I am courious if anyone would have any idea what an 1890-1900 W.E. Wheeler & Co. piano,serial #11 would be worth? It is in pretty good shape considereing the age.
Thanks

Hi, Freda1962!

Does it sound fairly decent when it is played? Has it been tuned on a regular basis, like say once or twice a year? Is this an upright or grand piano or maybe even a player piano? Are you sure that it's as old as it is? You did mention it being 1890-1900, so I'm not quite sure what you mean by that since that's a range and not a certain year.

Depending on a lot of things, your piano could be worth a number of thousands of dollars to maybe not much at all. It all depends.

There are a lot of questions that I would need answers to before I could really help you. I have been a piano tuner/technician since 1974. I frequently get calls to evaluate and price pianos.

Personally, I own three grand pianos. Two of them are in my living room. One of them is an 1885 Everett, with Japanese lions in relief on the sides. Another one is a 1906 Chickering grand. And also, there is yet another grand on it's side in my garage, but it's not a keeper.

Hopefully, maybe we will be online here at the same time sometime so that we could discuss this "live." In the meantime, you might want to have a look at a couple of links on this site where I have answered questions concerning pianos. Some of the questions that I would have for you, might already be answered on the links.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/collectibles/1931-francis-bacon-baby-grand-piano-141483.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/music/pitfalls-avoid-when-buying-used-piano-129381.html

Gm , well as far as sound not sure they said the last time it was tuned was in 97 but not been played since. And as far as age that's what the people told me, sonot sure of an exact age. I did send a pic of it to my sister she knows a bit about pianos and she also said she was not sure it was that old. Not sure how th sellers get this range of age. And it is an upright piano... I do have a pic and all of the piano and the receipt from an apprasier estimating the piano worth $2000.00. So not sure don't know much about pianos.I do have pic that I can email if needed. I am not looking to make money off it or anything it is just very pretty always wanted a piano since I was a child...
Thanks,
Freda

If it is an old upright as I am suspecting, then an appraisal of $2,000.00 would be really high unless it is a player piano. Also, if it hasn't been tuned or played since 1997, then that is too long for a piano to go without being tuned or played.

I hope that you have the piano in a secure place in your home. I.e. away from outside walls and doors as well as heat registers. Being near a heat register can destroy a piano.

If you can post some images of it here, that would be helpful.

Yes it is an upright piano... Yea, I also thought $2000.00 was quite abit. I am going to try to post these pics of it... Thanks..!. Nope can't add the pics Clough, I can email them to you if you would like.
Freda

I am online now. Why can't you post the pics here?

Hi there, I have the pics on email and don't know how to post them on here... maybe you can walk me through it.

Yes, I can help you. But, I'm going to need to leave for a short while in order to take care of something that needs to be taken care of before midnight outside of my home. Are you going to be up for awhile? And if so, how long? I won't be gone long. Probably less than twenty minutes.

There's also the possibility that I might ask someone else who may be willing to help you with posting the pictures.

I really would like to discuss this piano situation with you.

Freda, Clough contacted me regarding possibly helping you to post pictures?

Thanks, Jan! :) I have to go for just a little while. Will be back shortly.

Freda, first a few questions so I know where we are informational wise. Have you saved these images to a file on your computer? You should have a file perhaps 'MY PICUTRES" where you can save images. If the images are attachments on your e-mails, you should be able to left click to choose each, right click and and it will give you the option to open or save as. Click on Save As and it will give you the options of where you can save it.....you should see My Documents, My Music, My pictures, etc. Best to save in "My Pictures". Let me know if you have done this. Then we can go from here. Ok? If you click on My Documents, you should see as you scroll down, a yellow folder that says My Pictures on the list. Open that folder to Save your image as and type in name then click enter. It will save it in that folder.

Ok, got them saved in a folder now what??

Hi all.. ok got the pics saved in a file, now what?
Freda

Where is the folder located?

In my pics under piano

Okay, thanks! Do you know how to resize them if they are too large to put on here?

I have noooooo clue Clough!

When you click on them, what is the program that you use to open them?

Freda, I have asked jrebel7 to help you with the image stuff. She knows a lot more about that then I do. I hope that she comes along soon. Unfortunately, I have to be somewhere at 3:00 to work on some furniture. I should definitely be on here tonight at about 10:00 P.M. for the time zone in which I live. Hopefully, we can meet up later here. Thank you!

Hi Freda! I have been away from home and have to go to Nursing Home at five. I typed tons of stuff then checked something and lost it so here goes again.

Bring up MY PICTURES where you image is saved. Left click on image once (this chooses it, does not open it) then right click on it. Run your cursor over OPEN WITH, it should show you several choices... if you see Microsoft Photo Editor, left click to open. Your image will show up in that program on your screen. At the top of that screen, you will see File, Edit, View, Image, etc. Left click on IMAGE, it should have a drop down box giving options, left click on "RESIZE" There will be a box that appears that shows the size of your image. On the right side it will show UNITS... on the drop down box you can choose inches or pixels, choose pixels. On this site, when you GO ADVANCED, that is where you can add the image and to do so, the image cannot be larger than 750 pixels. On mine, whatever is largest, height or width, I change it to 400 and the smaller measure changes automatically.

Once you have done this, PLEASE got o File and choose "SAVE AS"... you can name that image the same as original but add the word at the end as resized. That way you retain the larger image but also have one you can post. If you want the image to be fairly large, you can go with the 750 pixels, I have used 600 but generally choose 400. That is just personal preference. I need to dash off the Nursing Home to help feed my mother so will check in later tonight. If I have not left out a step in the instructions, this should allow you to resize your image to allow you to post using "Go Advanced" on the "Answer this Question" box in which I am typing. I will apologize ahead for mistakes I might have made as I have typed. Just trying to get it to you before NH time. Best to you! :)

Freda, these same instructions should be fairly similar on other photo editing programs you have if you do not have Microsoft Photo Editor.

Thanks Jan for coming to the rescue here! Much appreciated! :)

Thanks Jan for coming to the rescue here! Much appreciated! :)

You're welcome! Hope Freda was able to make sense of what I typed. :)

OK... hope I done this right hopefully there is a pic on here...
Fredapianoresized

Well I got it resized but did not post... hummmm

piano resized When I go to advanced them insert image a box comes up that sat's something like http... what do I put in that box?

piano resized When I go to advanced them insert image a box comes up that sat's something like http...what do I put in that box?

Would you like for me to step you through posting an image then?

If you don't mind...

If you don't mind ....


Give me a little bit. I am on a phone call but will be happy to get with you as soon as I am off the phone. Hope that is okay!! :)

Hello! :) Just wanted to let you know that I am now also here.

Clough I believe that I have it resized and saved but when I click on image a page that comes up that say's add your url... any ideal?

Sure, I'll take a look at what could be happening. But, I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as jrebel7 is about posting images.

After having taken a look at the upload screen, I think that you might be clicking on the bottom Upload button. If you have already pressed the Browse button and found the image in your computer, then you would click the Upload button that is directly to the right of the Browse button. I hope that this helps you!

I can see that you are now managing your attachments. I hope that it works for you now!

I hope that jrebel7 returns to this thread soon in case the reason that I gave is incorrect. Because, beyond the reason that I gave, I don't really know.

Ok Freda, I am finally back. I see you are off line but I will type this out and the information will be here when you return and if it doesn't help you, we will try something else. Alrighty??

Ok, I am operating on the assumption that you have now resized your photo, saved it in a file folder and are ready to post.

Right after my post, there will be a box as you know already of course (and forgive me if I am being too elementary in my instructions... that is the only way I can do things... A to Z. :)

On "Answer this Question: click on "Go Advanced". Type whatever description, discussion or details you want the viewer to see in the first box then scroll down (do not submit yet), you will see Additional Options the first part will have boxes with check marks in them. Make sure the first three are checked. Scroll down, the next box will say "Manage Attachments". Left click on that. A box will come up that says "Manage Attachments" First box will say upload file from your computer with a "Browse Button". Left click on Browse button. Box will come up:
Choose File
Look in: (on this one, you scroll to find the folder that holds your image, open it, then left click to select image you have resized. Click Open. It will place the information of location of said image, Left Click on upload. Wait just a few moments. When it is finished, X out that screen, you will be on "Additional Options" area and it will show just above where it says "Manage Attachments" which file you just attached. Then Scroll down, left click "Submit Answer". This should then show text you typed in first box and below that, image you selected and uploaded. I sure hope I haven't left out a step. As I said, if I have, we can get back on track another way. I will help in anyway I can.

Please don't let this frustrate you. :) It took me awhile and the patience of other posters helping me to learn how to post images. I am also sending you a Private Message so when you have time, just read it and get back with me if you are still having trouble posting images. Best to you!

Jrebel... I went through all the steps and then at the end it say's file to big, sooooo guess I did not resize the photo right.. hummmm I give up but thanks a lot for your help

OK let me try this

I got it... yeppee... thanks so much jrebel..! Clough here is the piano I was asking you about...
Freda

ok let me try this

Perfect Freda! I am so glad it worked for you! Beautiful, just beautiful! :p

Thanks again jerbel... So is Clough around tonight or no?

I sent him a PM to make sure he knows you have posted the image. If he is online, he should respond soon. Sometimes, it is later when he comes online. :)

Dear Freda,

I'm glad that you were finally able to post an image! That's great! Thank you for doing that!

I haven't been around very much in the past two days because I have been spending time with my daughter who is visiting from California and also have had some other things that have needed attention in my life.

I will try to be online tonight from about 10:00 P.M. on. Hopefully, you might be on around the same time.

I was online here around 10:30 this evening and I'm sorry that we missed each other, Freda. Don't know what time zone you are in. But, that would have been about twenty minutes after you were here.

I have edited your image some so that things are a little bit easier to see.

From the image, it looks as though the instruments has been refinished and also has had new plastic, white keytops installed. Having both of those things done is good and shows that there has been some positive care of the piano. Hopefully, that care has continued on for decades. I don't know about the condition of the black keys, because it's hard to tell what they look like from the image.

There is also a considerable amount of "gingerbread" in the woodwork, especially on the music rack and columned legs. The wood underneath the bottom of the legs is also rounded at the front. That much artwork on the wood would be more indicative that the instrument might be as old as the late 19th century. Also, the fact that the fallboard is rounded and "falls" back in imitation of the style of that on grand pianos and that there is an ornate metal plate around the two pedals might also lead one to believe that it might be dated in the 19th century. You might want to try putting the fallboard behind the music rack, since there doesn't appear to be any place where a person could place printed music if the fallboard is in front of the music rack.

The bench is not the original one for the piano because the legs don't match or go with the style of the columned legs on the body of the piano. On such an ornate instrument, care would have been taken for the legs of the bench to at least look like they matched the style of the legs on the body of the piano. The bench might even be an old organ bench because of the height of it. Although, that is hard to tell because the picture of the piano was taken at a slightly elevated angle.

It's a beautiful piano. However, I don't know how much internal restoration has been done to it or if it can even be tuned and how well it holds its pitch after it has been tuned. Although, I have tuned extremely old pianos that still have the original strings where I could still tune them up to the current standard pitch.

A piano that is that old, in order to be in top-notch playing condition, would need to have had the hammers, bridle straps and most of the felts in the action replaced by now. Maybe even completely restrung. The action consists of the area underneath the keys to the point where the hammers strike the strings. Also, the action would have had been regulated at least a few times in the life of this instrument.

It might be beneficial to see some images of both the bottom and top part of the insides of the piano. Also, some close-ups of the hammers, strings and action would help, in order to see what the condition of the inside is. By opening it up, we could also find the serial number so that a more exact date of the piano could be determined.

Right now, my ballpark figures for estimating a possible value for the instrument, if it is in top-notch playing condition, would be that it might be worth around $600.00 to $1,200.00 if it were to be sold in a piano or piano/music store. People don't get those kinds of prices for pianos that they sell out of their homes, though.

In a store where you have a lot of pianos being sold, there are many customers who are going in and out of the store. So, it's more likely to be able to find someone in that environment who will pay those kinds of prices for an old upright piano. Especially, if the old upright piano will look good in the environment of their home.

Thanks so much Clough for your help... I asked the lady to email me a pic of the inside but no reply. She is asking 500.00 for the piano. Wonder where I could get a bench to match it?
Thanks,
Freda

Do you want to have this piano so that you and maybe others can enjoy playing it?

Concerning a bench. I would look around at antique stores for benches that might match the style on the columned legs. It might even be a chair that you will find that could be appropriate. The original place for sitting, that goes with my 1906 Chickering grand piano, is a piano stool with a back on it. If this piano that you are thinking about buying is as old as we think that it might be, it's not unlikely that it too, had a stool that went with it.