MMD > Archives > January 1997 > 1997.01.15 > 12Prev  Next


Re: Value of Wurlitzer Nickelodeon
By Don Teach

How do you know what model a Wurlitzer nickelodeon is by the serial number? I know Don Rand has some of the ledger books of Wurlitzer. As sloppy as Wurlitzer was in their numbering, can you be sure by the serial number?

I know nickelodeons are down in value, but, come on! A "plain Jane" Wurlitzer I is surely worth more than 500 dollars. I would be happy with one for $500. The valuation S. K. Goodman made on a Nelson-Wiggen 5X for 5 to 7 thousand dollars would be a bargain. I have recently seen two N-W 5X pianos sell for $11,000 that were incomplete.

Please contact me when you want to sell a nickelodeon for half price. I have been active in the collecting field for over 30 years and have what I believe to be a rather nice collection.

While I am on my soapbox I would like to comment that when you are listening to a Reproducing Duo-Art / Ampico/ or Welte then there is a really good chance you are listening more to an editor that edited the roll than the actual performance. Don't get me wrong, I love my repro- ducing pianos. When you listen to a Yamaha-made Disklavier disk you are also listening to an editor. Some people like white and some like black.

Don Teach

[ Editors note:
[
[ In Digest 970111 was the question, "What's the value of a Wurlitzer
[ nickelodeon, number 18457?" That is all the information given.
[
[ S. K. Goodman answered that it is worth $500 in rough, unrestored
[ condition. That's his opinion, that's what he might pay if he were
[ buying. I'd say that it's a safe bid in the absence of a better
[ description. The serial number is immaterial, and Goodman seized upon
[ it's uselessness for some humor. I'm sorry you were mislead.

[ If you are interested in buying the piano contact Larry Fisher
[ <larryf@pacifier.com>. Maybe you can buy it for $500, maybe you can't.
[ As Larry said, the real value won't be established until a price is
[ agreed upon and the money changes hands!
[
[ I couldn't find a mention of Nelson-Wiggen instruments in the last six
[ months of the Digest. What is the source of the N-W valuation you
[ give? Is $11,000 really the value of an incomplete 5X piano?
[
[ Robbie Rhodes


(Message sent Thu 16 Jan 1997, 01:19:05 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

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