People sell cars on craigslist all the time so why not try?

Write a good ad, with many photos.

Be sure that if you find a buyer, he or she comes with cash.

ML

I think CL is a good place to list it. You can list it under musical instruments, estate sales etc. I don't know how old the piano is or if it's considered an antique, you could also list it under antiques.

Cars are listed on CL and they are expensive..

Turns out this particular piano was built in 1926. Aren't antiques 100 years +? In any case, it's in beautiful condition and is in need of a good home.

ML - thanks for the reminder on cash. Good idea.

I'd definitely post it!

That is a beautiful piano. What brand is it? Have you had it appraised? I'm wondering if its actual value is that high or if you have emotional ties to it that are skewing things?

A piano of that size appeals to a limited number of musically minded people because of the dollar and space commitment. Plus it needs to fit through doorways and there's the cost of moving an item most people are not equipped to do.

People go to craigslist for a bargain or deal. A person who is spending that much on a piano (non-essential item) might not be your typical craigslist buyer and would instead buy new from a dealer who would deliver and tune and provide some type of warranty. If you can document that it's worth that much, even at a discount, it's worth a try on craigslist.

It is very beautiful; w/o knowing the brand, actual value, age and condition (has it always been kept in tune) it's hard to say if it would bring that much on craigslist.

I'm with hilltop. I have a baby grand Steinway, over a hundred years old, totally restored inside and out. I thought someone would want it, but found that basically we couldn't give it away. It is valuable, it is appraised at over $20k. But there was zero interest when I tried to sell. Needless to say, it's still in my living room. Maybe my kids will take it someday. Maybe you'll have better luck...

hilltop - it's a Steinway grand. It was kept tuned regularly until the last 5 years or so. Actually Mom may have continued to have it tuned, I just don't know. She was pretty sick at the end. Judging from what I can see online, and what the guy on vacation in China estimated, $15,000 would be a really good deal for someone. In the nature of pianos, it's ready for a tune up and going over, but anyone in the market for this kind of a piano would expect that.

I remembered reading this article in the NY Times this summer. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a market for old pianos out there unless it's a Steinway or some other high end brands.

Here is a link that might be useful: pianos

List it under antiques as well as instruments. The ads are free. So what if you bend the rules? :) If you can get an appraisal before listing you'll be more comfortable. Do have a way to collect payment--maybe even paypal. Nobody is going to grab a piano and run, but a buyer isn't going to want to carry that much cash.

I bought a house off craigslist, at the peak of the bubble in Silicon Valley. So yeah, people do buy pricey items on CL. But I didn't have to show up anywhere with a large wad of cash.

Are you able to take payments through Pay Pal? $15,000 in cash could be a bit burdensome for both of you.

When we closed the Houston apartment, we sold a lot of the furniture and all of the drapery to our wonderful subletter.

Since the tab was in the mid-four figures, we used Pay Pal so that he could use his American Express card. Worked like a charm.

You could put it on ebay, too. You can do a "buy it now" price, or something along those lines. It would get you national exposure.

What about renting a climate controlled storage unit and holding it for the guy in China? He could make a deposit, you could pay the storage fees and when he's ready, pick it up.

You could send letters to local churches and colleges, piano teachers or church musicians, or art centers or public places that host weddings/receptions to see if they are interested in purchasing it. I was even in a hospital recently that had a grand piano in their beautiful new entry where someone was playing background music. Some high-end stores also have grand pianos.

Another thought...but I don't know your family or financial situation... you could consider donating it to a cause that your mother supported. A local church, senior citizen or community center, college, school, art studio or other entity? You would probably need an appraised value to document it's worth. I don't know if there's any tax benefit with an estate, but it could be a lasting memorial.

A guy in China? Hmm. I think that might be one to steer clear of.

My brother in CA sold a car to a guy in China who lived in TX--he sent a deposit without seeing it. The gentleman was a flight attendant and followed through. It happens!

Maybe google up a piano forum, a local one is even better, and get the feel for the regional piano biz and see what starving musicians suggest.

Or mail it to me! =)

LOL, lov_mkitchen! I think the trip to China is a personal vacation. We've been there a couple of times, but we have the huge advantage of having a son fluent in Chinese who was posted there for about 3 years. Sure makes getting around and getting food ordered easier! I love the little kids who startle when they see us and then tug on Mom's leg and point. Some nice ladies in a line were discussing us and decided we were Russian because DH has a mustache, Russians have mustaches, therefore we must be Russian. Little did they know that one of us "Russians" understands every word.

I love everyone's ideas and alternatives to what we'd already thought of. Thanks much! We'll find a good home for this piano one way or another.

I sold our motor home on CL among many other things, add pics. very important.

I would market to music people if you can -- going through schools, churches, etc. Something of that value might take some time to find the right buyer. If you need to clear it before the house sells and don't find a buyer, I'd also consider a donation. Around here, churches have a lot more money than the schools, so I'd be looking at a school that would never be able to afford it and where many people could benefit from it.