Bösendorfer and Blüthner Prices: What the European Grands Cost Used
Searchers looking for a Bösendorfer or a Blüthner for sale are a small, serious group. Both brands are rare in the United States, and the used market for them works differently from the Yamaha and Steinway markets.
By Joey Bouza, Founder, US Piano Connection · Updated October 19, 2026
Two of the oldest piano makers in Europe are Bösendorfer of Vienna, founded in 1828, and Blüthner of Leipzig, founded in 1853. Both still build pianos by hand in small numbers, both have distinct sounds that players either love or do not, and both are scarce in the United States, where Steinway dominates the top of the market. That scarcity shapes everything about buying one used: there are few to choose from, prices vary widely, and a buyer often has to travel. This guide covers the models, what sets each brand apart, and how to read the prices you will see.
Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer is known for a warm, singing tone built around a case that is designed to resonate with the soundboard rather than simply hold it. The company has been owned by Yamaha since 2008, which has not changed where or how the pianos are built. Its famous model is the Imperial, a concert grand of about nine and a half feet with 97 keys instead of 88: the extra notes extend the bass by most of an octave and are usually colored black so a pianist does not lose their place.
| Model | Approximate length | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | About 5 feet 7 inches | The smallest Bösendorfer grand, for homes |
| 185 | About 6 feet 1 inch | Home and studio |
| 200 | About 6 feet 7 inches | The mid-size studio grand |
| 214 | About 7 feet | Small halls and serious studios |
| 225 | About 7 feet 4 inches | Chamber halls; the first model with extra bass keys |
| 280 | About 9 feet 2 inches | Concert grand with the standard 88 keys |
| 290 Imperial | About 9 feet 6 inches | The 97-key concert grand |
Blüthner
Blüthner is still owned by the founding family and still builds in Leipzig. Its signature is aliquot stringing: in the treble, each note carries a fourth string that is not struck by the hammer but tuned to vibrate in sympathy with the three that are, adding a shimmer to the upper register. Blüthner's models are numbered from 1, the concert grand of just over nine feet, down through the 2, 4, 6, 10 and 11, with the 11 the smallest at about five feet one inch. Blüthners are rarer in America than Bösendorfers, and many of the used examples here are older pianos imported by enthusiasts and rebuilders.
What they ask used
Both brands are priced near Steinway new, and used examples hold value for the same reason: there are few of them and each is hand-built. But the thin supply means used prices are less consistent than Steinway's. A twenty-year-old Bösendorfer 200 from a careful owner and a seventy-year-old Blüthner in need of a rebuild can appear in the same search at prices that differ several times over. The live brand table below shows the median asking price by brand on this site right now; where a Bösendorfer or Blüthner is listed, it appears in the grand listings, and the type table shows where grands sit against the rest of the market.
| Brand | Median asking | Lowest | Highest | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaha | $8,450 | $400 | $85,995 | 511 |
| Steinway & Sons | $54,500 | $1,500 | $230,000 | 303 |
| Kawai | $8,990 | $648 | $185,000 | 217 |
| Baldwin | $8,990 | $10 | $54,385 | 141 |
| Steinway | $65,000 | $1,699 | $250,000 | 117 |
| Roland | $3,100 | $400 | $18,650 | 69 |
| Schimmel | $29,238 | $6,500 | $172,363 | 57 |
| Young Chang | $5,245 | $1,500 | $19,996 | 50 |
| Samick | $4,212 | $999 | $15,380 | 48 |
| Boston | $14,450 | $4,795 | $49,200 | 38 |
| Casio | $2,799 | $650 | $7,500 | 36 |
| Mason & Hamlin | $22,990 | $1,495 | $65,000 | 36 |
| Wurlitzer | $2,995 | $100 | $8,880 | 33 |
| Kohler & Campbell | $5,194 | $1,499 | $9,995 | 30 |
| Pearl River | $6,647 | $1,500 | $21,437 | 30 |
| Type | Median asking | Lowest | Highest | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand | $29,000 | $600 | $500,000 | 971 |
| Upright | $4,500 | $100 | $76,005 | 665 |
| Baby grand | $11,700 | $10 | $152,600 | 348 |
| Digital | $3,550 | $400 | $18,650 | 236 |
| Player | $19,997 | $3,495 | $250,000 | 120 |
| Other | $5,850 | $5,850 | $5,850 | 1 |
Treat the used market for these brands as national. The right Bösendorfer is rarely in your state, and buyers who are serious about one expect to travel or to have it shipped.
How to buy one well
- Decide what you want the piano for. Both brands are built for a particular sound, and a player who wants a bright, direct tone will be happier with a Yamaha C-series or a Steinway than with either.
- Confirm the year and the factory from the serial number. Both companies keep records and will date a piano for you.
- Hire a technician who has worked on the brand. The aliquot strings on a Blüthner and the extra bass on an Imperial are not things every technician has seen.
- Ask about the rebuild history. An older European grand that has been rebuilt by a known shop is a different purchase from one that has not.
- Budget for shipping and climate adjustment. A piano that spent decades in a European climate needs time and attention to settle in an American one.
Compared with Steinway
On price, the three sit close together new, and all three hold value used. On resale, Steinway is easiest to sell in the United States because every dealer and every buyer knows it. A Bösendorfer or Blüthner takes longer to sell and sells to a narrower pool, but that same scarcity means a good one does not have to compete with thousands of similar listings. Buy either for the sound, not as an investment, and you will not be disappointed.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Bösendorfer cost?
- New, about the same as a Steinway of the same size, with the Imperial at the top of the range. Used prices vary widely with age and condition; the live brand table above shows the current median by brand on this site.
- How much does a Blüthner cost?
- Comparable to Bösendorfer and Steinway new. Used Blüthners in America are often older imports, so the price depends heavily on whether they have been rebuilt.
- Why does the Bösendorfer Imperial have 97 keys?
- Nine extra bass notes below the standard low A, extending the range for certain repertoire and adding sympathetic resonance to the whole instrument. The extra keys are usually black.
- What is aliquot stringing?
- Blüthner's system of adding a fourth, unstruck string to each treble note. It vibrates in sympathy with the struck strings and gives the treble a characteristic shimmer.
- Who owns Bösendorfer?
- Yamaha, since 2008. The pianos are still built in Austria.
- Who owns Blüthner?
- The Blüthner family, as it has been since the company was founded in Leipzig in 1853.
- Is a Bösendorfer better than a Steinway?
- Different, not better. Bösendorfer is known for warmth and a singing tone; Steinway for power and projection. Players choose by ear.
- Do Bösendorfer and Blüthner hold their value?
- Yes, for the same reason Steinway does: small hand-built production. They take longer to sell in the United States because fewer buyers know them.
About the author
Joey Bouza — Founder, US Piano Connection
Working musician and founder of Prospects International, the marketing firm behind appointment-based piano sale events across the country.
Prices and counts in our guides come from live listings on this site and are recalculated hourly. Where we quote industry-typical figures (mover quotes, tuning fees, rebuild costs) we say so, and we never publish a number we haven't measured or sourced.