Looking at the piano ads on Craigslist, I am very much aware that most people do not know a thing about the instrument… people believe that since the piano they are trying to sell is very old then it must be worth a lot of money and that is just not the case. Sadly most big old uprights from around 1880 to 1930 are just that, they are old pianos. These old pianos were of very high quality when they were made… 100 years ago but over that length of time if work has not been done, parts start to break down, hammers ware, felts and leather begin to deteriorate, strings rust, the tuning pins can lose their grip on the wood, soundboards and bridges can develop cracks, etc. The piano is in need of a serious rebuilding job at this point. A piano of this age is worth $100-500 unless the instrument has been very well taken care of. I have seen some posts on Craigslist asking $1500 for these pianos, and they are just not worth that kind of money without a rebuild. Not to mention that many people just say “Piano” in the listing and that does not tell the buyer a thing about what they are getting!
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