Estey Organ Museum

Estey Reed Organ Serial Numbers

Estey numbered each reed organ as it was shipped out, and by the time the company closed in the late 1950's they had built over 510,000. Some serial number dates are known for certain. For example, Organ No. 8,700 was shipped in May of 1864; No. 100,000 was built in 1880; No. 250,000 in 1892; No. 350,000 in 1905; and No. 500,000 in 1951.

The Estey Virtuoso Organs had special serial numbers, and a few organs have been identified with lower serial numbers than dates of manufacture, perhaps indicating that they were not made consecutively.

If you would like to identify and date your Estey reed organ, the first step is to open the back or top of the organ and look inside.

You should find a number on a paper label. Occassionally there is no number. If you have no number, please feel free to contact us for additional information. Please note: we do not offer appraisals or determine values of organs. We do not do repairs, either.

If you do find a serial number, you can use the Estey Organ Date Estimator to get an approximate date range. This is just an estimate, but will give you a good idea of when your Estey was built.

Contact a professional appraiser if accuracy is essential.

The Children’s Organs of Estey Organ Company

Estey created a line of small, fully-functional reed organs for children. Here is an article about the Children’s Organs of Estey Organ Company, by Valerie Abrahamsen, ThD.

Estey Pipe Organ Opus Numbers

Pipe organs took longer to build and created a greater amount of paperwork. The Estey Organ Museum has records on most pipe organs built and shipped. Pipe organs are identified by Opus Number.

Other Organ-izations

Love your Estey? Already a member of the Estey Organ Museum? You may enjoy a membership in the Reed Organ Society. The ROS Quarterly is an excellent publication dealing with reed organs, restorations, and more. You may also be interested in a membership in the Organ Historical Society if pipe organs are your fancy.

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