How Easy Is It To Sell an Old Piano These Days?

Upright pianos, unless they're a notable brand or have another feature making them significant, are basically worthless. One that isn't even working properly is even worse. See whether there's a local charity or school that would like it? Otherwise stick up somewhere for free if they arrange collection? (I've generally shifted stuff on FreeCycle quite successfully).
 
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Whilst a pain, someone might have it for free as firewood if broken down. Ideally wants to be sanded to remove any chemicals, but some people don't care and will burn anything.

You're guaranteed to find a local free FB group that can also be worth a go. But ultimately many people don't understand that pianos are possibly the worst thing to move ever.
 
The make is Carl Strauss, 1908, if anyone knows about them. I will post a pic shortly. The piano is available in Salisbury if anyone wants it and can collect.
 
Here's a pic. Needs a bit of work as a lot of the keys aren't playing now. When working it would be quite a nice piano, it has a nice action. It would be great to find it a home and not have to break it up.

piano-opt.jpg
 
No idea about pianos, but the candle holder things would probably go for a bit on eBay - bit of a market for stuff like that for DIY and movie props, etc.

EDIT: People trying to sell those for a few hundred online but doesn't seem much interest.
 
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They’re called sconces, they’re not very popular and when these age of pianos are restored they’ll often be removed. Those and it being 85 keys (as opposed to 88) means it’ll be late 19th or early 20th century.

From looking on some forums it sounds like they were London made and given a German name to make them seem premium. Basically they’re nothing special I’m sorry to say. They’re only worth restoring if they have sentimental value.
 
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If that is a legitimate C Strauss with sconces then in perfect condition it would be worth a reasonable amount due to popularity and sentimental value.

With restoration needed, which it needs and which would exceed the value of the piano, it's firewood.

However, with all of these things, it may be worth finding the right auction as occasionally you get a win ££. The figuring, inlays etc looks nice and someone could find/have a donor piano to restore.
 
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I don't know how to tell if it's legitimate. My sister has told me it's a 1908. I did a little Googling and get the impression it's an English made piano that's been given a German name. I last played it years ago, and to play it was a bit honky tonk and good for that, but did not feel high quality. I agree though, the inlays look pretty nice.

I doubt it would be worth the transportation costs to get it to an auction.
 
Mason- said:
They’re called sconces, they’re not very popular and when these age of pianos are restored they’ll often be removed. Those and it being 85 keys (as opposed to 88) means it’ll be late 19th or early 20th century.
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Not very popular on these things - but there is a bit of a market for quirky stuff like that currently with all the DIY maker stuff, etc.

radderfire said:
I don't know how to tell if it's legitimate. My sister has told me it's a 1908. I did a little Googling and get the impression it's an English made piano that's been given a German name. I last played it years ago, and to play it was a bit honky tonk and good for that, but did not feel high quality. I agree though, the inlays look pretty nice.

I doubt it would be worth the transportation costs to get it to an auction.
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Some of it looks old but the front panel on the upright bit I'd be surprised if it is older than the 1950s.
 
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Do many of you guys play? Do we have a piano thread?
I see loads of pianos on eBay and Facebook pretty much being given away. Everyone wants digital these days because they're compact, volume adjustable, can plug headphones in and never go out of tune. They are at a level where they are so good now and some even have cabinets that look like a real acoustic.

That being said, real uprights have so much character and I love them. It's just the tuning costs to keep them playable get to be so much. My mum had one that needed tuning every month that she was paying someone to do. Got to the point she sacked it off and bought a digital Yamaha.
 
jaybee said:
Do many of you guys play? Do we have a piano thread?
I see loads of pianos on eBay and Facebook pretty much being given away. Everyone wants digital these days because they're compact, volume adjustable, can plug headphones in and never go out of tune. They are at a level where they are so good now and some even have cabinets that look like a real acoustic.

That being said, real uprights have so much character and I love them. It's just the tuning costs to keep them playable get to be so much. My mum had one that needed tuning every month that she was paying someone to do. Got to the point she sacked it off and bought a digital Yamaha.
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I play and have an upright. And I know a bit about these older pianos, I have a new upright but was seriously considering an old restored one and I did a tonne of research. Your mums experience is typical of an old upright similar age as the one OP has.

The wrest plank (the piece of wood that the tuning pins go in to) of very old pianos were made before modern central heating. When brought into homes with modern central heating those planks dry out and shrink causing the the tuning pins to be loose. This means that after the tuner moves the pins to get them in tune because they’re loose they go out of tune very quickly. A piano should not need tuning every month.

One quite cheap solution is to just put bigger pins into the shrunken holes and hope they hold better but what you’ll probably find is that this has already been done. But really they need a new wrest plank.

If you want I can send you my tuners details, he also appraises pianos to tell you what needs doing and whether they have any value. He’s based in Cambridge/Essex way. Alternatively you can look for a piano shop/tech nearby and most of them do piano appraisals.

Hope this helps.
 
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d_brennen said:
"Can you not deliver the piano 100 miles, it's for my deaf sister who's dog has just died" :cry:
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And if you got there, it'd be a tower block with no working lifts and a body in the stairwell.

But on topic...I 'inherited' a piano from a previous owner when I bought my house. I ended up contacting him to arrange and pay for it to be taken away for scrap as not even local youth groups or whatever wanted it for free.
 
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Cost us £80 (a few years ago now) to get someone to take it away.

Two man job to manhandle them as they weigh a ton

They dismantled it on the drive and loaded into their van
 
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