Do Old Pianos Have Value?

These days there are so many people giving away pianos for free. When I go on Craigslist and see all the pianos that are up there for free I wonder, do old pianos have value?

It is extremely rare for old pianos to have value. It comes down to if they are in good condition, are an extraordinary piano or if a famous person has played the piano.

I know people will be upset to hear this but unfortunately most old pianos do not have any value. Of course they could have sentimental value, but it is very unlikely you will make a large profit off of selling an old piano.

Unless there is something extraordinary about your piano, it is probably not worth that much money. Sometimes pianos that have been played by famous people are worth the money but then you have to find a specific appraiser to appraise the piano. You of course will also need proof that the piano has been played by famous people. This can be very upsetting because a lot of people have very old pianos that are in very bad condition and they're hoping they're sitting on a fortune.

How To Appraise Your Old Piano

The most important thing to factor in when trying to find the value of an old piano is what condition it is in. It doesn't actually matter who made the piano or what size the piano is or if there is anything unusual about the piano, the most important thing is what condition it is in.

If the piano is going to need to be rebuilt it would have to be an extraordinary really rare piano that has some inherent value to make it worth rebuilding it. Condition is everything with pianos! You would think that an antique piano would have some natural value in it but this actually isn't true. An old rusted-out piano that hasn't been taken care of is essentially worthless. This can be really sad because pianos are beautiful instruments.You would think that an antique piano would have some natural value in it but this actually isn't true. An old rusted-out piano that hasn't been taken care of is essentially worthless. This can be really sad because pianos are beautiful instruments.

If by chance you have one of the first Steinway's ever made then perhaps it would be worth something. Or a piano that has some very specific historical value, then of course it would be worth something. But in general most people that have those pianos would know that they have an available piano. It's not as common as it looks when you watch Antiques Roadshow. More realistically probably talking about one out of every ten thousand pianos.

What To Do With Your Old Piano

So now that you've figured out that your piano probably isn't worth anything but you still want to get rid of it, what are you supposed to do with it? Well there are many different things you can do with an old piano. If it’s in decent condition you can probably sell it. A good way to go about selling a piano would be to use websites like Craigslist. Is very common for people to sell or give away pianos on Craigslist.

It can take many months to sell a piano even if it's in perfect condition. Currently the market is flooded with used and even free used pianos. So if you do want to get rid of it make sure to plan for it to take perhaps up to six months to sell your piano.

Another thing you could do with your old piano was just give it away. This can still take months and the piano still has to be in Fairly good condition. I know most people don't like to hear this but it's true, it can even be hard to give away a piano.

You could also think about calling local schools or local churches and donating the piano. This can be a very generous thing to do and bring a lot of joy to other people. The one thing to keep in mind is he most likely will have to pay to move the piano to these places. Just because you're giving them a piano doesn't mean that they are going to pay for the moving. I've written another post about how to move a piano if you want to check it out here:

Can I Move A Piano Myself?

Luckily if you do donate the piano there's a chance you can get a tax deduction for it. There are also many places you can donate piano such as these places:

How To Improve The Value Of Your Old Piano

If you really are set on having your own old piano and want to increase it’s value you can always repair the piano. This might be money lost in the end, but if you enjoy doing things like this it can be very fun. You can find a very skilled piano technician who can rebuild or repair your piano. This doesn't guarantee that it will have any value, but it certainly will be in much better condition and more fun to play. If you are curious about repairing pianos check out this article:

Is It Worth Repairing Your Piano?

It's always important to remember that pianos are instruments and they're meant to be played so you should consider taking piano lessons in Hillsboro and learn how to play your old piano. If you do rebuild or repair your piano make sure to keep it in tune. You should tune your piano at least once a year. This is very important for the health of your piano. It will also make it easier for you to get rid of your piano if you're ever ready to part ways with it.

When Should You Repair Your Piano

You should repair your piano only if it has sentimental value. It can be very difficult to sell a piano, so putting money into a piano only makes sense if you really love the piano. Or it can be good to repair a piano before your child starts taking piano lessons.

Piano lessons can be a great way to learn something new and you need a fully functional piano in order to take lessons. This is one of the times that it does make sense to repair your piano. You should probably have a piano technician look at it first and make sure it's not too big of a project. Because you can always buy a piano or get a piano for free on Craigslist. You'll just have to play the piano. This can be a lot of work in itself.

Another time that might be worthwhile to repair your piano is if your piano is in perfect cosmetic condition. Especially if it is a unique piano. And you haven't seen many others that look like it. Then perhaps you could sell your piano and make a little bit of money. It might take years but there are people out there that are looking for specifically looking pianos that might be interested in your piano. For example if you had an all-white grand piano that's in great condition it might be worth repairing that piano because you never know when someone is in the market for a used all white grand piano. This is especially true if your piano is made by a great piano maker.

Well I hope this article hasn't been too disappointing, everyone hopes that their piano is secretly a lost treasure but this is very rarely the case. There are so many pianos in this country that very few of them have any real value. It's almost like used cars, you have to have stumbled Upon A really specific special used car for it to have any value. Of course a used car has to be in great condition to have any value as well. A rusted out 80 year old car isn't really worth anything. Neither is a rusted out 80 year old piano. pianos are a really unusual instrument because they're also almost furniture. So it can be very tricky to remember that you have to take care of them. No one leaves the trombone lying in their living room for 40 years untouched and un-dusted. As I've said many times before, it is very important to keep your piano tuned once a year. This will help it retain at least a little bit of value.