I don't necessarily have links to post right now.... but what kind-of annoys me a bit (and is amusing/funny at the same time too), are misrepresented listings, like...
Grand piano ... and it's a "Grand" spinet.
full size upright piano ... a spinet
57" upright piano ... a console or spinet that probably happens to be 57" wide
a piano with a tall piano case... and it has the guts of a spinet. (I actually saw one of these at a store a few years back, and I may have seen others.)
piano .... and it's an organ, or an inexpensive electronic keyboard (like one of the Casios or Yamahas with 61 or fewer keys)
Also I don't exactly like it when some of the wrong keywords are used, like listing "yamaha steinway baldwin" or other brand names at the bottom of the listing when the piano is none of those brands.
...then the ones I miss out on, due to misspelled listings (so my search doesn't turn them up), misplaced listings (I generally only search under musical instruments when I'm looking for pianos), etc, can be a bit irksome.

This guy has been relisting this piano all summer . . . .

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/msg/1940956847.html

That's funny. I wonder if that's meant as a commentary on all the old upright listings.

A real bargain!

Yamaha CF III-S at only U.S. $1,200.00

Yamaha CF III concert grand

The deal with that piano is, after you get that piano into the US you have to have the legs 'inspected' by some guys the seller knows in the US.

Also, the 'ivory' keytops will be replaced by the same guys.

Amazing price, though!


(And, ideal for rock stars on the road -- all they need is a little razor blade to scrape the key tops!)

Seriously, though, it's funny when the commas and zeros get mixed up. When I bought my Baldwin R, which was advertised as 1,500 dollars, I hesitated for a moment when I took out my money and thought "I hope he didn't actually mean to write 15,000." Thankfully, he didn't.

There was a semi-concert Kawai for sale recently in San Francisco for something like 2-3k. I think they really meant the price, since the ad sounded like they had bought a building where it was located, and they just wanted to get rid of it. (Also, the ad didn't last very long.)

Check out this amazing Everett Spinet!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/msg/1964226981.html  

With cast metal levers, even! I'm imagining some 11th century clockworks. Who knew that Everett was into such technology?

That ain't no 1995, that's for sure!

Here's a piano that looks like a big boat:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/1966866456.html

It's an interesting find for someone with the resources to restore. I didn't know Bluethner made a symmetrical grand, and certainly not one so large. I wonder what it looks like inside.

Pianonart today:
"This is a beautiful Petrof Grand Piano III, with full Renner action. The tone and musicality of this instrument is blissful and exceptional - it is a dream piano for any level player but particularly for s killed player."

Does anyone have any experience with the brand "Kawaii"?

I think it was maybe a tropicalized version of Kawai???

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/msg/1979900517.html

The ultimate in musical instruments! Wouldn't you all agree??http://missoula.craigslist.org/msg/2019552079.html

"The ultimate in musical instruments, the Spinet Piano."

I just had to quote it for posterity when the ad expires. That's one of the funniest ones yet.

There's a guy in the UK that sells many pianos, under lots of different ID's which are easy to spot. Quite entertaining ads including videos playing pianos with a gorgeous blonde!

Also odd how some of his customers seem to sell piano occasionally too ... mmm ...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PRISTINE-CONDITION...#ht_9326wt_1140

Trancera, 'entertaining' isn't necessarily the word I would use to describe that eBay posting. I'm thinking 'schizophrenic' might be more apt. Wow, that was weird!

Anyone want to bet this piano has disintegrating plastic elbows?

http://elmira.craigslist.org/msg/2062651449.html

I did a Lester spinet elbow job the other day. A few of them had been replaced, so in all it had 4 types of elbows in it. I replaced them all to end up with a matching set.

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm considering refusing to do anymore elbow jobs, as I just don't think the pianos are worth it. Does anyone else still do these?

They would not be bad pianos if the elbows held up. I sell the elbows to handy owners and they can fix them if they feel up to it. Not all of them have plastic elbows.

There are also some real odd-ball individuals who advertize on CL.
For example, I just saw this ad reappear on CL after several months….

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/msg/2075219362.html

Several months ago, I saw this exact same ad on CL and I was genuinely interested in this particular semi-concert grand piano…

When I emailed the owner and gave him my cell phone number, he called and we discussed the piano. When I asked to schedule a time to look at the piano, he said I needed to prove to him that I was who I said I was and provide him with a land-line phone number and my address. When I complied, he wanted to know if I had the money in my bank account to buy the piano. I assured him that I did have the money to buy it if I decided I wanted it after I looked at it and played it.

Then, he said he would not schedule a time for me to look at it unless I agreed to buy it first. I told him that was an unreasonable request because I had not seen it or played it yet. He said he would contact me again and never did. I guess he changed his mind about selling and removed his ad and I never heard from him again.

Now, his ad, almost identical to the one several months ago, is back on CL.

There are some weird ones out there….

Oh, and by-the-way, I did find a wonderful older Yamaha C7 that I’m absolutely thrilled with… but I didn’t fine it on CL. I guess divine providence was looking after me in the first place…

Take care,

Rick

The pianos are worthless if the elbows aren't replaced. So, yes, I will still do these.

I kinda like doing them. I replace them right in the clients piano - It takes about 2.5 to 3 hours.

Who are you to say whether it is worth it or not? I see my job is to offer service to my client. If they want the piano to work and are willing to pay me, I'll do the work. I'm not here to pass judgement on their taste in instruments.

The only reason I might refuse is if the piano had too many other problems like rusty strings, splitting bridges, loose tuning pins, worn out action etc. But some of these little piano aren't in too bad a shape and with some TLC people can get some enjoyment out of them.

On today"s PianoMart listings:

"This over 100 years old still plays like a new one my wife has replaced the key broad already"

Wonder where the drums are at in this piano? Wonder where they got replacement drums for it?

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/msg/2129906020.html

Nice decal though. Those drums you speak of would be the much-sought- after invisible ones......that everyone looks for but can never find……

The decal should be nice considering it was made from 14 quarts of gold!

Why in the hell would anybody want a gold decal hidden under the top lid? And $4,000 - are these people insane? Or is it so common to find idiots on craigslist that anything is worth a go? (we don't have a craigslist in OZ)

Craigslist is a minefield of all sorts of used goods. Decals were put in all sorts of un-seen places on pianos in North America including the back of uprights here in Canada.

And the decals showed gold medals, but were not gold themselves.

Yes, I was being sarcastic there, but not very clear. I was disgusted that the seller would try to pass off a cheap decal as gold, in addition to the price of an old clunker at $4000. I guess craigslist is just a big market free-for-all with no rules.

Craigslist took over for most of the used goods for sale in print media, like the Buy/Sell we have here or the auto/truck trader.
Like any used good it is always buyer beware on Craiglist, Kijiji, or any of the paid sites like Ebay.

One can find a lot of over priced goods of all sorts there. I am surprised that you don’t have a craigslist or similar in OZ.
Type in Craigslist and choose a city in America or Canada. Then you can browse all of the crap too….