Antique Upright Pianos. Do they have any Value? What are they worth?

Published 2/28/2020
Read time about 3 minutes.

Vernacular - Antique Upright Piano - Full-size Upright - Upright Grand - Cabinet Grand
Primary Production - later 1800s to mid 1940s.

Are Antique Upright Pianos Worth Anything?

This is a bit of a loaded question, and there are multiple answers / schools of thought. Like most of my blog posts, this is an opinion piece based on my experiences in the industry. There are piano stores and technicians that adore these older instruments, and others that have a less glossy view of them. I think I land somewhere in the middle... In the early to mid part of the 20th century, the piano was a staple in homes all across the country. It was an instrument as well as a social piece, and a main source of home entertainment. During this period in America, hundreds of thousands of pianos of all varieties were produced. One of the most popular being the upright piano. There were hundreds of manufacturers throughout the decades. Some produced pianos of extraordinarily high quality with ornate elaborate cabinets, and others that specialized in more modestly produced pianos to accommodate the beginning player. As the American home started getting smaller, so did the piano. By the mid 1930s, upright pianos began to shift into dramatically smaller sizes, and by the 1940s with a few very rare exceptions the large “full-size” upright piano was out of production. The newly introduced smaller pianos (spinets, consoles and studios) were less expensive to produce, and were priced much lower than the large upright pianos that came before them. As piano technology improved throughout the years many studio upright pianos began to outperform their full-size predecessors. Even though these massive antique upright pianos had been phased out by manufacturers and the design was now outdated, many of the original owners opted to keep these pianos vs upgrading them. At the time of the original purchase, they were a substantial investment for most, and for decades, many of the pianos continued to play well and projected a nice, full tone. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it right? For decades, many of these pianos sat right where they were delivered when new. Today, there are likely still HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of these pianos scattered across the country. With the newest of them being produced over 70-80 years ago, it’s a very rare instance to find one that isn’t in need of extensive restoration work. Unfortunately, unlike a violin or a guitar, pianos do not get better with age. Through the years the internal moving parts of a piano will wear, felts become harder causing friction that will make the piano feel heavier or more sluggish at the keyboard, the keys themselves develop squeaks and clunks, and the strings lose their tonal integrity. The piano may still function, but it’s likely a shell of its former ability. Many of the manufacturers of these old upright pianos are now long forgotten. Several of them went out of business during the great depression, and the ones that managed to make it through that era closed towards the 1970s when America experienced both a decline in piano players as well as strong competition from foregin manufacturers coming into the US market. Overwhelmingly, these are not sought after pianos for the general piano player / buyer, but there are a few brands to keep an eye out for that might have at least some value. Steinway & Sons, Mason & Hamlin, Baldwin and Knabe pianos are known to have produced some of the best built full-size uprights of the era.

Is the old antique upright you found at an estate sale for $300 something you can flip into thousands of dollars?

Probably not.

Are they cool?

Yes, definitely. Many have beautiful ornate cabinets and interesting early design attributes not seen today. Many carry an interesting provenance and family history.

Are they rare treasures that should be preserved?

Well… some specific models may be rare in the sense that there weren’t many produced to begin with, but overwhelmingly they are not rare. I would estimate (and please comment here if you have another view), that there are still hundreds of thousands of antique full-size upright pianos out there. I think most in the piano industry would agree that by very rare exception, there are virtually no stradivarius like full-size uprights out there of priceless monetary value.

Is there money to be made by restoring and reselling an antique full-size upright?

This part is very subjective, but in my opinion, “not really”. To do a proper restoration on an old full-size upright will cost in excess of $15,000 or so. This budget should get you a refinished cabinet, repaired (not replaced) soundboard and bridge, new strings and tuning pins, new action components, and key bushings. It may be a very cool piece after all is said and done, but the $15,000 - $20,000 full-size upright piano buyer is extremely rare. The real value in restoring one of these instruments would be if the owner has history or connection with the piece and would like the piano restored for their enjoyment without the intention of recouping their investment or reselling.

Is it a travesty to dispose of an old antique upright?

Throwing away any piano may feel a little off. Many of these instruments were built from materials and veneers that are much harder to come by these days. I would suggest calling around to a few local piano dealers just to do your due diligence, and to make sure that this author isn’t totally full of rubbish, but in all likelihood you’re probably not destroying aRembrandt or early Martin D-45. Call around… load it up… say a few words… lay it to rest. I hope this has been a somewhat enlightening view of these pianos through the lense of a piano retailer and technician. If you have any questions in the realm of whether the full-size upright piano you have is worth saving or not, feel free to shoot me an email with some photos. I’d be happy to give you some insight. Thanks for reading.

---

I hope this article will help shed some light in the process of buying a piano on ebay and whether or not the option is right for you. I wish you the best of luck with your search! I love talking about pianos, and would be happy to answer any questions you might have about your sale. Feel free to drop me an email or connect with me on Linkedin if you have any questions.
- Aaron Firpo
Owner,
Aaron Buys Pianos
Aaron@AaronBuysPianos.com
206-659-6072

---