Several months ago I agreed to accept a 1902 piano that belonged to my grandmother, who passed away over 10 years ago.
My mom had finally gotten around to getting the house cleaned out and sold. I already owned several items from my grandmother, so this would not be the only item that would bring back memories of my grandmother, but I had thought it would be a shame for the old piano to just disappear. So I agreed to adopt it if it were brought to my house here in NC. My parents didn't have a place for it, but I knew my mom would appreciate it if I took it. And my dad reinforced the fact that it was a family heirloom and that it would mean a lot to my mom if I took it..."it just needed to be tuned." However, now I feel like the biggest sucker in the world.
I realized what my dad thought of it when he brought it up here in a trailer with a chain lashed around it without a scrap of padding protecting it. It now has chain-burn all around it. He will now tell me that it is a piece of junk...gee, quite a different story than what I was told before.
Now we just want to get rid of this 800-lb beast that barely plays and is probably putting serious structural stress on the floor joists of our 1917 house. It would cost $5K-$6K to restore it, but neither my husband nor I even know how to play a piano. No charity will take it. We could pay a couple hundred bucks to have it hauled off.
Anyone want a free 1902 RS Howard piano? It just needs a little tuning.