How/Where can I find a value for a piano??

skylight

Right - we have been given a piano and its of little use to us right now.

No-one can play and although I would LOVE to learn, we have 4 kids, 2 adults in a 2 bed house and no room anywhere except the bath perhaps!(!) to put it.

I need to know where I can go on the web to get a rough price guide for it? I know that this is like "how long is a piece of string" type question, but if it has a value then I won't be giving it away!

For those of interest, its a F Dorner and Sohn, Stutgart (Pianoforte Fabrik) with a serial number dating it around 1901-1910 (if the serial number is correct!). It has several crests/coats of arms on the inside and is an upright piano.

freda

IME, it is very difficult to get rid of an upright piano that has not got a 'name', i.e. steinway, bechstein, bluthner etc.

I would suggest contacting your local music / piano shop and asking them if they would be interested in it (and if not, how much should you sell it for).

Put an ad in the local paper, make sure you make it clear that the buyer collects.

I doubt you are sitting on a small fortune, sorry. Pianos are such that you can buy a reasonable upright for not too much money these days, and it will last you for a lifetime. Older ones are generally a lot bigger than the modern uprights and can cause more problems tuning and soundboard wise.

If it turns out you can't sell it for love or money, contact the local churches and residential homes, who may welcome it with open arms.

Becles

I had an upright piano of the same age. A growing family meant I no longer had the time to play it, and wanted more room in the dining room for a bigger table!

I tried to sell it in various places, but nobody would take it. Even the "we take anything" house clearance companies refused it! In the end I put a "free to a good home" ad in the local free paper.

A family from the other side of my village got in touch. One of their daughters had been learning on an tiny electronic keyboard and was desperate for a proper piano, but they couldn't afford one. They were more than happy to take it off my hands. I've since bumped into the family a few times, and the little girl is thrilled with it and still playing the piano.

The piano belonged to my Great Nana, so I like to think it's made her happy if she knows a young child is getting so much pleasure from a piano she loved.

Counting_Pennies_2

http://musical-instruments.search.ebay.co.uk/piano_Piano_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsacatZ43393

Watch some on ebay and see what they go for, you could always try selling it this way too.

ruthyjo

Our piano is reasonable but came from a free to good home ad. However it cost us £55 to get it transported 2 miles to our house. I can also think of a lot of friends and acquitances who've acquired them in the same way.

The trouble is they're so awkward to move and easily damaged. I think you'll probably have to regard this as your chance to do someone a favour. We were delighted when we got ours and my son still reports his progress to the widower of its former owner (grade 1 merit after two terms of lessons - I was pleased!).