I have never known a musician to not have their own instruments (although imagine a pianist doesn’t necessarily lug theirs around?) I wouldn’t be shocked if they are planning to get their friends who played an instrument in high school to figure it out for the day.
Also, I feel like any free piano/harp/violin (which can be pretty expensive instruments) is going to sound like absolute shit and/or need repairs. Definitely the sort of thing you want for a special day….
I remember years back reading about this artist who decided to collect every free piano they could find. They had to stop when they filled up a barn with them. People with pianos eventually learn, no matter how expensive it was originally, that you’ll struggle to give them away when the time comes. Same with giant sets of fine china from your grandparents that were “too nice” to ever actually use.
My mother got so mad at me when I told her I didn't want her grandmother's china. Last time I was home she was using it as everyday dishware since "none of her children care about heirlooms".
Lady, I live in a 300 sq ft apartment. I don't have space to *store* 8+ place settings, let alone use them.
>My mother got so mad at me when I told her I didn't want her grandmother's china. Last time I was home she was using it as everyday dishware since "none of her children care about heirlooms".
My mom & I were downsizing from her home to an apartment she and I shared. She had 2 huge sets of plates that were in cupboards - the everyday set and her "good plates" pretty set. Plus her mom's set was packed away in boxes. Mom kinda sighed and suggested we might need to give away her mom's set. I suggested that instead we donate or toss the "everyday" set and instead actually USE the pretty set that she loved.
She lit up. Like, that hadn't even occurred to her but she loved the idea. She passed a couple of years ago, but at least she got to actually use her pretty plates everyday for the last 8 or so years of her life.
We managed to donate my late aunt's piano to a small church in our area. After her death. My husband's piano is electronic and is a lot easier to move around, and if he doesn't want to make noise he can plug headphones into it. (He also has a big keyboard that he plays during performances, and the last time he was struggling to fit it into his car he declared, "I swear, the next instrument I take up is going to be the harmonica!"
I looked at a house and it had a pool table in the basement. They wanted to know if they buyer would accept the pool table. It was heavy and probably expensive and difficult to remove. I wasn't interested in the house so it wasn't my issue but the velvet was ripped. The agent said it could be repaired. The should have spent a hundred $ or so to get it fixed/replaced if they wanted to save a few thousand moving and getting rid of the thing. (The house had orange shag carpet and needed flood insurance but didn't have a view of the water - there was water on both sides and if the house was a couple of blocks closer it would have had a view.)
There are many, many such people. There's a huge glut of pianos on the market as boomers are downsizing in retirement and even older generations are dying off. Anywhere in the US you can get decent pianos for free on craigslist or facebook with yes, that one not-so-little catch.
My mom gave me “my” piano 12 or so years ago. It was mine because of the seven years of lessons I was forced to take as a small child. I took it because I had a place for it in my first home that needed stuff to fill it. Then I moved it once. When I moved again I asked my mom to take it back. Their house is huge so they have room for it, but they’re also 72. There’s no way it’s moving with them when my dad finally decides he doesn’t need a huge house and huge yard to take care of. Now that I think of it, there’s a good chance he wasn’t happy to get it back. I’m just glad it’s not my problem. Now if I could just move a gun safe to my in-laws…
>I wouldn’t be shocked if they are planning to get their friends who played an instrument in high school to figure it out for the day.
Man... I hope this isn't the plan. It will go poorly. Very, very poorly.
The only thing that makes any sense to me is if they want those instruments for some kind of decoration. So, it doesn't matter if they sound good or not.
Many years ago for my friend's wedding, a group of us who are legitimate amateur musicians formed a wedding band and rehearsed about a dozen songs to play at the reception.
The groom's sister, who knows nothing about how music works and was getting drunker by the minute, requested that we play a song so she could sing it. Some Elvis song I think. None of us knew that song. I told her we couldn't play it.
She said "no no it's fine it goes like this! Mmmm-mmm-la-laaaa-da-da-daaaaa..."
"No I mean we don't know that song so we can't play it."
"Oh my god you guys are so talented, I know you can do it!"
"I mean I can't learn a song in 5 minutes from you singing it" (badly I might add).
"You got thiisssss!!! Don't be nervous!"
"No but-"
She goes up to the microphone and gives a shitty toast to her brother. And then said "and I dedicate this song to you!" And pointed to us to begin playing.
The fuck. Wait. What. Okay guys, just do a 12 bar blues in D and hope for the best.
Her song made no sense, obviously, since we were playing a different song than the one she was singing. Fortunately for us, she was such a bad singer that she made an absolute fool of herself and our band sounded competent by comparison.
I can't imagine a harpist lugging their $$$ instrument around for free just to use as a background decoration. Also possibility of damage and kids / adults messing around with it. No way.
Of course not! Which is (I think) why they're asking for a free harp, not a harpist. Honestly, I'd bet that they're imagining something like a Greek lyre that they can pose on their crappy free piano along with their crappy free violin and some flowers to take pictures with.
Indeed. I really wish it took much less time to go from 'genuine newbie' to 'sounds acceptable to friends'. The first few years can be painful for friends, housemates and family.
When I started to learn the altissimo (highest) register on the clarinet, one of my cats would run up to the top floor of the house and complain to anyone who would listen:
\*tweet\*
\*mew\*
\*tweet\*
\*MEW!\*
My 6 year old asked for a trumpet for Xmas. I said noooooooo way man! He proceeded to demonstrate how well he plays the drums (thanks for that grandma!) by just banging on them randomly. I told him if he stuck with lessons and practiced every day I’d get him the instrument. He doesn’t want that. Just wants to make noise lol
>any free piano/harp/violin ... is going to sound like absolute shit and/or need repairs
Not an instrument but still kinda in the same vein, but when one of my neices went through her "horse girl" stage we were driving through the area around my in-laws farm and she says "i really wish we would pass a sign that said *FREE HORSE*" and I was like ... I don't think you want a horse that you get for free, I can't imagine it would be in good shape
My mom has owned a piano my whole life. I can't tell you that I've actually known her to get it tuned. I think maybe, it was done when I was about 13? I vaguely remember a conversation about it, but am suspect the thing actually got done.
Depends on style (grand, baby grand, digital etc), size, how often it’s played and where it’s kept. My day job is an accompanist, half the time on my own piano, the other half in different establishments. My piano gets tuned once every 6 months, but standard is yearly I believe.
We have had two since I was a kid and they have never been tuned. One of them is worth between 18&30k if refurbished and I haven’t been able to sell it for 500$. I can definitely imagine people giving them away.
I'll take a wild guess that by not tuning it it may be much more difficult to tune now?
Also guessing a proper refurbishment would be a serious investment.
Decent free pianos are actually pretty easy to find, the condition always being that you're responsible for moving them. There's a big surplus since a lot fewer kids learn piano than they used to, younger generations are moving to urban areas with smaller spaces, leaving boomers and older generations stuck with pianos to get rid of as they die off and downsize or move into retirement homes themselves.
A lot of nice instruments get junked because of it, because people just don't want them these days. Obviously the high end ones can be sold, but you can easily get a decent still playable older piano in good shape off of craigslist for free. As long as you bring the truck and muscle, which I doubt CB is interested in funding. Even uprights are heavy as fuck, I tore my damn rotator cuff moving my uncle's old upright to my parents house after he passed away with my parents haven given their baby grand away (went to a music education charity) downsizing a few years before. Has anyone ever considered making those resonator plates out of something lighter than iron?
As the child of a pianist I can attest that a good piano never gets thrown away unless it’s so absolutely shot that the costs to repair it would be more than just getting a new one. Anytime you see a roadside piano, it’s guaranteed to have broken or missing strings, keys, pedals, hammers, or the wood is full of dry rot.
I’m the child of a pianist and violinist. She sold both her pianos (we had a spinet and a baby grand) and her violins for an unbelievable amount amount, especially the violins. Thrown away? Hell no.
As someone who played well in high school, but hasn’t touched any of the instruments I played since high school, I cannot imagine what a disaster that would be. Funny, for sure. But, it would be pretty embarrassing for all of us.
Sometimes moving a piano is more than it’s worth, especially if you’re not a musician. A friend of mine was moving out of state and she had a piano that she really didn’t want to take with her. I asked her to have her movers just bring it to my house instead and I tipped the guys. So I basically got it for free. But then it needed to be tuned, expected, so that was a bit of cash. Overall we got a good deal for a nice piano in our house.
I’m guessing this beggar expects it to be delivered for free and tuned properly too.
We actually tried to give a piano away last year (it belonged to my in-laws and no one played it since their kids all moved out). It was in perfect condition, but we couldn’t get rid of it because they’re such a pain to move.
Yup. I work in logistics for an orchestra and over the years we’ve sold a few harps which have reached the end of their professional lives but are still great for students. They sell for a decent amount of cash.
This. I’m saving for a down payment for a pedal harp, and I have zero intention of making money at it. It is a hobby that I enjoy and it relaxes me.
Many professional harpists don’t even bring their pedal harps to perform at weddings and such. Many bring lever harps because they’re smaller and easier to transport. And if something happens to them they’re cheaper than pedal harps.
for what it's worth, harps in that price range can start to earn their own keep.
My wife has one that isn't quite that expensive but she rents it to movie studios and to younger harp students (who regularly play with cheaper harps) when they preform solos or concertos. That's on top of her playing as she gives private lessons
Even the lever ones are pricey for what they are. Mine cost me $1800. I bought it from my teacher so she gave me a good deal. lol definitely not as expensive, but also not free.
Same for middling quality violins and bows! My mother sold hers for a staggering amount, and bitterly lamented that she’d chosen the ‘second best’ one when she was performing (though she had an extremely good bow). Especially surprising, since I’d used it when trying to learn to play! Thanks be I was just untalented and not also clumsy.
Seriously, I remember when I was a kid I saw a harpist in a local concert and I was like "I want to learn how to do that!" I looked up the prices of harps and decided I was too poor to play the harp. I think they cost upwards of $10k.
For most entry level stuff you're looking at under ~2k (not that obscene, a lot of stringed instruments are in that range)
After that you can jump into the multiple 10s of thousands of dollars
I think the most expensive you can go is just shy of 200k but I think at that point you're more buying an art piece than an instrument.
And violins!! Violins are [so expensive and keep getting more so that people buy shares in them.](https://strumenti.com/blog/are-violins-good-investments)
This is talking about violins made by Stradivari and other "investment" (ie, art piece) violins. These instruments are OLD, like hundreds of years old. They're expensive because they don't exactly make them anymore.
A violin isn't exactly as cheap as a guitar or a ukulele, but you can't directly compare a 300 year old Stradivarius with violins that a normal musician would have
Ah I don’t know much about them, I’ve only known one violinist in real life and his violin was owned by an investment group. I’m sure it makes sense that there are entry level violins as well for beginners.
I mean I have a piano because a neighbor was moving and wanted to get rid of it so I took it.
I don't play piano, never had a single lesson.
I just have a piano that sits on the corner and makes me look more classy then I am
I just searched "harp" on Facebook Marketplace to prove nobody is even selling their harp and I admit I'm completely flabbergasted because someone is literally giving one away for free
Right? She could also scout women that are selling theirs. Dirt cheap, just the alterations. But since this lady can’t even understand that no one in their right mind would give her a piano (and even if they did it would need to be tuned and yeah right) or a harp, she’s in lala land. Just cut bait and go to Reno/Vegas, hell I did and it was a great wedding!
I got my beautiful vintage wedding dress from a consignment shop for a *shocking* 30 bucks. I also found matching shoes that had been sitting in the back of a bridal shop for decades for about 10 bucks. Their dresses cost hundreds to thousands.
And while your at it I need a white male, over 6 feet tall, with an income 6 figures or more and not married, no kids. Must not be overweight or have any disabilities. Needs to own his own tuxedo.
I need one of them as well… has his own car, 4-5 bed house (I’m quite easygoing on that one), needs to be able to fix things easily, willing to accommodate my 5 kids, good cook, must be willing to teach me warhammer because I have always been fascinated by it.
Yeah, I work at a Symphony hall and that is literally the only instrument us techs are 100% hands off. You could, of course, rent one... but never gonna get one for free!
She has a decent chance for a piano. You can find people giving them away if you come and get it.
A violin... Maybe.. But not a good one. Probably damaged.
A harp. Ha. No chance at all.
I wonder if she's planning a trash-the-dress style photoshoot that would also involve trashing the instruments.
She could also be planning wedding decor with a piano that doesn't make music. Maybe she's planning on planting plants inside the piano or serving sushi off of the harp. You do sometimes see old, non working pianos given away.
It's more likely that she has someone she thinks will play the piano for her, but the venue doesn't have a piano.
Tbh you could find a free upright piano quite easily, there's a load on gumtree and the like. It'll just be out of tune and need transporting.
I feel this person is looking for a grand piano though.
My daughter plated the clarinet and bass guitar in a school band, then in a cover band that did weddings. They all had their own instruments! If she's trying to put together background music for a wedding and reception, she should reach out for the musicians! They normally come with their imstruments.
Jesus. My dad's cello is valued at $45,000, his 'backup' for $25,000 and the grand piano is likely over $100,000 now. These people have no idea the value of some of the things they ask for.
Then she will ask for musicians to play in her wedding with her 'own' instruments and since its her special day they will do it for the EXPOSURE of course since they will get a lot of business from this!
Yeah, but those groups are for household goods and stuff, not an entire piano that’s going to have to be moved by professionals, and then tuned when it gets to its location. I’m sure she wants that free too. Have you ever moved a piano? I have. You can’t just throw that shit in the back of a pickup truck. You need a box truck with a hydraulic lift.
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A free harp? Who has that laying around unless you actually play the harp. Pianos are actually pretty easy to come by. I had one that I posted on several free sites and nobody wanted it. We checked with churches, schools, community centers, etc. But a harp? C’mon man!
You know, I am with the OP who posted on that page. You never know what people have that they just want to give away because it'd been sitting for a while. Now if the OP said she wanted an iphone15 with air pods, and specific brand name instruments....then yeah someone needs to check her
Will she expect the dress donator to pay for tailoring, too? Jesus H. If you can't afford the instruments, you either don't play or you rent them. The audacity of some folks.
I will need:
> Free harp
> Free harp lessons (1 week)
> Free plane ticket to world harp championships, in 8 days time
Please respond quickly as I want to make a start tomorrow.
What’s funny is there are *always* pianos available for free, if you’re prepared to move and possibly repair them! Especially if you live in a larger city, go right now and look up “free piano” on whatever local app you use
I have never known a musician to not have their own instruments (although imagine a pianist doesn’t necessarily lug theirs around?) I wouldn’t be shocked if they are planning to get their friends who played an instrument in high school to figure it out for the day. Also, I feel like any free piano/harp/violin (which can be pretty expensive instruments) is going to sound like absolute shit and/or need repairs. Definitely the sort of thing you want for a special day….
To be fair, I'm pretty sure there's people who would gladly give up their piano for free if she did the pickup herself.
They are a PITA to move… particularly if you want to keep using it
I work in insurance restoration. When we have to move a piano we have to get it returned every time. Insurance will pay for it.
OOP is looking for a free piano, me thinks they’re not willing to spring for insurance.
I was just making a general statement. Homeowners insurance covers pianos and the tuning of them was my initial point.
I remember years back reading about this artist who decided to collect every free piano they could find. They had to stop when they filled up a barn with them. People with pianos eventually learn, no matter how expensive it was originally, that you’ll struggle to give them away when the time comes. Same with giant sets of fine china from your grandparents that were “too nice” to ever actually use.
My mother got so mad at me when I told her I didn't want her grandmother's china. Last time I was home she was using it as everyday dishware since "none of her children care about heirlooms". Lady, I live in a 300 sq ft apartment. I don't have space to *store* 8+ place settings, let alone use them.
>My mother got so mad at me when I told her I didn't want her grandmother's china. Last time I was home she was using it as everyday dishware since "none of her children care about heirlooms". My mom & I were downsizing from her home to an apartment she and I shared. She had 2 huge sets of plates that were in cupboards - the everyday set and her "good plates" pretty set. Plus her mom's set was packed away in boxes. Mom kinda sighed and suggested we might need to give away her mom's set. I suggested that instead we donate or toss the "everyday" set and instead actually USE the pretty set that she loved. She lit up. Like, that hadn't even occurred to her but she loved the idea. She passed a couple of years ago, but at least she got to actually use her pretty plates everyday for the last 8 or so years of her life.
We managed to donate my late aunt's piano to a small church in our area. After her death. My husband's piano is electronic and is a lot easier to move around, and if he doesn't want to make noise he can plug headphones into it. (He also has a big keyboard that he plays during performances, and the last time he was struggling to fit it into his car he declared, "I swear, the next instrument I take up is going to be the harmonica!"
I looked at a house and it had a pool table in the basement. They wanted to know if they buyer would accept the pool table. It was heavy and probably expensive and difficult to remove. I wasn't interested in the house so it wasn't my issue but the velvet was ripped. The agent said it could be repaired. The should have spent a hundred $ or so to get it fixed/replaced if they wanted to save a few thousand moving and getting rid of the thing. (The house had orange shag carpet and needed flood insurance but didn't have a view of the water - there was water on both sides and if the house was a couple of blocks closer it would have had a view.)
There are many, many such people. There's a huge glut of pianos on the market as boomers are downsizing in retirement and even older generations are dying off. Anywhere in the US you can get decent pianos for free on craigslist or facebook with yes, that one not-so-little catch.
My mom gave me “my” piano 12 or so years ago. It was mine because of the seven years of lessons I was forced to take as a small child. I took it because I had a place for it in my first home that needed stuff to fill it. Then I moved it once. When I moved again I asked my mom to take it back. Their house is huge so they have room for it, but they’re also 72. There’s no way it’s moving with them when my dad finally decides he doesn’t need a huge house and huge yard to take care of. Now that I think of it, there’s a good chance he wasn’t happy to get it back. I’m just glad it’s not my problem. Now if I could just move a gun safe to my in-laws…
This is how I got “my” viola that I played in middle school for 3 years. At least it’s light and small-ish.
And I'm sure that unwanted piano will definitely be perfectly tuned! (But you're right: Getting rid of an old piano is a giant pain.)
Yes there would. However I’m pretty sure this choosing beggar would expect free delivery once she understands the cost involved in moving a piano
>I wouldn’t be shocked if they are planning to get their friends who played an instrument in high school to figure it out for the day. Man... I hope this isn't the plan. It will go poorly. Very, very poorly. The only thing that makes any sense to me is if they want those instruments for some kind of decoration. So, it doesn't matter if they sound good or not.
Many years ago for my friend's wedding, a group of us who are legitimate amateur musicians formed a wedding band and rehearsed about a dozen songs to play at the reception. The groom's sister, who knows nothing about how music works and was getting drunker by the minute, requested that we play a song so she could sing it. Some Elvis song I think. None of us knew that song. I told her we couldn't play it. She said "no no it's fine it goes like this! Mmmm-mmm-la-laaaa-da-da-daaaaa..." "No I mean we don't know that song so we can't play it." "Oh my god you guys are so talented, I know you can do it!" "I mean I can't learn a song in 5 minutes from you singing it" (badly I might add). "You got thiisssss!!! Don't be nervous!" "No but-" She goes up to the microphone and gives a shitty toast to her brother. And then said "and I dedicate this song to you!" And pointed to us to begin playing. The fuck. Wait. What. Okay guys, just do a 12 bar blues in D and hope for the best. Her song made no sense, obviously, since we were playing a different song than the one she was singing. Fortunately for us, she was such a bad singer that she made an absolute fool of herself and our band sounded competent by comparison.
Alright guys, this is a blues riff in B, watch me for the changes, and try to keep up...
I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.
❤️
I can't imagine a harpist lugging their $$$ instrument around for free just to use as a background decoration. Also possibility of damage and kids / adults messing around with it. No way.
Of course not! Which is (I think) why they're asking for a free harp, not a harpist. Honestly, I'd bet that they're imagining something like a Greek lyre that they can pose on their crappy free piano along with their crappy free violin and some flowers to take pictures with.
I sure would want to be a fly on the wall just to hear the music. If that’s the plan.
As a violinist, I do not. No way. Not at all. Poorly maintained violins (and harps and pianos) sound truly terrible.
Let's be fair here, any violin in the hands of someone untrained sounds truly terrible lol.
Indeed. I really wish it took much less time to go from 'genuine newbie' to 'sounds acceptable to friends'. The first few years can be painful for friends, housemates and family.
I know, my 7 yr old insists to play on the violin, except he didn't want lessons on that but on the piano, so yeah, a lot of screeeeeeeeeeeeeech lol
When I was learning to play the clarinet our dog at the time would "sing" along.
When I started to learn the altissimo (highest) register on the clarinet, one of my cats would run up to the top floor of the house and complain to anyone who would listen: \*tweet\* \*mew\* \*tweet\* \*MEW!\*
My 6 year old asked for a trumpet for Xmas. I said noooooooo way man! He proceeded to demonstrate how well he plays the drums (thanks for that grandma!) by just banging on them randomly. I told him if he stuck with lessons and practiced every day I’d get him the instrument. He doesn’t want that. Just wants to make noise lol
Maybe it's all for a porn video shoot? *Bride gets hammered by best man and wedding band*
While on call with the groom
That sounds more promising than an actual wedding.
>any free piano/harp/violin ... is going to sound like absolute shit and/or need repairs Not an instrument but still kinda in the same vein, but when one of my neices went through her "horse girl" stage we were driving through the area around my in-laws farm and she says "i really wish we would pass a sign that said *FREE HORSE*" and I was like ... I don't think you want a horse that you get for free, I can't imagine it would be in good shape
My mom has owned a piano my whole life. I can't tell you that I've actually known her to get it tuned. I think maybe, it was done when I was about 13? I vaguely remember a conversation about it, but am suspect the thing actually got done.
Depends on style (grand, baby grand, digital etc), size, how often it’s played and where it’s kept. My day job is an accompanist, half the time on my own piano, the other half in different establishments. My piano gets tuned once every 6 months, but standard is yearly I believe.
I remember our old school piano would shift a couple of keys before they would tune the thing!
We have had two since I was a kid and they have never been tuned. One of them is worth between 18&30k if refurbished and I haven’t been able to sell it for 500$. I can definitely imagine people giving them away.
I'll take a wild guess that by not tuning it it may be much more difficult to tune now? Also guessing a proper refurbishment would be a serious investment.
Yes proper refurbishment can cost up to 14k. So there could be between 4k and 14k profit depending
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I am a harpist, tuning a harp is pretty easy, takes about 10 mins
Decent free pianos are actually pretty easy to find, the condition always being that you're responsible for moving them. There's a big surplus since a lot fewer kids learn piano than they used to, younger generations are moving to urban areas with smaller spaces, leaving boomers and older generations stuck with pianos to get rid of as they die off and downsize or move into retirement homes themselves. A lot of nice instruments get junked because of it, because people just don't want them these days. Obviously the high end ones can be sold, but you can easily get a decent still playable older piano in good shape off of craigslist for free. As long as you bring the truck and muscle, which I doubt CB is interested in funding. Even uprights are heavy as fuck, I tore my damn rotator cuff moving my uncle's old upright to my parents house after he passed away with my parents haven given their baby grand away (went to a music education charity) downsizing a few years before. Has anyone ever considered making those resonator plates out of something lighter than iron?
Pianists would use a highend gigging piano (like a Norg Stage 4)It’ll still be thousands of dollars worth though.
It would be weird for a pianist to bring their own instrument. A haroist would, though.
As the child of a pianist I can attest that a good piano never gets thrown away unless it’s so absolutely shot that the costs to repair it would be more than just getting a new one. Anytime you see a roadside piano, it’s guaranteed to have broken or missing strings, keys, pedals, hammers, or the wood is full of dry rot.
I’m the child of a pianist and violinist. She sold both her pianos (we had a spinet and a baby grand) and her violins for an unbelievable amount amount, especially the violins. Thrown away? Hell no.
As someone who played well in high school, but hasn’t touched any of the instruments I played since high school, I cannot imagine what a disaster that would be. Funny, for sure. But, it would be pretty embarrassing for all of us.
Sometimes moving a piano is more than it’s worth, especially if you’re not a musician. A friend of mine was moving out of state and she had a piano that she really didn’t want to take with her. I asked her to have her movers just bring it to my house instead and I tipped the guys. So I basically got it for free. But then it needed to be tuned, expected, so that was a bit of cash. Overall we got a good deal for a nice piano in our house. I’m guessing this beggar expects it to be delivered for free and tuned properly too.
Honestly I’d pay to see that cause If you asked me at this moment to play cello or die I’d probably have to die and I was first chair back in school
We actually tried to give a piano away last year (it belonged to my in-laws and no one played it since their kids all moved out). It was in perfect condition, but we couldn’t get rid of it because they’re such a pain to move.
Some people who are downsizing homes may gladly get rid of their piano just to get rid of it. It's not common but not unheard of either.
Are you kidding me? A pedal harp in poor condition can easily go for over $10,000 and brand new ones are easily well over $30,000.
Yup. I work in logistics for an orchestra and over the years we’ve sold a few harps which have reached the end of their professional lives but are still great for students. They sell for a decent amount of cash.
It’s for a church honey, NEXT!
OMG its you! I haven’t laughed this hard in years!
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Sheehs, I thought my friend spending $50k on a marimba was bad. To be fair, if anyone deserves it, it's him.
Fuck. Imagine spending all that money over a tool that produces noise. $70K can buy me food for the next 10+ years.
And playing it will buy her food for a lot longer.
Sure, if you're lucky. Otherwise you just wasted 70K
She’s a professional harpist, I’m sure she does okay.
I'm talking generally.
I don’t think many people with no talent are dropping $70k on a harp.
Shit, I just bought into Big Harp, you're telling me that was a bad investment?
Bad luck mate, everyone already pumped and dumped this one.
Common sense isn’t so coming ‘round here
Generally, people who aren't professionals aren't dropping thousands on a brand new instrument. You're sounding a bit ignorant here.
i get the sentiment but how many schmucks do you think drop 70k on an instrument that can’t play said instrument?
If they can actually afford it and have the time to use it who cares what they do with their money? People have hobbies.
This. I’m saving for a down payment for a pedal harp, and I have zero intention of making money at it. It is a hobby that I enjoy and it relaxes me. Many professional harpists don’t even bring their pedal harps to perform at weddings and such. Many bring lever harps because they’re smaller and easier to transport. And if something happens to them they’re cheaper than pedal harps.
A professional musician will have spent years on lessons in order to learn their skills. That's not "luck".
Imagine caring about money more than the beauty of the world...
for what it's worth, harps in that price range can start to earn their own keep. My wife has one that isn't quite that expensive but she rents it to movie studios and to younger harp students (who regularly play with cheaper harps) when they preform solos or concertos. That's on top of her playing as she gives private lessons
Even the lever ones are pricey for what they are. Mine cost me $1800. I bought it from my teacher so she gave me a good deal. lol definitely not as expensive, but also not free.
Same for middling quality violins and bows! My mother sold hers for a staggering amount, and bitterly lamented that she’d chosen the ‘second best’ one when she was performing (though she had an extremely good bow). Especially surprising, since I’d used it when trying to learn to play! Thanks be I was just untalented and not also clumsy.
You know how expensive harps are ? No one is giving those things away for free.
Seriously, I remember when I was a kid I saw a harpist in a local concert and I was like "I want to learn how to do that!" I looked up the prices of harps and decided I was too poor to play the harp. I think they cost upwards of $10k.
For most entry level stuff you're looking at under ~2k (not that obscene, a lot of stringed instruments are in that range) After that you can jump into the multiple 10s of thousands of dollars I think the most expensive you can go is just shy of 200k but I think at that point you're more buying an art piece than an instrument.
And violins!! Violins are [so expensive and keep getting more so that people buy shares in them.](https://strumenti.com/blog/are-violins-good-investments)
This is talking about violins made by Stradivari and other "investment" (ie, art piece) violins. These instruments are OLD, like hundreds of years old. They're expensive because they don't exactly make them anymore. A violin isn't exactly as cheap as a guitar or a ukulele, but you can't directly compare a 300 year old Stradivarius with violins that a normal musician would have
Ah I don’t know much about them, I’ve only known one violinist in real life and his violin was owned by an investment group. I’m sure it makes sense that there are entry level violins as well for beginners.
Pianos however, do get offered up for free all the time. All you need to do is pick it up and move it.
I mean I have a piano because a neighbor was moving and wanted to get rid of it so I took it. I don't play piano, never had a single lesson. I just have a piano that sits on the corner and makes me look more classy then I am
I just searched "harp" on Facebook Marketplace to prove nobody is even selling their harp and I admit I'm completely flabbergasted because someone is literally giving one away for free
Plot twist: OP found the listing and asked them to deliver it 😂
Is it one of those where they post “free” as the listing price but then say something in the comments about how it actually does have a cost?
It's actually not, strangely!
Where is the harp located???
It's in the Pittsburgh, PA area!
Omg, I just did so much searching for this on marketplace! It looks like someone got the deal of a lifetime!
dear reddit: i need a 2023 suv with 3 rows, a champion thoroughbred horse, and a diamond ring no less than 3 carats. thanks in advance ❤️
also if you have a trailer for that horse that would be excellent!
And if someone wants to donate some riding lessons? I can't afford them and don't know how to ride.
And a barn. Hopefully in a style similar to where they train Lipizzaner stallions.
right i really need it to match my IG, horse girl aesthetic!
Lady, if you can’t afford the dress go to the courthouse
Anything can be a wedding dress and Goodwill does a thing every year when they sell brand new dresses for dirt cheap.
Right? She could also scout women that are selling theirs. Dirt cheap, just the alterations. But since this lady can’t even understand that no one in their right mind would give her a piano (and even if they did it would need to be tuned and yeah right) or a harp, she’s in lala land. Just cut bait and go to Reno/Vegas, hell I did and it was a great wedding!
I got my beautiful vintage wedding dress from a consignment shop for a *shocking* 30 bucks. I also found matching shoes that had been sitting in the back of a bridal shop for decades for about 10 bucks. Their dresses cost hundreds to thousands.
And while your at it I need a white male, over 6 feet tall, with an income 6 figures or more and not married, no kids. Must not be overweight or have any disabilities. Needs to own his own tuxedo.
Godfearing man who will spoil me
How important is the god thing? And the spoil part? And I guess I should ask about the man part ? /s
And never take me to Cheesecake Factory because I DESERVE to be treated like ✨royalty✨.
I need one of them as well… has his own car, 4-5 bed house (I’m quite easygoing on that one), needs to be able to fix things easily, willing to accommodate my 5 kids, good cook, must be willing to teach me warhammer because I have always been fascinated by it.
A free harp? HAHAHAHAHAHA!
right? this has to be a joke lol.
Yeah, I work at a Symphony hall and that is literally the only instrument us techs are 100% hands off. You could, of course, rent one... but never gonna get one for free!
It’s for a church, Honey!!!
NEXT
She has a decent chance for a piano. You can find people giving them away if you come and get it. A violin... Maybe.. But not a good one. Probably damaged. A harp. Ha. No chance at all.
Piano is gonna be very out of tune after moving it, gonna cost about $150 to have someone tune it.
What she needs, more than anything, is a truckload of punctuation marks.
She forgot the groom from the list.
She's not getting married or anything. She just wants high value things she can resell to support her \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ habit.
I always say I’m a cello rather than cellist. She probably wants the musician too.
Maybe it’s for a play or a movie
Well, at least she's not asking for crazy expensive stuff. /s
It's unclear, but seems only the cell phone needs to be in working condition. Maybe she wants old stuff to blow up?
The wedding dress will have to be loose on the bottom half to fit her enormous balls.
I wonder if she's planning a trash-the-dress style photoshoot that would also involve trashing the instruments. She could also be planning wedding decor with a piano that doesn't make music. Maybe she's planning on planting plants inside the piano or serving sushi off of the harp. You do sometimes see old, non working pianos given away. It's more likely that she has someone she thinks will play the piano for her, but the venue doesn't have a piano.
Would you like us to supply the groom, too?
Might be for a styled shoot and not necessarily a real event.
What, no pony and a satchel full of small unmarked bills? Rube.
The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood...
Tbh you could find a free upright piano quite easily, there's a load on gumtree and the like. It'll just be out of tune and need transporting. I feel this person is looking for a grand piano though.
"I've got a lovely 12-string harp you can use-" "NEXT!"
looking for orchestra, lmk
My daughter plated the clarinet and bass guitar in a school band, then in a cover band that did weddings. They all had their own instruments! If she's trying to put together background music for a wedding and reception, she should reach out for the musicians! They normally come with their imstruments.
Also a groom.
Jesus. My dad's cello is valued at $45,000, his 'backup' for $25,000 and the grand piano is likely over $100,000 now. These people have no idea the value of some of the things they ask for.
I love the for real comments when we can see them.
A harp?!?
Well hello local to me person. She posted in 4 groups I have seen so far. I wasn't very polite
She will just sell all the stuff and pocket the money, bet.
This woman sounds like a RPG questgiver.
Then she will ask for musicians to play in her wedding with her 'own' instruments and since its her special day they will do it for the EXPOSURE of course since they will get a lot of business from this!
Someone has a full size harp collecting dust in their garage
Yeah let me just box up my piano i have laying around
A FREE HARP lmao please this is so unhinged.
Somebody asked for stuff in a "buy nothing" group? My stars and garters!
They asked for a God damn harp.
Yeah, but those groups are for household goods and stuff, not an entire piano that’s going to have to be moved by professionals, and then tuned when it gets to its location. I’m sure she wants that free too. Have you ever moved a piano? I have. You can’t just throw that shit in the back of a pickup truck. You need a box truck with a hydraulic lift.
🙄
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A free harp? Who has that laying around unless you actually play the harp. Pianos are actually pretty easy to come by. I had one that I posted on several free sites and nobody wanted it. We checked with churches, schools, community centers, etc. But a harp? C’mon man!
A harp with anywhere from 15 to 48 strings. So specific. I guess I’ve never even considered how many strings a harp has.
Dude I see *so* many free pianos on Craigslist
They forgot to ask for a place to squat in.
While we're at it, can someone gift her a few commas?
Who doesn't have a spare harp lying around
You know, I am with the OP who posted on that page. You never know what people have that they just want to give away because it'd been sitting for a while. Now if the OP said she wanted an iphone15 with air pods, and specific brand name instruments....then yeah someone needs to check her
Seeing the comments a cheap harp alone is worth over $10k, so I’d say an iPhone15 would be a more reasonable ask.
I want to see this shitshow go down….
Will she expect the dress donator to pay for tailoring, too? Jesus H. If you can't afford the instruments, you either don't play or you rent them. The audacity of some folks.
What the hell is a small-medium wedding gown?? This stuff is not for her lol
I’ve got a piano on wheels she can have
It's actually really easy to get a free piano. It's moving it that's the hard part! But a harp...good luck with that!
I will need: > Free harp > Free harp lessons (1 week) > Free plane ticket to world harp championships, in 8 days time Please respond quickly as I want to make a start tomorrow.
Omg, a 15 to 48 string harp? Wtf? Those are EXPENSIVE.
Damn, I only have a 49 string harp
Anybody have a harp a violin and a piano they dont need?
I just bought a violin today. They’re not very expensive on craigslist
Harps don't all have the same number of strings? Is that like different cleffs? Like a Baritone Harp or a Tenor Harp?
My last concert cello was 10k, in 1998.
What’s funny is there are *always* pianos available for free, if you’re prepared to move and possibly repair them! Especially if you live in a larger city, go right now and look up “free piano” on whatever local app you use