Sell An Instrument
We often have clients approach us asking if we buy antique pianos and organs, or if we know the best place to list their antique instrument for sale. Our experience shows that the single most important factor in selling your antique instrument is marketing. If you have an instrument for sale, there is likely someone in the market somewhere to buy it. The key is finding that match between buyer and seller, and to establish what your instrument is really worth.
APPRAISING YOUR INSTRUMENT
Establishing the value of your antique instrument is the first important step in selling the piece. The most definitive way to establish a real and accurate value is to have an official appraisal. For a fee of $50.00, our experts will provide you with the written appraisal you need to establish an accurate value for your instrument. If you would like to have us appraise your instrument, please scroll down to the online form below and submit the requested information. You will also find a secure payment link there where you safely submit your credit card information for this service.
19th Century Piano Showroom
SELLING & MARKETING YOUR INSTRUMENT:
Our experience shows that the single most important factor in selling your antique instrument is marketing. If you have an instrument for sale, there is likely someone in the market somewhere to buy it. The key is finding that match between buyer and seller.
The biggest problem that most people seem to face is simply not knowing enough about their instrument to market it effectively and price it accurately. There is a great deal of criteria one has to consider when determining the value of an antique instrument such as age, brand name, condition, etc., and an evaluation by a professional is usually necessary.
WHAT IS MY INSTRUMENT WORTH?
It is important that sellers realize the real value difference between a restored instrument and an unrestored instrument. Sadly, we see original, unrestored antique instruments selling for only a fraction of their potential restored value.
We routinely see pianos & organs sell for only a few hundred dollars in original, unrestored condition when the same instrument would sell for thousands of dollars if properly restored.
Restoration is not cheap, but it is necessary to make any instrument worth top dollar. If your instrument was an antique automobile sitting on blocks, full of rust and ruining due to neglect, you wouldn't expect it to fetch a very high price. If you invested in having the automobile restored to make it a show car, you could then expect it to sell for a tidy sum - likely at a nice profit after your investment. Pianos and organs are the same way. Restored instruments sell for high dollars - original, unrestored instruments simply do not.
WHAT DOES 'RESTORED' REALLY MEAN?
The term "restored" refers to professional internal and professional external restoration and rebuilding, not just cabinet
Which One Is Daddy Going To Buy Me?
refinishing and internal cleaning, etc. Many people think that because grandma refinished their piano or organ in the garage 10 years ago that the instrument is "restored" and worth a fortune - not true. In fact, a non-professional refinishing job will usually reduce the value of an instrument, much like a poor quality paint job on an automobile. Like the antique automobile, piano/organ restoration includes professional rebuilding of the internal mechanisms as well as the cosmetics and finish.
Over the past decade, we have seen the value of antique pianos and organs nearly double all over the world. Much of the credit goes to education - folks are now able to go to the internet and learn about what they have, often encouraged to invest and preserve their instruments.
SELL YOUR PIANO OR ORGAN ON THIS WEBSITE!
Anyone can place their instrument in a classified ad online, but how do you know what you are selling? How does a buyer know what they are buying? Most people are clueless about an instrument's value, and they often end up giving them away without know what they really have. We often see valuable instruments sell on eBay and antique classified ads listed for nearly nothing - all because people don't know what they are really worth!
We offer a service where clients can send their instruments to us to be restored and sold for top dollar through our website.
Our website hosts thousands of visitors each week, giving an unmatched venue for marketing your instrument to a specialized target audience. You can view our online showroom at this link: http://www.antiquepianoshop.com/products/
The way this service works is this: A customer sends their piano or organ to our shop for restoration and pays their initial deposit which is equal to 50% of the restoration and shipping costs. We market the piano on our website for sale while the piano is undergoing restoration,
Victorian Piano Showroom
which could take several months to a year to complete. When a buyer is found, the restoration balance is paid from the sale proceeds. If a buyer is not found, the customer is responsible for the restoration balance. Note that while finding a buyer is likely, we cannot guarantee that a buyer will be found for your particular instrument. We will keep the instrument in our physical possession for up to 24 months until a buyer is found.
With our service, you become and educated seller and get the best price for your instrument. Our experts help you ascertain an accurate value for your instrument, and our online museum will give priceless information about your instrument's history and background. Rather than venturing a guess about whether or not an instrument is listed at a fair price, seeing what similar instruments have sold for in the real market gives much needed direction for both buyers and sellers alike.
While your instrument is posted on our website, our experts will act as a sales agent for your instrument. We will respond to inquiries about your instrument, and we will answer questions with knowledge and expertise necessary to accurately address the questions of the buyer.
WHAT DOES THIS SERVICE COST?
Once a sale is made, The Antique Piano Shop will charge 10% of the final sale price for our service, which is in addition to any costs involved with your instruments restoration.
SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION:
If you would like more information about receiving an appraisal and/or placing your instrument on our website for sale, please complete this online form by submitting your information as thoroughly as possible.
EMAIL US: If you have questions or need assistance with filling out the form below, please email us at info@antiquepianoshop.com