Things that irk me: Pianos as decor

[ouij]

I play the piano. Badly. But I do play it--enough that this really bugs me. I'll quote the Craigslist ad in full:Very Unique Piano for sale - would fit well into a "Pottery Barn" style house - needs a little tuning. When we had it moved to our house from our old house, the moving cost was $200, FYI. Don't know the maker.
Asking price? $1,750

Comments

[ouij]

A lot of folks buy pianos as decor, not necessarily to play them. Silly, right? They also make a fair amount of money from their associated businessess--piano maintenance (tuning and repairs) and/or piano moving (a very specialized trade).

A good piano isn't cheap--for a good-quality upright, I'd budget about $10,000 to $13,000. For a baby grand....well. A Steinway Model 'B' is at least $60,000: luxury car money, but worth it if you can get the most out of the instrument.

If I had a house of my own, I'd probably start off with a cheap-ish piano at two or three grand. It's already something I'm looking forward to in the longish term. I'll probably buy a piano before I buy a TV.

my secret plan

[rkorpanty]

(but shhhhh! don't tell andrew) is to buy a cheap one one day, after little timmy is born. i played low brass instruments for 8 years, but am virtually tonedeaf. andrew, on the other hand, has a brilliant musical ability that has either been ignored or neglected over the years. i plan on purchasing a cheap, beatup piano, sitting andrew and 3-year old timmy down next to each other, and telling them to learn: "Timmy, look, your dad is playing, and isnt he having fun?" "Andrew, don't you want your son to grow up talented? set a good example". and then, if they're any good, we can upgrade.

*manical laugh*

Re: my secret plan

[ouij]

...and then I can come to your house, get boozed up, and play ragtime. w00t.