As long as I can remember, my parents have had this enormous player piano in their basement. When I took piano lessons as a little girl, I practiced on this piano. Kind of practiced. I wasn't really dedicated the way I should have been.
I also have a vague recollection of a party where the music was supplied by the player part of the piano. It was exciting to choose which roll went in next.
Fast forward to now. My parents are trying to clean out their house so they can downsize into a condo near me in Georgia. I've blogged about this ordeal more than once because it's been ongoing for more than three years and they're still nowhere close to done. For the past year or so, my mom has been telling my dad that they have to get rid of the piano. This month, my dad finally did some calling around.
Although the piano is cool and my mom said nearly 100 years old, it isn't worth that much money. I did some searching online and most people who buy them from their owners agree to take them for the price it would cost to move them. Yes, that's right, the moving company gets $3000 and the owners get nothing. That's because these pianos are only worth about $3000.
My parents didn't even come out that well on the deal. They found a charity that will take the piano. It's some kind of deal that gives pianos to childrens' homes or disadvantaged children, something like that. So my parents will be paying to move the piano and giving it away for free. At least it's tax deductible and they don't have to mess around with having people come in and out of their house to look at it.
When I talked to them on the phone and the departure of the piano was imminent, we were all surprisingly sad. My mom because the piano had been a gift from her parents and me because I can remember the times my cousins would visit and we'd be in the basement listening to the piano rolls.
Although it kind of feels as if I'm losing a friend, the truth is that no one has touched the piano in a super long time. It's out of tune, keys are missing the ivory, and we don't even know if the player part works any longer. When the cost of moving it to Georgia is factored in (even if we could find somewhere to put that huge thing!), there isn't another choice except get rid of it. My dad is taking pictures, though, and that will have to be enough.
