I have a Baldwin Hamilton 243B serial number 305768 that I would like to sell ASAP but I have no idea what its worth. Can anyone find info and let me know? It's in fantastic condition and only been moved once by pros

If anyone could tell me what year it was made that would be great too!

Have you checked places like Craigslist and Kijiji for comparison?

I have but i'm not sure if I can compare it to what i've seen. I was thinking somewhere between the 3 to 5 thousand range but i'm really not sure. I dont know much about pianos and this one was a gift..

It was made in 1977. Value depends on a variety of things, including the leather in the action. With the wrong kind of leather, it could be worthless.

hmmm so is there a ballpark range for me to sell it in? Does a 35 year old piano lose a ton of value? sorry for all the questions!

I've been keeping tabs on Hamilton prices since I bought mine (a 1953 for $500). Here are some asking prices I've seen (don't know if they resulted in sales):
1961 350
1967 2000
1979 600
1982 1250
1983 300
1984 1900
1988 600
1990 1500

The new price back in '77 was about $3800. Now I think they sell new for about $5000.

As you can see, they vary a lot. The price of an older piano depends largely on the model and the individual piano's condition. The Baldwin Hamilton has a very good reputation so it is pretty easy to sell but the condition counts for much. If it's in very good shape, I guess I'd start about $1800 and see what the reaction is. After some buyers look at it you might have a better idea of its condition and worth.

Thank You So Much! That was very helpful information. I will try that and see what happens

One can buy a brand new or slightly used upright for that, complete with warranty and one free tuning from a dealer, and sometimes free delivery. Yours could be worth anything from $0 to maybe $1300 on a really, really good day.... Like, a rainbows and sunshine kind of good day, complete with unicorns (Sorry, just trying to drive home the point). A more realistic expectation would be a few hundred dollars.



Yes. Uprights this old retain 20% of their value at best. Currently, they sell for $6000 give or take a few Benjamins, so 20% of that is the best you can reasonably expect to get.

If it's in perfect condition, $1300 would be top of the mark, and IMO, that would still be too high. Considering the state of the economy, supply & demand, etc. one can buy a <10 year old Kawai 48" in the mid-2k, low-3k range, which would still carry a transferable warranty. Considering any used piano is going to require a few hundred dollars worth of work, or more, and the fact that the piano will be utterly useless when the pinblock ultimately fails, there's just not much there....

Wow, thanks for all of the information guys. I was hoping to get more to help pay some bills but it looks like i'll probably end up keeping it. Thanks Again!

I have a 1985 model Baldwin 243 studio that I bought from a local state college surplus sale. The cabinet was a little scuffed up from moving around, but the insides (what really matters) were in great condition. I paid just over $500. A great deal, I thought.

Plus, it has a nice tone and touch and I've played the heck out of it since I've had it.

Oh yea, great advice here so far...

Rick

and i think 500 is a good ball park price.