is it a veri veri old or antique thing?

[datokuan]

I am currently looking into collecting antique stuffs.....

Like start with Piano....is it an antique or just a very old stuff?

For example, I can get 80 - 100 years old upright European made piano for less than $500 here. Usually is still playable and passable finishing.....a newer second hand piano say from Yamaha or Kawai is more than $1500...is there any potential to salvage the European piano? FYI, I am hopeless in music.....

Assuming I got the lousy European piano....then I will break it up for firewood and scrap the metal frame......at least I get around $300 for it....I am wondering if I can chance upon a priceless antique piano along the way???

[alfred98]

Yah!! Reminds me about my antique collection at home!!!!!!























WIFE!!!! quickly run!!!!:laugh:

[Chris C]

:laugh:....alf,alf......:amused:

[Oddfather]

loctor....how many?

[alfred98]

loctor....how many?

New models hasn't being aquired!!!:(

[Oddfather]

New models hasn't being aquired!!!:(

What do you have in mind for next model? :)

[datokuan]

antique means valuable.......

and u r looking for more models......

so u wan to be a wifey collector now????:squeeze::squeeze:

[alfred98]

What do you have in mind for next model? :)

Must be brand new models lah!!!:D

[datokuan]

Must be brand new models lah!!!:D


made in China can arh?:squeeze:

[alfred98]

made in China can arh?:squeeze:

Made in Malaysia lah...support local product!!!!:laugh:

[datokuan]

what the difference between blackwood and rosewood....both oso originated from Malaysia.....I know kayu besi is good for furniture and can have very good antique value......

[PreciousPearl]

Datuk, if u want to collect pianos or keyboards, by and large you should not waste your time with uprights unless some parts are made by famous furniture or cabinet makers. European made grand pianos from 1800s and before should be worth something in future if in good condition or can be easily restored. You could also consider harpsichords or pianolas - these tend to be bespoke and could be worth more than they look.

In all cases, pick one type of antique to specialise in (unless you are thinking of opening your own antique store), do your homework, and don't buy from antique dealers (almost certain to get conned).

Good luck, mate!

[datokuan]

Datuk, if u want to collect pianos or keyboards, by and large you should not waste your time with uprights unless some parts are made by famous furniture or cabinet makers. European made grand pianos from 1800s and before should be worth something in future if in good condition or can be easily restored. You could also consider harpsichords or pianolas - these tend to be bespoke and could be worth more than they look.

In all cases, pick one type of antique to specialise in (unless you are thinking of opening your own antique store), do your homework, and don't buy from antique dealers (almost certain to get conned).

Good luck, mate!

PP, thanks for the tips....will look into the other two instruments......I am prepared to make mistake in the initial stages....and salvage my mistakes by gaining some firewood for the winter months.....:)

[Chris C]

Talk about piano, which secondhand brand is good?

[datokuan]

Talk about piano, which secondhand brand is good?

I started with this question, end up with even more questions......heard that the japanese made in the 70s to 80s are still good value for money. Now at least I found that there are people who want to give away pianos!!!!:)

[singteck]

I think you should collect what you like to collect and not worry about the value. It's about things that make you happy.

Up right pianos will never be collectable simply because they are not object of desire. You buy an upright because you can't have a grand. Who would pay a premium for an expensive upright piano when you can buy a grand piano for about the same price? For that reason, it would never appreciate in price unless it's a historically significant piano.

If you do end up collecting pianos, please make sure you play them often or keep them in a controlled environment. The wood and felt used to make the piano will not age well if neglected. The sound board will be the first to go.

Personally I would collect smaller instruments like violins and guitars because they are more sort after and occupies less space.

What I end up collecting however are dust :o

[Chris C]

I started with this question, end up with even more questions......heard that the japanese made in the 70s to 80s are still good value for money. Now at least I found that there are people who want to give away pianos!!!!:)
Like what brand? I intend to get one too.

[datokuan]

ST, wah...u noe a lot of piano....but the old european wooden finish is very impressive.....not Ikea look..and the walnut wood is very hard, very good as firewood......

Like what brand? I intend to get one too.

Over here, I heard Kawai or Yamaha got reputation if the piano being taken care......I think u need someone local to help you......:)

[h2o]

I think you should collect what you like to collect and not worry about the value. It's about things that make you happy.

Up right pianos will never be collectable simply because they are not object of desire. You buy an upright because you can't have a grand. Who would pay a premium for an expensive upright piano when you can buy a grand piano for about the same price? For that reason, it would never appreciate in price unless it's a historically significant piano.

If you do end up collecting pianos, please make sure you play them often or keep them in a controlled environment. The wood and felt used to make the piano will not age well if neglected. The sound board will be the first to go.


(generally speaking) musically, pianos are the opposite of wine
as are most musical instruments unless made by a famous hand eg. stradivarius

[alfred98]

Guitar leh?:D

[h2o]

Guitar leh?:D

wat brand / models do you have?

[alfred98]

wat brand / models do you have?

None...my friend crazy about this that's why I ask.......he spend more then 10K to buy it from Spain!!! For me.....crazy ah!!!:squeeze:

[singteck]

(generally speaking) musically, pianos are the opposite of wine
as are most musical instruments unless made by a famous hand eg. stradivarius

Generally yes. But ask any violin makers or guitar makers and they will tell you that the best guitars/violins are made from very old woods. Not sure if this can be proven but a lot of people thinks that the violin would sound better after years of playing. Might be due to the experience rather then the wood thought :p

What I am sure however is that the wood would deteriorate if you don't play them.

singteck

[datokuan]

Guitar leh?:D


MYF days...was the Kapok brand...I think it has veri high sentimetal value...I miss this brand since I left CTA1.......:laugh::laugh:


Generally yes. But ask any violin makers or guitar makers and they will tell you that the best guitars/violins are made from very old woods. Not sure if this can be proven but a lot of people thinks that the violin would sound better after years of playing. Might be due to the experience rather then the wood thought :p

What I am sure however is that the wood would deteriorate if you don't play them.

singteck

saw a documentary on the violin making in Italy sometime ago.....they used to farmed the oaks, walnut, etc etc trees just for violin manufacturing.....and control the growing then the trick is to treat and let the wood aged after cutting.....then the maker must choose the most even density of the wood grain......

then must give the violin many TLC.......like controlled storage and playing environment....

so mah fun wan........

[h2o]

Generally yes. But ask any violin makers or guitar makers and they will tell you that the best guitars/violins are made from very old woods. Not sure if this can be proven but a lot of people thinks that the violin would sound better after years of playing. Might be due to the experience rather then the wood thought :p

What I am sure however is that the wood would deteriorate if you don't play them.
singteck

i only know more abt cellos bcos we have researched it for ourselves. but since the two instruments are so closely related, the same principles apply.

our first cello teacher, sally, is an aussie conservatorium-trained performer who does stuff like aust idol, musicals, accompaniment for concerts like olivia newton john.... so kinda like commercial stuff to earn the big bucks and not really playing chamber music with the ACO or the SSO, even tho on paper she is qualified. She has a AUD$12K cello (which is at the lower end of the professional range). This cello is not made by any famous cello maker but she said will become more valuable with time but only if it retains its sound quality or improves. so we can't tell yet bcos it is not a quality instrument - only time will tell.

our current cello teacher, kj, is norwegian who studied in denmark and has a master of performance from the sydney conservatorium as well. he does not play for money commercially and i think he will only take a job with the ACO or SSO and no lower. he hates ppl like andre rieu, who he claims "sellout of their profession by diluting the quality of music". he has an antique cello which has been owned by his grandfather (it looks surreally beautiful, not ornamented but just the wood quality) and passed on to him. it's more than a hundred years old and bcos it hasn't been sold for so long, it doesn't have a proper price tag but has been valued and insured at abt AUD$80K. the sound is not as loud/deep as sally's cello but is more mellow and has an incredible singing voice quality which cannot be produced on sally's. i don't think this cello will ever be sold out of his family.

a family friend, warwick, who was violinist with the SSO for many years (now retired and only plays in church) owns a near equvalent of a stradivarius. he said it was made by a different master over a hundred thirty years ago and was procured thru another famous violinist from europe who sold it to warwick when he was getting a stradivarius. warwick paid approx AUD$90K for it in the 90s and it's valued and insured for upwards of AUD$130.

when we were cello hunting (when upgrading from a half-size to a full-size bcos david got much taller), kj trialled 9 cellos from two string shops for us. half of them were german and the others chinese. the german ones were dearer and looked terrible bcos they were the lowest in the range (AUD$5900-7200) and the china-made ones were between AUD$3600-5500 but they were beautifully crafted from some wood brought over from europe and seasoned over more than a year before transforming it into an instrument. the maker (chinaman) had worked as an apprentice in austria for fifteen years before returning to his homeland bringing his trade and reproducing them. we settled for a mid-range chinese $4700 which was far better in terms of aesthetics and sound quality than a bottom-range german $5990.

basically, old instruments that don't play well anymore (the sound quality deteriorates over time) depreciate. they don't sell well as "antiques" unlike period furniture. they are only valuable like kj's or warwick's instruments and appreciate significantly with time.

[ungsutiong]

Anyone collect old watches i.e old Rolex or Panerai?

[datokuan]

Anyone collect old watches i.e old Rolex or Panerai?

Oh, how interesting...u collect Ah Pek's Rolek.......:)

[PreciousPearl]

I fuwant to start collecting "new" classics in musical instruments u could look at McPherson guitars
:drooling liao:
as played by the likes of Amy Grant


start at around US$5-6k for entry model

[datokuan]

I manage to get someone advertise to give away a very old upright piano....she says 4 keys are not working and the felt is 2 times older than me. So I tell her that I will try to restore it below $1,000.....but unfortunately after I saw the thing, and tell her that her piano is good for firewood, she lesap in thin air.....:wacko:.

lessons learnt.....keep telling the giver that it is wonderful gift to me and I will restore its past glory, basically say all the nice things and keep quiet my true intention until the thing is in my possesion.....after that my tools of the trade is kapak and chain saw......then giver got no eyes to see what I did to their gift....hahaha....:laugh::laugh:

[LaoZhang]

I manage to get someone advertise to give away a very old upright piano....she says 4 keys are not working and the felt is 2 times older than me. So I tell her that I will try to restore it below $1,000.....but unfortunately after I saw the thing, and tell her that her piano is good for firewood, she lesap in thin air.....:wacko:.

lessons learnt.....keep telling the giver that it is wonderful gift to me and I will restore its past glory, basically say all the nice things and keep quiet my true intention until the thing is in my possesion.....after that my tools of the trade is kapak and chain saw......then giver got no eyes to see what I did to their gift....hahaha....

Din know you got a hidden nasty knack for destruction of the oldies ..:eek: better don't go too near to you, ..otherwise kena potong ??...;)

[datokuan]

Din know you got a hidden nasty knack for destruction of the oldies ..:eek: better don't go too near to you, ..otherwise kena potong ??...;)

dun worry...at the moment, I am thinking of making salvaging of old wood as hobby....see this week on e-bay near my home...

$200.00
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270433920627&indexURL=1&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

and

$50.00
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/W-H-Paling-Co-Limited-Upright-Piano-and-stool_W0QQitemZ200366983976QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_M usical_Instruments_Instruments?hash=item2ea6cd8b28&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14