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Your piano is an old upright. What they are worth can vary greatly. Most people do not want old uprights. They are hard to move around and take up a lot of space both vertically and horizontally. I have seen them garages as well as on front porches. This is too bad, as they can be wonderful instruments. Because they are not that desirable, they are given away, thrown away and also sold for anywhere from $25.00 to $125.00 around where I live. For your piano to have a lot of value, then it would have to have had a lot of refurbishing done to it. The felts wear out. Strings (wires) generally lose there tensile strength after about 25 years. That's not to say that the strings can't sound good after 25 years, but they will not sound the best that they can.
The sound of them can be great! And, comparable to that of a small grand piano. I try to save old uprights from the dump pile whenever I can. For instance, I am currently repairing, tuning and doing a bunch of other things on an old upright around where I live for a couple in Chicago, IL. They are paying me over $600.00 for what I am doing. Are they ever going to be able to sell it for the money that they are putting into it. No. Are they getting an instrument that will sound good and last for many more decades? Yes.
Another customer of mine who is located about 200 miles from where I live, is paying me over $3,000 to do many things to an old upright that belonged to his grandmother. Would he ever be able to sell his piano for what he is putting into it as far as the restoration? No. But, the piano is worth a lot to him because of the intrinsic value that it has - it belonged to his grandmother and is also a family heirloom.
I am wondering how you know that your piano is dated to 1898. Some of the online dating services for pianos can be incorrect. Did you get the year off of the plate? If so, then that is not the year of manufacture. As Fr_Chuck has posted, "Link to serial numbers to verify age..." He is correct about needing to know the serial number in order to ascertain the age of the instrument.
I am also wondering what you mean by it being in "perfect condition." If it is over 100 years old, then to be in perfect condition, it would have needed to have at least new hammers put on it as well as having all of the felts under the keys replaced; be tunable to standard pitch and been tuned on a regular basis, preferably twice a year and no less than once a year and also the finish on it must be in perfect condition as well - with no wrinkles, checking or other imperfections. Also, all of the buttons on sections of the wood that "bump" into other sections of wood should all be in great shape. Are the keytops also in perfect shape? Does it have the original bench? This can also add to the value.
If your piano has some "gingerbread" type designs on it, that can add to its value. If it were to be a player piano of that vintage and in perfect condition, then it would certainly have more value than a regular piano.
I have tuned and serviced Adam Schaaf upright pianos. At one time, there were literally hundreds of different piano manufacturers.
It really is impossible for someone to ascertain the value of your piano without really looking at it.
About 7-8 years ago, I paid someone to tune a piano for a small church and asked if he would fix one key on my piano that had a slight pinging sound. He was the one that told me the age and it could have been a general guess, but he did check the plate. My piano was refurbished in 1968 when I purchased it. All new keys, felts, etc. The one thing that I wish they had not done was to cut down one-half of the top for about 8" and put a mirror there, but everything else is in perfect shape. I do not have the original piano stool. I'm not sure just what you mean by gingerbread, but there is decorative molding. The finish is wonderful, no mars, scratches, etc. I have only moved it twice in all these years and it remains at the same temperature year round AND I do not allow kids to bang on it. The reason I asked for information is that I have been unable to find out anything on it or even where it was manufactured. I did not think to ask the tuner when he came. He was amazed at the condition and that all keys were in perfect pitch except for the one key. You are so right that money spent cannot be recouped if you sell a family item - but it is worth every penny to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to ask me questions, you really care about old pianos.
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