How To Dispose & Get Rid Of Your Old Piano?

If you have an old piano that doesn’t work anymore, you might want to get rid of it to clear up some space in your house. However, you might find yourself stuck because removing this large piano from your home can be difficult. Pianos are large, bulky, and difficult to fit through many doorways. Also, you might have trouble removing it from your home because of how heavy it is.

Please continue reading to learn everything you need to dispose of the piano. You can use several methods to get rid of your old piano.

Contact Trash And Junk Removal Services In Your Area

One of the first things you should do is contact trash and junk removal services in your area to see if there’s anywhere you can take your old instrument.

You may even find a removal service that will take the piano away from your house, so you don’t have to worry about transportation. Either way, there are many people you should contact if you want to dispose of a piano.

Junk Yards

If you don’t want to put in much work and just want to get the piano out of your house, you can contact the local junkyard and see if they’ll accept it. When you call, you should ask your local junkyard if they offer pickup services so that you won’t have to worry about transporting the piano alone.

However, if they don’t offer these services, you’ll need to contact someone else to transport the piano to the junkyard for you.

Charities

Many charities will accept old pianos and may even pick up the instrument for you. For example, the Salvation Army is a charity that will pick up most old instruments from your home and take them to their facility.

This way, you don’t have to put the work in, and someone else could benefit from your donation. Even if the piano doesn’t work, many charities might want your instrument for other means.

Recycling

Most of your piano is recyclable, and you can turn it into other furniture. For example, you can use the wood panels of your piano to create tables, chairs, or any other furniture you could think of.

Also, you can recycle the metal inside the piano so it doesn’t go to waste. Recycling is more difficult than taking the piano to a junkyard, but it’s much better for the environment.

Piano Movers

If the junk removal service you contact doesn’t handle pianos, you might need to hire A piano mover to transport the instrument. Most people can’t pick up a piano independently and need professional intervention to get rid of the large instrument. Because pianos are made from mostly water metal and huge, they’re extremely heavy, so it’s at least a four-person job.

Should You Dismantle a Piano Before Disposal?

If your piano is completely broken and you have no hopes of restoring it, you might want to dismantle it before you get rid of it. On its own, it will take several people to carry and take it to a disposal site.

However, if you’re working alone, then you can tear your piano apart and take it away in pieces. The more pieces you dismantle your piano into, the easier it will be for you to carry the piano and transport it to a junkyard.

Salvageable Parts of an Old Piano

If you decide to dismantle your piano, you might have pieces you’ll want to hang onto and use for other purposes. For example, pianos are made out of wood and metal, and both of these materials can be valuable in several situations. So, look at our list below to determine if you have any salvageable parts of an old piano.

Posts And Dowels

You can use the posts and dowels of your piano for woodturning purposes. Many like to turn wood into vases, bowls, or other materials they enjoy. However, it can be difficult for people to find affordable cylinders they can use in their woodturning projects.

So, if you know anyone who enjoys woodturning or you’re willing to put a PSA out online, then someone could benefit from these parts instead of letting them go to waste.

Scrap Wood

You can refurbish the scrap wood of your piano into other furniture like couches, chairs, tables, or cabinets. Scrap wood can go a long way, and the wood manufacturers use to make pianos is durable and valuable. So, if you’re willing to dismantle your piano and use the parts for other projects, you could save money on scrap wood.

Piano Keys 

Piano keys are one of the least valuable parts of this instrument, but many people could still use them. For example, if you have a school or Art Center near you, they could benefit from the piano keys and use them in their projects. Also, you could post your piano keys online to see if anyone would have used them. Many people like to do DIY projects, and if they know someone who likes pianos, their projects could benefit from your piano keys.

Scrap Metal

Some pianos have more metal inside than others, and you could turn this metal into a profit. Depending on that day, scrap metal can be pretty pricey and can help you boost your wallet.

So, if you plan to dismantle your piano, you should set the metal aside and get an evaluation. You can either go to a junkyard for this evaluation or post your scrap metal online and ask for bidders.

Try To Sell The Piano 

Believe it or not, even if your piano is in rough shape, you can try to sell the instrument and get some of your money back. The quality will determine the value of your piano. It’s in the brand of your piano and your local economy. For example, if you live in an area where it’s difficult to get a hold of a piano, you could sell it for more than it’s worth in an area where pianos are plentiful.

You probably won’t make a profit unless your piano is in almost new condition. Still, you can get a return on your initial investment. A piano will start expensive when it is brand new, but the price rapidly decreases as soon as you take it off the lot of the music store. So, if you spent $9000 on your piano, you might only get $2000 back, even if it’s in great condition.

Antique Stores

Depending on how all of your pianos are and what type of shape it’s in, you might get lucky and sell them to an antique store. These stores specialize in old goods and love vintage furniture and instruments.

So, even if your old piano doesn’t work anymore, the antique store might be willing to buy it from you if you’re honest about its condition.

If your piano doesn’t work, ensure that you let the antique store know so they can give a proper evaluation. If you try to sell an instrument that doesn’t work and don’t disclose that fact, it could damage your reputation and credibility. Then, you’ll have trouble selling any items you own in the future locally.

Collectors

Many music enthusiasts collect old and use pianos for their enjoyment. To find these collectors, you’ll have to go to music stores and antique shops and ask around your community. Or you can post the old piano online to attract collectors.

Tons of websites allow you to buy, sell, and trade items, so even if you don’t want financial compensation, you might get something you want in exchange for the instrument.

Many collectors seek out specific piano brands, so if your old instrument complies with one of those brands, you might make a bit of money. Oddly enough, the older your piano is, the more interested collectors will be in purchasing the instrument.

Online Sales

If you want to sell your piano online, you can either dismantle it or sell it as is. For example, if you don’t have a valuable piano that people are seeking, you might want to dismantle it, especially if it doesn’t work anymore.

Otherwise, people might not even spend the shipping cost of getting the piano to them. Meanwhile, if you dismantle your old broken piano and sell it piece by piece, you might attract many potential buyers.

You can list your old piano on Facebook marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, or any other website that allows a person-to-person sale.

Final Thoughts

Disposing of your old piano can take much work because of how heavy they are. You can choose to take your piano to a junkyard, sell it online, or dismantle it and sell the individual pieces. Some pianos are completely trashed and have no way to recover the noise. 

In these situations, you should check to ensure your piano is not a highly sought-after vintage before you dismantle it or throw it away in the junkyard. Otherwise, you could miss out on getting some of your money back on your initial investment.