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Thomson Lawrie Piano Technician - Complete Piano Service since 1979 905-536-0565 1-800-387-7215
Antique Pianos
My Piano is 100 years Old. Is it worth more because it is an antique?
If you have ever watched the Antiques Road Show you might start to wonder if
some of the old things that you have in your home might be worth more than you thought. Many people who learn that their
piano is more than 100 years old question if it is worth more because of its age. As a piano technician, I wish that that
were true. If old pianos were worth a lot of money then people would be a lot more willing to spend money on repairs and
maintenance. However, that is not the case.
An old piano is a lot like an old Victorian home. If the house has been upgraded throughout the years with new plumbing,
wiring, insulation, kitchen remodeling etc. then it may be worth a lot of money. If nothing has ever been done to update
the home then it might be cheaper just to knock it down and build a new home in it’s place. In a similar way, if an older
piano has had substantial restoration done to it, if it has new strings, hammers, action parts, refinishing etc. then it
may compare quite well to a high quality new piano. However, in that case, it isn’t the piano that is worth money but the
restoration that was done to it that gives it value.
What is “Antique Value”?
One of the things that makes an antique valuable is scarcity. You can’t make “new” 100 year old items so if they are
rare then they are worth more money. Generally speaking, old pianos aren’t rare. Most of us know someone who has and old
upright piano in their basement. A hundred years ago, pianos were so popular that the majority of Canadian and American
homes had pianos. Most of these pianos are still around.
Pianos are just too big and heavy to sit in a corner and look beautiful. We might be happy to display an old vase or
antique plate on a side table but a 600lb piano needs to be functional to be welcomed into most homes and restoration of
older pianos can often be as expensive as buying a new piano. The price of a new piano has come down quite a bit in the
last few years. There has been a virtual flood of inexpensive pianos coming to the North American market from China and
Indonesia. Having said all this, an older piano can be a joy to own. Many musicians would prefer an older rebuilt piano
to many new pianos. Still, is a piano worth more just because it is old? No, its almost always the other way around.
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