Hobart M Cable Upright Piano

By wynotu2, 13 September, 2012
Description

Hobart M. Cable Upright Piano Model H.. Chicago. Double Veneered. Full iron plate. Exposed pin plank. Continuous hinges on top and on rolling fall-board. All ornaments hand carved. Triple unisons. High grade double repeating action, with nickle hammer rail and brackets. Three pedals. Automatic music desk and polished elm back protected by packing thimbles. Serial number 4766.

A neighbor sold this to my son for $10.00 because he wanted space. It needs some repair...two of the hammers are missing and it needs tuning and cleaning. The piano had been in this neighbors family for several generations. My son bought it to practice scales. :)

If I had this restored...How much would it be worth? :) 

 

Category
American Furniture
Medium
walnut
Distinguishing marks
Hobart M. Cable Chicago Grand
Condition
Fair
Size and dimensions of this item
Height, 4ft. 9in., Width,5 ft. 1 1/2 in., Depth 2ft. 4 in.
Date Period
1901
Weight
?? Very Heavy
History
Owned by the Clark family until sold by relative for $10.00 to my son.
eBay Auction Link
Price Paid (If known)
$10.00
For Sale?
No
Photos

fishwhacker

12 years 8 months ago

Here is the dream sceanrio prices and history on the company

http://www.antiquepianoshop.com/online-museum/cable-hobart-m/

 

Here is the reality of the piano market-

"In my area (Iowa) even good upright pianos with relatively few problems rarely bring over $100 or so. Sadly. Therefore, a piano with this type of problem would be more likely than not to be offered free for the hauling. Chuck Behm"

http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1909681/VALUE%20OF%20HOBART%20M%20CABLE%20PIANO.html

 

 

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Thank you so much for your advise. I will repair enough that my son can use it for practice then. Good to know I won't have to sink too much into it. 

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Please let us know what you find. The piano market has always been something of intrest to me due to the unique situation it presents. Alot of people such as yourself end up with pianos, when completely restored, that are listed online for over $10,000 by retail galleries for little to no investment. It is interesting to note the link I gave you, and I believe KathyBeh provided aswell, show that the pianos are both already sold. Frankly I don't understand how they managed to sell for so much money, but the retailers manage to do it somehow. I found a few similar pianos scattered throughout craigslist, and on youtube, and the highest price I saw being asked was about $1250 for a recently tuned (but not professionally) piano like yours. Most were under $500. Again please let us know what they have to say as to market value.

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I received an immediate response to my inquiry...This is the reply in entirety. 

 

Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry and photos.  We have restored several Hobart M. Cable upright pianos over the years, and they are very good pianos.  According to the serial number you provided, your piano was built in 1902. 

 
Obviously it is in our best interest to encourage that people restore their vintage instruments – after all, we are in the restoration business.  The average life-span for felts, strings, leather, rubber etc. is only about 50 years.  Even though the piano may seem functional and sound ok, pianos more than 50 years old usually need restoration in order to be tunable, durable and sound their best.  Only after restoration are they worth top dollar in the real market.
 
The value ranges below are actual values we see these instruments selling for in the real market today.  When these pianos have had a total, frame off professional restoration, they sell in the $10,000 - $12,000 range.  Restoration costs are generally around $8,500.  In original, unrestored condition, they tend to sell for as little as $500 - $1,000 on average on eBay, Craig’s List, etc.  Hopefully this information will give you some guideline to value depending on where your piano falls in between the two extremes.
 
RESTORING AND PRESERVING YOUR PIANO:  If you would like more detailed information about restoration and preservation, let me know and I'll be glad to give you more information about the process.  With detailed photos of the piano, inside and out, I can give you some accurate information about it regarding age, history, potential value, restoration costs, etc.

SELLING YOUR PIANO:  We currently have a full inventory and we are not buying pianos at this time.  Our shop space is limited and our craftsmen are dedicating their time and efforts to pianos that clients are sending to us to be restored. 

 
Although most of our clients are interested in restoration so that they can keep and preserve their heirloom instruments, some people approach us about options in selling their vintage instruments.  We do have a few clients that send their pianos to us to be restored so they can be marketed and sold for top dollar through our website. 
 
For general information about selling your piano, you might find this page of our website to be helpful:  http://www.antiquepianoshop.com/sell-an-instrument/  
 
TRADING IN YOUR PIANO:   If you are interested in trading your piano in for an instrument already restored, let us know and we can give you more details about this option.  You can view our online showroom of current inventory at this link: http://www.antiquepianoshop.com/products/grand-baby-grand/
 
I hope this is helpful.

Thank you,

-- 
Michael Stinnett, Founder
Director of Sales & Historical Archives
The Antique Piano Shop, Inc.
Web: www.antiquepianoshop.com
Email: [email protected]
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