A friend is considering buying a rebuilt Hamburg D from 1926. The seller is asking 65K. My friend thinks the piano is glorious and doesn't want to insult the seller by counter-offering a too-low price. Do you think 65K is a fair price?

Define "Rebuilt"

New strings, new pinblock, refinished (ebonized), I'm assuming new hammers, but I'm not sure.

That price is too high unless it's in New York where the well known rebuilding outfit, Faust Harrison might ask such a price. A more "realistic" figure(based on West coast prices)would be in the neighborhood of about 45K(and yes, rebuilt as well).

On the other hand, if the case were a Louis style, that might be the reason.

Mark Mandell@pianosource.com

A lot depends on the definition of rebuilt. At that price they better have replaced almost everything that moves and some things that don't.

Nine foot pianos are dogs to sell. There is very little market outside of some institutions and concert halls. Of course actual selling price will be influenced by whether it is a dealer or private party, but I would not be afraid to offer quite a bit less. Exactly how much depends on a lot of intangibles we, here, do not know.