how do i?

[gardenmom5]

get rid of a piano that is not worth fixing?

it's an old upright, cheap case. the most heavily used keys have lost their spring.

besides - I'd rather get a really good keyboard right now. (and I can use headphones at night.)

so -  how do I get rid of it short of hauling it to the dump?

[Pen]

Donate to a high school shop program which could use it for parts? Are its keys plastic or ivory?

[gardenmom5]

7 minutes ago, Pen said:

Donate to a high school shop program which could use it for parts? Are its keys plastic or ivory?

I think they're ivory.

[Pen]

5 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I think they're ivory.

That’s worth saving then.  At least for elephants sake.

Maybe put ad in Craig’s list or something.  

[Chris in VA]

Is it beyond tuning/repair? I would save some poor beginner pianist kid the damage of playing on a terrible piano his parent tried to get for cheap off of Craigslist and just have someone haul it away. You could break it down and give the keys to a preschool teacher into Loose Parts theory. 

[Pen]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

That’s worth saving then.  At least for elephants sake.

Maybe put ad in Craig’s list or something.  

 

To clarify, I would indicate that it is for parts and ivory, not as a working instrument.

[klmama]

Some piano stores will sell you a new keyboard or piano and take your old piano as a "trade in" - maybe $50-100 off the price of the new purchase.  All stores won't do that, of course, but it's worth asking when you go to look at keyboards; it's definitely worth telling store A if store B is willing to take it off your hands.  If your piano is not in good shape, they'd likely still junk it, but then you wouldn't have to.

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, Chris in VA said:

Is it beyond tuning/repair? I would save some poor beginner pianist kid the damage of playing on a terrible piano his parent tried to get for cheap off of Craigslist and just have someone haul it away. You could break it down and give the keys to a preschool teacher into Loose Parts theory. 

i bought it used, and it was cheap when it was new.  I doubt it's worth the money it would cost to repair.  even just to refelt the pads and clean it out isn't cheap.  there are keys that will not return to their correct height  - so response sucks. and the keys are chipped. (I guess the ivory just gets brittle - as they were in better shape when we got it, and really weren't hard on it.)  or maybe the keys are celluloid.

it's easy exterior access -  I did see some suggestions for the "got junk" places.  when we were looking at houses with 1dd, there were one or two that had left pianos for the new owner rather than take them.

[happi duck]

Another vote for craigslist.  I've seen artwork that used old piano keys etc or it could be wanted as a prop for a play.

[DoraBora]

Can you haul it out to the front curb and put a "free" sign on it?  We did that with my mil's old piano, and someone took it within the hour.  (The guy was a music teacher, and I couldn't believe he wanted it.  I thought it was beyond tuning.)

[Starfish]

12 minutes ago, DoraBora said:

Can you haul it out to the front curb and put a "free" sign on it?  We did that with my mil's old piano, and someone took it within the hour.  (The guy was a music teacher, and I couldn't believe he wanted it.  I thought it was beyond tuning.)

This was how we got a piano for our kiddos when we were flat broke.  It cost us $75 to have it tuned and $50 to replace a pedal.    That piano lasted us for almost trn years, and we were truly grateful. 

 

[Ausmumof3]

If you’re allowed bonfires you could have a fun piano burning.  Maybe not depending how much plastic is in it.

one of the councils here have this cool “pianos in the park thing” where they take free pianos and set them up in a park for people to play on.  Obviously the weather conditions probably mess with tuning etc but still kinda fun.

[Familia]

It is likely a dying breed, but piano tuners were frequently also refurbishers.  

As long as the sound board is intact, it would likely make a good beginning piano after some TLC.  Replacing keys & strings, refinishing the cabinet, and the needed tuning is easy...for those who know how.  My Dad used to get pianos for free (as long as he paid to haul it home) and sell them for 250-300 back in the 70's after he worked them over.  He even made some into 'honky-tonk' pianos with pink & purple keys, little metal strips in front of the strings for the hammer to hit, and mirrors behind the keyboard...groovy!

Advertise on Craigs list as a "Piano - Needs Fixing" or call a piano tuner and see if there's a piano tuning guild nearby who knows of someone who will take it away.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Familia

[Jyhwkmama]

We had this event in KC a few years ago. You might look to see if you have any similar type event in your area. You could donate it to the cause.

http://www.vistaprod.com/2015/05/21/pianos-on-parade/
 

[Tap]

I mistakenly accepted a damaged, free piano once. It was a friend of the family, and they didn't realize it was water damaged on the legs (from time in the storage unit) until after the offer. I assume the sound board was ruined as well.  My husband went to pick it up, and even though they told him at that time it was damaged, he felt obliged to bring it home anyways since he already had the Uhaul rented. I put it on Craigslist for free and a family came to pick it up.  I was honest in the ad about the damage. It was a very pretty piano, so I thought someone may want parts of it for an art piece. The family who picked it up from us wanted to do a project of restoring a piano, so they were elated to get it for free. I have no idea if they completed it or no, but I hope they did :0)  

Edited May 9, 2019 by Tap