Piano Investment: Tips For The Lesser Seen Venture

Stocks, shares, artworks, automobiles. These are the typical purchase choices of the wealthy investor. Yet one key to investment success could be to invest in something a little more musical. Grand pianos look beautiful, sound beautiful, and if you buy the right one, they can bring you a beautiful return on investment.

Good quality models from the most well-respected piano brands fetch a fortune on the auction block at the moment, with a restored 1901 Steinway grand recently selling for £12,000. But how do you make sure you buy a piano that will increase in value? And what do you have to do to keep it in good condition?

Choose the right investment-friendly grand piano

As with any antiques, vintage can be a huge factor in determining value. The age of that 1901 Steinway piano no doubt played a part in it selling for such a price. But not all old pianos are valuable. As Roberts Pianos owner Marcus Roberts told the BBC, the 1920s saw a wave of mass market piano manufacturing in which grand pianos were churned out in large numbers. “They were not made to last, they were made to sell,” Roberts said.

You may be investing in a piano primarily so you can sell it too, but the passage of time has not been kind to these pianos. Now, the only pianos that will sell are those that were built to last. If you see a 1920s-era grand piano with an affordable price tag, be careful to examine it thoroughly before you buy it. Roberts advises looking for cut corners, but for most first-time piano investors, these will not be obvious.

To help, the Antique Piano Shop has this to say, “The best way to get an accurate value for your antique piano or organ is to get it appraised.” A formal appraisal will determine the age and quality of the piano, and even its potential auction value.

Keep the piano in good condition

An investment damaged is an investment lost. To maintain its value, and ideally become more valuable, you have to take extra care to make sure it stays in perfect condition. This responsibility begins as soon as you make the purchase.

There are many factors to consider when transporting a piano. Professional piano movers advise that plastic covers and blankets should be used to keep all the moving interior parts of the piano in place and stop them from being scuffed or damaged during transit. Indeed, the process of moving a piano is so complex and involves so many special implements that Piano Auctions recommends using a professional moving company to save money, hassle, and to prevent damage.

Once your piano is safely in its new home, you have to make sure it is being kept in appropriate conditions. This is much more complicated than simply keeping it dry and making sure you don’t scratch it. As Thought Co advises in its article on Piano Health, everything from a room’s humidity and climate to the frequency you open and close the keylid can have an impact on the condition of a piano.

Consider getting an older piano restored

Keeping your perfect piano in good condition is one thing, but what should you do if you can’t find a vintage piano that hasn’t already been damaged? First, there’s no need to give up hope. The Steinway that fetched £12,000 earlier was a restored vintage piano. This means it had seen its fair share of wear and tear over the years, but that a professional piano restoration expert has brought it back to life.

Restoring vintage pianos is surprisingly effective, as the internal mechanics of a piano have not changed since the early 20th century. This means replacement parts are easily available. Piano restoration covers the inside and the outside of the instrument, fixing any external blemishes and mending any mechanical faults. Just as a restored vintage car will be worth more than a battered old one, a professionally restored piano can be worth far more than an untouched antique.