Have we done a piano-shopping thread on this forum yet?
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So I've had the C7 more than twenty years now. I've enjoyed the heck out of it. So have my kids and an array of friends and relatives, including some of you. There's technically room for it in the new house, but that's not how we want to use the space. It would either take up more of the living room than we want to sacrifice or I would have to a) find somebody willing to move it up a flight of stairs and b) sacrifice a big chunk of my office to it.
Whatever piano I end up with, I'm planning to put it in my second-floor office and arrange the space so that a few people could gather there for a small piano party or to play chamber music. (A writer's "office" is really just a comfy chair. The rest of the space is for books and whatever. A writing/music room is totally workable.) However, putting a seven-footer in that room would make it difficult to have people in there who aren't me.
So it's time to trade.
However, trading a big piano for a small piano of similar quality at a dealership is like setting $10,000 aflame. (Or, honestly, more.) I do not want to do this.
So what are this group's thoughts about how I should proceed? Should I try to sell my piano privately? I could then buy from a dealership, at least eliminating one side of that money-burning process. Or I could buy privately. If I buy privately, I will need a good tech, but I know that there are people here who will know techs in this area.
If I sell privately, how in the heck do I price it? There is a recent copy of The Piano Book on the moving van headed my way, and it will probably give me some guidance on that. I have been offered so little by dealers both here and in Oklahoma for the C7 as trade, consignment, and outright sale that I don't imagine I can get a whole lot in a private sale, but I can probably get more than what I've been offered...presuming somebody wants a big piano. (Do any of you want a big piano, priced to sell?)
Another option would be to donate it to a school or theater or place of worship and take the tax deduction, which honestly might be a better deal financially than to more or less give it to a dealer. And I'd feel better about it. I've found a place online called PianoFinders that purports to help with that process. Does anybody know anything about them?
Once I'm shed of my treasured musical companion of twenty years--the instrument that brought me here and directly resulted in my finding love and happiness--I can begin the fun process of shopping. I want a very small grand made by a reliable brand, something like a Yamaha C1. My sister may want to sell me her Yamaha GC1, so that is also an option, but I would have to pay somebody to move it here from Boston and I'd have to factor that into the equation. It will be with me for the rest of the time we're able to live independently, so it has to be one I'll enjoy playing. I'm not too worried about missing the sound of the big piano. It'll go in a smaller room, plus it's going into a house built of 140-year-old wood. We'll basically be living in an awesome soundboard.
I'm not sure whether everybody is these days, so I posted at the old board, too.
I know you all have opinions. Tell me what you think!
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Hmm, I hadn’t thought of the donation/tax deduction option, that’s an interesting possibility.
Beyond that, buying and selling privately is a hassle, but definitely better in terms of cost. Well, although it is more time consuming, so it depends on how you factor that into the equation…
I bought my Yamaha C2 from a private seller, and he took my Petrof upright (in exchange for knocking the price down a bit). That part worked out really well because then I arranged to have a the movers swap the pianos and the whole thing was pretty seamless.
In your case, your p Kano is so much bigger, the poll of buyers will be more limited, but I think you might start by searching for a private sale and see how it goes.
Have you looked a Piano Mart pricing of similarly sized panos? The trick is to try to figure out what they’re selling for, not what they’re listed for.
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I asked my tech about selling my piano…I’d lose about $10k on the deal. So it lives here, I play it occasionally, and use it to learn my choir parts.
For you? Sell privately or donate. Can you actually take a deduction for what you think is the right value?
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Can’t help on the main question but my tech is a Swiss woman who formerly worked for Steinway keeping Steinway Artists pianos in good shape in Europe. She moved here when she married the director of engineering for Steinway.
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BTW MA, where will you put the C7 in the new house until you sell it?
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@ShiroKuro There's a spot for it on the front wall of the living room, and a smaller spot for it on the front wall of the downstairs guest room. It's just that we have other plans for what to do with that space.
I'll set myself a time-limited sell-it-or-donate-it window and free up the space.
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If you're going to lose $10k or more swapping pianos, consider using that $10k to expand a room for the piano instead. Swapping piano is a straight "expense," expanding a room may be an "investment."
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That is an awesome piano that can make a real difference to an organization looking for a donation - whether it be a church or school... Too often I am asked to take a look at some old Kimball or Wurlitzer microgrand that someone thinks will be a great gift to their church!
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@Mary-Anna ahh so you do have a spot for it initially, that’s good. M
I totally get the “other plans for the space” point.When I first played my piano in its new space (just last week), and complained about the layout, Mr SK said “we’ll do you want to put it in the living room?” (Which of course is what many WTFers suggested weeks ago!)
But no, we had plans for how we’re using this space. I said, you know we can relocate the piano later if we really decide that that’s what we want to do, so let’s see how it goes.
You may end up saying the same. See how it goes when you get there and stay flexible. Maybe you’ll end up wanting to keep it in the guest room???
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Haff you tried ze Perzina? I tell, you it is better than even a Steinway or Fazioli, and much cheaper! I am not a dealer!
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@Mik I've never even heard of Persinas. Now I have to go Google...
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I think Mik has a Perzina grand, maybe?
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Good luck. Hope it sells for a good price and soon.
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I can't believe y'all don't remember that piece of PF history. He was my fave sales weasel. Only guy I ever knew who could type with a fake accent.
“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer”
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@Mik said in Have we done a piano-shopping thread on this forum yet?:
I can't believe y'all don't remember that piece of PF history. He was my fave sales weasel. Only guy I ever knew who could type with a fake accent.
I just found a thread over at PW….:
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Wait, who are we talking about??
