Heiden Upright Piano (Carl von Heiden)

[lazwah]

Hi there,

I recently came in to possession of a Heiden Upright Piano. From what very (and by very, I mean VERY) limited info I found online, it was made by Carl von Heiden between 1900-1930 and that it is very rare, and apparently only one is in existence (or possibly made?) apart from the ones made by Carl von Heiden himself for his family?

There's apparently only one in known existence and it's in a Museum. This is where I found the original history of the piano online: http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au ... ght-piano/

This is basically all I could find. I have a limited knowledge on old pianos or piano worth, but from that site alone, it would seem like I have been handed gold.

I want to know more about it to be honest, it's rarity, or if there's anyone out there who knows more about Carl von Heiden and what his pianos were like. It's actually in pretty great condition given it's seemingly that old and rare.

Any info you have would be wonderful!

Cheers

[Bill Kibby]

You should always be wary of people telling you that a piano is rare. Anyway, rarity is not a guarantee of value, I have pianos which may be the only surviving ones of their make or type, but they have no value. Heiden made a great many pianos, some bearing his name, and some for other firms such as Palings. The actions were made by Schwander or by Higel, and would have been bought in bulk. In general, pianos of the 1900s are made on a production line, by the hundreds or thousands, so unless it has some distinctive artwork or something it is not rare. We can't comment on the individual without photos of the WHOLE piano.

[NewAge]

I read your post with interest.
In addition to a single overview photo showing the piano as a complete assembly as requested by Bill, can you please supply photos of the inside frame, soundboard/strings/wrest plank/tuning pins, keyboard mechanism, pedals & mechanism, etc, which will allow the experts to give a reasonable guesstimate on it's condition and style - which is what interests most of us here.
What is your personal definition of it's, "pretty great condition"? So many old pianos are frequently described as in 'excellent condition', but the reality unfortunately is seldom the case.
If you believe, or if someone says you have been handed gold, tell them you are prepared to accept a gilded cheque from them.
For most old pianos there is an informed value and a naive value, so bare in mind that something is worth only as much as someone is prepared to pay.