Man! Those are expensive hammers!
Ok, I get it, that's the auctioneer's hammer.. final price.. lol!
Most people around here who own them aren't serious piano players, for obvious reasons. Maybe they inherited the piano, or just liked the way they looked. There are some down in Old Town, which fit into the decor of the day. If they are used at all, it's only for recreating the atmosphere as it may have been in the late 19th century.
Paul McCloud
David Pinnegar:
The hammer prices of the Finchcocks Mathushek and Colt Steinway squares were £2400 and £2700 respectively.
25% is added to hammer prices as auctioneers' fees.
Best wishes
David P
Original Message:
Sent: 10/21/2020 1:22:00 PM
From: David Pinnegar
Subject: RE: Antique Square Grand Appraisal
The hammer prices of the Finchcocks Mathushek and Colt Steinway squares were £2400 and £2700 respectively.
25% is added to hammer prices as auctioneers' fees.
Best wishes
David P
Original Message:
Sent: 10/21/2020 12:52:00 PM
From: Jurgen Goering
Subject: RE: Antique Square Grand Appraisal
It's a tricky one with squares.
Brand name recognition like Steinway aside, pricing for squares seems to fall into two categories: thousands of dollars for fine furniture pieces, or free to $500. I have had several clients who cannot find a new home for their square. Just because a piano is 140 or 160 years old does not make it valuable in terms of dollars and cents. And as we all know, sentimental value or technical interest do not translate into dollars.
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Jurgen Goering
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2020 08:47
From: David Pinnegar
Subject: Antique Square Grand Appraisal
If the instrument is being valued for some estate taxes reason, then the value needs to be low.
If the instrument is being valued for insurance then it can be valued as you want it to be but I regard insurers as being more akin to bookmakers, and I don't go to Vegas.
There's a revival in USA
The iron frame squares were hideous to work on with different layers of strings and tuning pegs at the back.
Two were sold in living memory in the UK, the Steinway from the Colt Collection and a couple of years earlier and the Mathushek from the Finchcocks collection. Neither made fortunes at auction and
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Square-Grand-Piano-/321931880774 at $6000 doesn't seem greatly out of line.
Best wishes
David P
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David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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+44 1342 850594
Original Message:
Sent: 10/21/2020 6:28:00 AM
From: Jon Page
Subject: RE: Antique Square Grand Appraisal
Joe Garrett joegarrett@earthlink.net
Anne Acker a.acker@comcast.net
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Regards,
Jon Page
mailto:jonpage@comcast.net
http://www.pianocapecod.com
Original Message:
Sent: 10-20-2020 14:46
From: Barbara Campbell
Subject: Antique Square Grand Appraisal
Hello all,
I have a high end client in the Atlanta area who has a Charles M Stieff square grand that has had some rebuild/refinishing work done to it. They recently had a loved one pass on and the family would like an appraisal value for it to include with everything else valued with the estate.
Is there anyone in the community who could give a legitimate historical/antique value for this family? Or maybe a contact I can point them toward? The company I am a technician for will not appraise it because we don't consider it a modern instrument.
Thank you, kindly!
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Barbara Campbell
404-884-5136
barbara@pitchperfectpianos.com
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