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Was recently looking at this upright piano. Let me know what you guys think. New to the forums, just need a little insight on this! https://seilerpianoohio.com
It's a 1984 seiler and is absolutely gorgeous, haven't seen another one like it.

Are you the seller?

No, thinking about buying

Um, apologies for being blunt but, $23,998 for a 37 year old upright is not "too good to be true" .... Have you played this piano?

Also, I have to ask, if this piano is within your budget, why are you looking at used instruments?

Actually, I think a different question is more important: what is your goal in purchasing a piano? To play it, or to use it for decoration? (because, I agree, this piano is beautiful, but a piano is first and foremost an instrument...)

Why not look for a used instrument? New doesn't mean better by any means and yes to play. Seiler in my opinion is one of the best sounding pianos . I was looking at a new seiler upright and they go for way more,until I found this. Buying something like this I believe would be an investment, not depreciating like something new. Keep the input coming I'm interested in everyone's thoughts.. thanks for the reply!

Pianos do age even good ones.The Seiler looks beautiful.I see no problem in buying such a piano.Many people buy grands I am sure often for their looks as well as how they play.The price of the piano is high even though it is a used European piano.
Do you know if the piano has been restored or rebuilt? Time is the enemy of pianos.I would have the piano checked by an independent piano technician.Perhaps he could even give you an idea what the piano is worth.

It will not be an investment as in appreciating in value.

If you want an investment in your personal happiness and overall a better outlook on life this piano can certainly help you with that.(A good piano can do that!)

With that being said, looks too expensive to me.

I agree , I need to have the piano checked by a quality technician to make sure tune is 100% and internal condition is perfect. I also think cost is a tad high, what would be a reasonable offer for something like this? Again I have searched everywhere and can't find anything close to this..

It is surprising though that today new Seilers are sold for a modest price in Europe compared to the new Schimmel Classic and Konzert and August Forster pianos.This could be because those manufacturers market their pianos better.I am sure the 80's Seiler piano has a gorgeous tone.

Whatever, do not feel you will be judged for buying a used Seiler at any price.

In this case I think you'd be paying more for the fancy inlay and less for the musical qualities of the instrument. An art case upright strikes me as an oxymoron.

"...I agree , I need to have the piano checked by a quality technician..."

Thank you for that, Seiler129. A lot of us can let our blood pressure stop pegging the gauge, now that we know you're taking this very sensible measure. Your qualified tech will tell you about the piano's past (it's uncanny what the silent action and case can reveal to such a person) and its prospects, how much it will cost to get it in proper working order, and an estimate of its fair value in your local market.

If you don't have a tech on your speed dial, you might try

Piano Technicians' Guild
https://ptg.org

They offer, as a free service to the public, a list of their qualified member technicians near your zip code. If you have trouble finding someone you like, call the President (of the Guild, not... you know). The tech's fee is moderate, and this information can save you from the ocean of tears an ill-considered piano purchase can cause. "If I only had known about that rat's nest...."

I will suggest further that this person should be employed and paid for solely by you, reporting and acting solely in your interest, with no undisclosed connections with the seller or any kind of side hustle where they make money from this deal that you don't know about.

The seller can get his own technical report; you have no obligation to share yours.

I like to use 50 years as a rule-of-thumb estimate of the musically useful life of a piano, with nominal care. This excludes, of course, any piano that a place like a bar or nightclub, a church, or a music school is unloading--- these places beat a piano to death before its time. I wonder if your seller believes that his piano has appreciated with age, or that it requires indexing to the loss in value of the dollar over the 38 years. Alas. Pianos depreciate pretty much like a car, except that they last longer. I say 50 years to zero value; another person who posts here allows only 40 years. He has high standards; I have no kick with that. Decent pianos (which have not fallen apart completely) enter into a limbo of considerable length, in which they are sold off for 500 bucks or so, or given away free to young people who need a first piano of their own.

I hope you will let us know the rest of your story. I might plead with you to lie down with a cold cloth on your forehead if you feel that the Piano Fever is getting the upper hand again, for you are showing the classic signs. This is not the only piano in the world. You have the means, in fact, to get something that really is nice, and which will retain enough value for you to turn it over, and get a better piano still.

I see that it is offered by someone claiming to be a private party. That person could very well have unrealistic ideas about the value of the piano. He is not offering deliver, tuning, or warranty.

You are under no obligation to accept his price.

Thanks for everyone's time, I really do appreciate it!! After talking to the seller he agreed that he wasn't 100% on the value of the piano as there isn't much information. He said he is considering any offers at this time. Going to take a step back and do some more research.. might just try to get it for the low.

It's a mid range piano, not a high end piano. Notice the plastic clips and extruded aluminum, inexpensive fallboard and more. This deal has a scent of scam to me and you seem to be the seller getting free views.

Is it?

A stylometrist might agree with this.

Seiler129, you never mentioned if you have played/auditioned this piano? What other pianos are you looking at? I think you said you like the Seiler sound, but you didn't specify whether you've actually played this one?

Also, I second the posters who are pointing out that pianos do not appreciate.

So, if you love the sound of this piano, and you get it checked out by a piano technician that *you* hire, and you're confident that it will serve you well as a good quality, functioning instrument, then make an offer that seems reasonable to you and go from there.

There's no question that it's very attractive cosmetically. But is it too good to be true? No.

Good luck!

I can add some information about the wood inlay... My grandfather had an small business where they manufactured wood inlays, from 1914 to 2000 (on later years it was run by my father). Being born in 1968, I spent quite a lot of time there and I am familiar with the wood inlay world.

Based on the pictures, it seems to be a relatively simple one. And you would be amazed by the low price those inlays were sold to manufacturers of very pricey furniture and, in this case, pianos. All of this is to say that the real value of such a decorative inlay is not too much. It is just a fancy thing which could be nice to look and have on your home if you like it.