We've tried everything else...

[torquill]

We're trying to get rid of a piano.

It's a square grand Knaabe, dating back to 1860 or so. Dark wood, pierced metal trim finished with gilt paint, ornate legs, ebony and real ivory in good shape, has its carved music stand and everything. It sounds wonderful when tuned, which it sadly isn't, but it could be brought back into tune over a few months. Other Knaabes have been restored with great success, and they are in some demand.

The catches: it's not restored yet. It needs cosmetic refinishing, new felts, and careful slow tuning by a professional. Repair estimates have been in the low four figures, I believe, though restored ones sell for a decent amount more than the cost of the repair work (probably $10,000 or more). The other big problem: it's huge. Seven feet long, 3.5 feet front to back. It's full of cast iron, and weighs a ton; normally I'd say that was an exaggeration, but it does take four strong people with good backs to even start to lift it. It can be taken off its legs, but it is not going to go into the back of a pickup truck, no matter what the people on Craigslist think.

If you know anyone who would be able to handle this or willing to pay piano movers to come fetch it, they can have it for free. Zip. Take it off our hands with our thanks, and take it to a good home where it can be restored to its former glory. It would be a good investment even to restore and sell -- you could double your money -- but we don't have the time and energy to coordinate that.

I don't expect LJ to yield any nibbles, but I figured it's worth a try... :)

Comments

[superlib.livejournal.com]

Have you tried contacting a professional piano restoration company? One may be interested in restoring this. Though, right now the focus seems to be entirely on Steinway with most of the restoration companies. Still, its worth a shot. Try http://www.lindebladpiano.com/ -- they have a number of Knabe's in their inventory, and might be interested in another, or know who might be. Or just google "piano restoration" to find any number of companies.

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

We've looked into it, which is how we know roughly how much it would cost to restore... but doing so would take time, money, and effort we don't have right now. At the moment, the focus is on getting it to stop taking up space.

There are a couple of companies interested in restoring it, and my mom is muttering that if we don't get any sane offers she may just have to go through the hassle of supervising it herself. We were hoping to avoid that.

[superlib.livejournal.com]

Actually, I meant that one of them might want to take the piano for their inventory, not for you to pay them to restore it for you.

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

Aparently there are so many unrestored ones out there that they're not interested. They prefer other models, particularly ones that don't take up as much space. :/

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

That's how I got my piano - I paid movers to go get one, and kept it under a tarp in my garage for 15 years before I could afford to restore it.

Restore it, I did too. To the tune of about $5,000 - but it's priceless now.

Contact a couple of schools up there - let them know about it and see if that produces a nibble or two. It would be a shame to have to drag it off to the dump (and yes, that was the option mine had before restoration. Do it or off to the landfill with you!).

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, we don't have space outside the house which would be safe to keep it in. So it sits in the living room and takes up far more room than it should. :P

It's not going to the dump regardless. It's an 1860s antique and a family heirloom, dragged here from Baltimore when my mom moved... it's going to be restored one way or another, it's just being more of a PITA than we thought.

As for schools -- it would have to be a private school, as public schools don't have enough money to buy paper or pay music teachers, let alone restore a piano. I don't know of any private schools we'd be willing to talk to about it.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*thinks* Try a couple of universities then - I'd start with Stanford and ask for advice.