I've played since I was a kid and along with the synthesizers and sequencers scattered around my studio, I own a Schaefer & Sons baby grand.
I bought it used for $6K some years ago (it was taken as a trade for a baby grand Yamaha player) and although I like the heavy action (I play HARD), the selling point was the lacquered rosewood finish! It's stunning and unusual, goes well with the decor, and I got tired of seeing the shiny black ones in other homes.
Truth is, unless you are a serious musician, you might want to consider a lesser brand other than Steinway, Young Chang, etc. and factor in aesthetics. It's a huge piece of furniture, so when you aren't playing it, it still has to look good.
My neighbor inherited a Steinway upright and spent $19K having it restored. It doesn't look or sound like the effort was well spent, but I guess the bragging rights of owning a Steinway was worth it for him.
But truthfully, REAL musicians can make ANY piano sound good.
And since I do most of my work in the studio, the piano sat unused for many years...I suspect this is the case in a lot of households.
Fortunately, my daughter has taken up piano, so sounds are now emanating from the "parlor" on a regular basis these days...
