Pianos, pianos… what a collector’s heart has gathered and enjoyed with great joy and enthusiasm, usually over years and decades, must at some point be dissolved, handed over, passed on or given away.
A passion for collecting “often also creates suffering”… for relatives. What collectors have in enthusiasm and meticulousness for their collection, they often lack in focus, organization and an overview of their holdings. Moreover, nothing is harder for a passionate collector than parting with something – better to keep it, it might still be needed.
While everything is still going well, it is all the harder to deal with the future of the collection in good time. All too often this right moment is missed, and the bereaved are left with the difficult task of deciding about the estate. Without an overview, expertise and an emotional connection to the collection, it is difficult to organize its future and decide what to do with the accumulated assets. The easier part is usually the beloved and well-kept part of the collection – there is then usually a large miscellany waiting in the storerooms and depots.
Based on painful experiences and accounts, we strongly warn against professional rip-off artists who kindly offer interest and support via ads or wanted notices – and then turn out to be unscrupulous strippers. We have now witnessed several times, and far too often, how so-called music lovers, antique dealers, appraisers, house clearers, agents or the like gain access to house clearances or collections and then simply overwhelm the people concerned, who are usually still grieving. It is important to approach only reputable businesses and experts, and to have them prove their background and references. Appointments should not be attended alone. Signatures or quick decisions should only be made after consulting people you trust.
A private collection – especially one containing many different objects – always contains a mix of valuable rarities, objects of average value, objects that are almost unsellable and usually also objects that can only be disposed of.
If time and opportunity allow, selling individual objects or types of objects separately is always the better way, as it achieves more appropriate prices – and ensures that the items in the collection end up in appreciative hands. Our recommendation is therefore, instead of giving in to quick purchase offers along the lines of “we’ll take everything for amount X in cash”, to first examine other options more closely.
Besides the emotional loss and annoyance, this can very quickly mean losing considerable assets.
When it comes to collections of upright pianos, grand pianos, pianolas, player pianos and music rolls, we can offer you our support. Since most collections also contain objects from the fields of mechanical musical instruments, photography, talking machines, literature, etc., we also have some experience in these areas – and above all contacts with independent experts.
With appreciation and expertise, we support you professionally in this phase of assessment, weighing up options and decision-making. Our aim is to be as objective and differentiated as possible and to back up our many years of experience with very concrete empirical values, evidence, comparisons and references. We discuss the necessary effort with you in advance and agree on the desired procedure while maintaining all due confidentiality. We also have good experience and skills in moderating family discussions and involving everyone concerned. In all these scenarios, it is important to observe the stricter legislation on ivory in force since January 19, 2022 – see our article “Ivory keys on pianos?”.
Not every collection still represents a significant economic value when it is dissolved. Sometimes the effort of clearing it is greater than even the possible value to an enthusiast. And it has happened that the share to be disposed of caused considerable costs. Despite all this – disposing of keyboard instruments is the very last option for us. We usually still find enthusiasts for almost every object – even if it has to be passed on free of charge. The days when museums gratefully accepted donations are largely over – the storage facilities of all museums are overflowing.
And of course, as a piano business and instrument lovers, we may also have an interest of our own. However, we discuss this with you in complete transparency and make a clear distinction between commissioning an appraisal or support with dissolving a collection – and a possible interest in buying. We also always recommend obtaining a third expert opinion, so that you can compare your own assessment, our assessment and a further independent assessment.
If you have a collection to dissolve, please feel free to contact us and we will agree on the specific procedure. An initial review based on photos and available materials, as well as an on-site visit, gives us an impression of the scope and condition of the collection.
As the owner of a collection, we can help you review your treasures in good time and assess them realistically in light of the current market, sort and catalog them, identify potential buyers (museums, private collectors, auction houses, private buyers in Germany and abroad…) and make contact with them in a reputable manner.
If our services incur costs, we address this transparently in advance and put it in writing so that you can make a good decision.