player piano

[sherbug]

i HAVE A autopiano from autopiano co new york patent could someone tell me how much it may be worth and what numbers found are.

[talesofthesevenseas]

The numbers are probably a model serial number or a patent number. Either should help you to date your piano.

Sadly, even player pianos are not valued like they once were. I have one and love it. I paid five bucks for it, five hundred to move it home and another one hundred to have it tuned. The relocation costs and the easy availability of antique pianos make most of them have little value. Run a search on craigslist for antique piano. Mine is in perfect working order, with both electric and manual functions and it still sold for five bucks on Ebay. I was the only bidder. Unless yours turns out to be a rare model, it probably won't have a lot of value. The true value is in what the piano has to give to you. Play it and enjoy it!!

[KC]

It depends on when yours was made, condition, etc.  Most aren't worth a whole lot like talesof said.....but there are those that are.  Model numbers are important...can you please post them.  The inside should have a solid metal plate with dates on it and model number as well - patents.  Yours could be worth a whole lot!!!!!!!  http://www.antiquepianoshop.com/online-museum/autopiano/

This particular company was known by different names...if you look at their history there were 5 companies (auto pneumatic, auto piano, etc) that encompassed several blocks together.....all intermingled yet held as different companies.  Best description I could find on internet http://www.player-care.com/autopiano-company.html

For instance we inherited 2 pianos.  1 was a player and the other one wasn't.  The one from my side of the family, although precious and priceless to me because of my family's history, wasnt valued at more than $500. We gave it to a family that could not afford one.  Heard that their little girl had been taking piano lessons for over 2 years on a small lap top keyboard and was EXTREMELY talented.  That was 1 1/2 years ago.  They still keep up with us.  The whole family now plays instruments and they have family music night once a week.  She is on trek to be a concert pianist!!!!  Worth more than any $$$ we could have ever received!

The player was UGLY (I can't stress this enough)! We decided to keep it because we wanted one family piano. It had been puttied (which was done in the early 1900's if the color was to be changed on a piano).  Had it refinished by the best in the region who just so happened to live within 1/2 mile of us (We searched for over a year for a refinisher for an antique player and lo and behold his was the only name that popped up - he did ours as the last one before he retired)....during the refurbishing he advised us that only 1,000 had been made like ours.....less than 5 known to exist and ours was by far the best in shape.  Had 7 buyers ready if we wanted to sell - a few which were museums.  We had already made our minds up to keep this one!  Now it is beautiful and well over 100 years old!  Have original and new players rolls.  QRS is still in business since 1900!!!  You can get Star Wars and all the new music to play as well!!!!http://www.qrsmusic.com/music.asp?cid1=28

[talesofthesevenseas]

Agree! You can also pick up used QRS rolls on Ebay for even less $$ and have "live music" playing for company. I've got my eye on some long-playing holiday rolls of holiday music for Christmas!