Advice needed on selling a piano
Advice needed on selling a piano
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CoupeKid

Original Poster:

884 posts

81 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
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Not sure if this belongs here or in Homes, Gardens and DIY but there’s a few threads here on guitars…

I need advice and thought I’d consult the PH hive mind.

The mother in law is now in a nursing home so we’re clearing out and selling her house to pay for it.

She has a Bechstein baby grand piano in her living room which we have no idea how to sell.

We’ve had it valued. Apparently it dates to the early 30s and was assembled in London. As it has been in the sun for 40 years it has discoloured unevenly and it needs a full restoration of the wood and strings.

Current valuation is £1200 but restored it might be worth 10 times that.

What’s the best place to advertise something like that for sale bearing in mind that whoever buys will have to arrange collection?

RECr

490 posts

67 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
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Will a secondhand piano dealer.be interested? It is more likely to be cost effective for them to restore it and sell, than for a private buyer to restore it for themselves.

You will probably get some advice/interest on https://www.piano-tuners.org/piano-forums/

ConnectionError

2,095 posts

85 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
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The cost to collect it will reduce the current valuation to near zero.

My father had a similar valued baby grand.

He ended up giving it to a dealer, who collected it for free.

Elderly

3,614 posts

254 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
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Assuming it has an Ivory keyboard you cannot sell it until you have registered it ( or you face a 5 year prison term or £250,000. fine - How does stop today’s poaching? ).

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/declare-ivory-you-inte...

Try these people, you should end up netting a few hundred pounds.
\/

https://pianoauctions.co.uk/

Ken Sington

3,963 posts

254 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
quotequote all
ConnectionError said:
The cost to collect it will reduce the current valuation to near zero.

My father had a similar valued baby grand.

He ended up giving it to a dealer, who collected it for free.
Seen a few uprights go through our local auction house. Don't think any of them sold for more than £5. Heart breaking really.

anonymous-user

70 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
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I'm not sure Mrs G would allow me to have a baby grand alongside my other keyboard stuff. Really fancy a baby grand though scratchchin

RECr

490 posts

67 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
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Most old uprights were cheap and cheerful when new. Even if they were economic to restore they'd still be stuck with the limitations of the original design (overdamping and straight strung).

DE1975

503 posts

122 months

Tuesday 16th August 2022
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Bechsteins are a desirable, quality make of piano.

I sold a much less desirable upright piano on Ebay earlier this year. The guy who bought it runs this piano restorers and sales room in Kent.

https://www.thepianoshopkent.co.uk/

He bought my piano despite being circa 300 miles away and he arranged a piano mover to pick it up. Might be worth contacting them to see if it's of interest to them. If not, put it on ebay with lots of pics and an honest appraisal of it's condition.

I had a couple of dealers make buy it now offers and I accepted the best one. If a regular punter wins an ebay bid on a Piano, they're quite likely to not complete the purchase when they find out how much it costs to transport it.

CoupeKid

Original Poster:

884 posts

81 months

Wednesday 17th August 2022
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Appreciate the replies so far, especially the tip on registering the ivory.

My gut feeling is that I put it on eBay and hope it’s picked up by a dealer.

elise2000

1,757 posts

235 months

Wednesday 17th August 2022
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Where in the Uk are you? Either contact local piano shops, or stick it on eBay. If you’re nearer London there’s a specialist piano auction- just google piano auctions.

I did quite well on eBay selling a bluthner baby grand (similar age and style) a few years back. It was bought by a London dealer who travelled 150 miles or so to collect.

Chicken Chaser

8,521 posts

240 months

Wednesday 17th August 2022
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CoupeKid said:
Appreciate the replies so far, especially the tip on registering the ivory.

My gut feeling is that I put it on eBay and hope it’s picked up by a dealer.
I'd love a baby grand, I just don't really have the space for one. Im sure if it's reasonably priced, someone will pick it up.

CoupeKid

Original Poster:

884 posts

81 months

Thursday 18th August 2022
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The piano is in Bournemouth. We’re in Hertfordshire which will make doing viewings awkward!

I’ve found a piano restorers and dealers in Dorset and am going to contact them first.

Edited by CoupeKid on Thursday 18th August 07:42

CoupeKid

Original Poster:

884 posts

81 months

Wednesday 9th November 2022
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Update for closure:

The house has now been sold which has rather forced the issue.

The local piano sales/restoration place never replied when my wife contacted them.

A family member was interested but thought that it was too big a job to get the piano restored when they already had a very nice upright.

My wife contacted the local piano tuner, who tuned it for years and also does restorations, and he’s going to take it away.

All’s well that ends well although I think my wife & BIL would have liked some money for the piano but at the end of the day they had to get rid of it and hopefully it’ll have a new lease of life.

Thanks for all the suggestions. What happened in the end was more or less what everyone predicted.