?  Thanks.

[Bob]

Sell it as it is now and get rid of it.  Don't sink any money into it.  Although I imagine you might have a hard time getting rid of it too.

[indianajo]

If you have a lot of piano rolls and play it a lot, the investment might be worth it.  If you turn it on occasionally at parties, just having it function is adequate.  I wouldn't worry about duct tape as a sealant of low pressure high volume air. That is what it is designed for.  Rubberized fabric as a sealant glued over wire clamps is a bit over rated. It had a life of about 15 years in my 1959 ford defroster duct.  The other 35 years have been sealed by duct tape.   Duct tape is a non-trademarked product, and what I bought at the discount store a decade ago is ****.  If the duct tape was bought at a heating and air conditioning supply house, it should be professional grade and good for a number of years.   
I would worry most about dished hammer, wiggly hammer shafts,  mouse eaten leather straps, or cracked soundboard.  Lacking those, the piano should be tuneable and play on. Any non-playing automatic notes may need cleaning of the works.   Failing these, leave it for the next owner to get done.
As far as wood finish, beauty matters to the eye unless you are at an antiques auction. There are still enough of these around, that making a killing at the antique auction is a fantasy.
And a Beckwith may be  worth keeping as a playing instrument, even if you never play a roll and only use your hands.  Scott Joplin and Fats Waller should be played exclusively on this era of instrument. They sound too high class on a grand.  
Oh, for a tip, on the Louisville Ky Craigslist.org, there has been somebody trying to sell off 200 piano rolls.  Here in the states a lot of useful but not professional instruments are sold on craigslist.  I'm not so sure about Europe, a card held up at a "boot" sale may do better.  There was a guy in the UK looking for a practice piano. This might be the ticket for him.  A card on the board at the nearby music college may do good, also.  

[djorgen]

Thanks for the replies.  I will consider them carefully, but I am still conflicted.  My understanding is that if it was completely un-restored that it would not be worth doing much with.  However, presumably the leather has been replaced and at least some other work was done - it did play 10 years ago.  Since it may actually play with $200 cleanup job I was hoping it was worth something and could be saved from being scrapped. 

Around Ithaca NY craigslist has no shortage of player pianos, but my impression is that they need restoration or at least have not given details on the restoration.  It is also hard to glean from craigslist what folks actually agree to sell their working piano for.  Could anyone who has bought or sold a working player piano that hasn't gone through recent & expensive restoration tell me what the settled upon price was?