How Do I Dispose of My Piano?

From a piano lover’s point of view, preferably not at all. 

And if the day does come when, for various reasons, there seems to be no simple alternative to disposal – then please dispose of it properly. In other words, take this worry off your hands with the good feeling of having done the right thing.

If selling, lending and giving away are no longer options, it is worth reading our sustainable piano disposal service right away.

For a good decision, there are basically three options – keep, give away, scrap – with variants. In all these variants, it is important to observe the stricter legislation on ivory in force since January 19, 2022 – see our article “Ivory keys on pianos?”.

Keep the piano

Is there a place in the living area where the instrument still enriches the room visually, can serve as a nice surface – and offers visitors with a passion for the piano a chance to make music?

Put the piano into storage

If it is worthwhile economically and/or emotionally, one option would be to have the instrument stored professionally. This way, the right decision can still be made later with some distance. Basements, garages, etc. and unprofessional storage are not suitable for this! Please also read about our storage service.

Lend the piano

Why not make others happy with the instrument? If there is someone in the family or among friends who would take it, the instrument stays in your possession, has a better place and is cared for and used.

Invest in the piano

Both for your own use and for a possible sale, it would be worth checking whether investing in the instrument pays off economically. This requires experienced and independent expert advice, since investing in order to sell for more rarely pays off for an owner. Please read about our piano appraisal or piano renovation services.

Sell the piano

If the piano can still find a buyer, a sale would combine the pleasant (proceeds) with the useful (continued existence). Playable instruments are of interest to pianists. Value and possible price are best tested with “best offer”. Instruments in need of renovation may be of interest to dealers. As a layperson, however, selling can become difficult and time-consuming. Please also read about our piano purchase or piano appraisal services.

Give the piano on consignment

If a sale is still interesting and possible for a professional, a consignment solution could be the best solution for both sides. For particularly valuable and unique instruments, we offer consignment solutions by arrangement. Please feel free to send us details about your instrument.

Donate the piano

It would of course be nice if a friendly gesture brought the instrument back into use at a place in need: kindergartens, schools, refugee shelters, retirement and nursing homes, regional museums, etc. Most of them, however, already have more than enough, so the well-meant idea can rarely be put into practice.

Give the piano away

If attempts to sell have failed even after several price reductions, the only option left may be a free giveaway ad, for example on Kleinanzeigen (formerly eBay Kleinanzeigen). Depending on the type and condition and, above all, the location of the piano (transport costs), someone may be found this way.

Dismantle the piano

On the surface, a piano may look easy to dismantle – but in detail there are many parts that can cause injury or are harmful, so we expressly advise against dismantling it yourself – let alone in living spaces. Please, no home piano butchering! The tension on the strings, the weight of individual parts and the nature of the materials are not suited to amateur dismantling of the piano. Under no circumstances should this be done in living spaces or without protective clothing or respiratory protection. Even well-kept instruments contain substances (dust, oxides, lead, possibly mold, etc.) that, when dismantled, harm the entire surroundings and us through our breathing. And please – even if it looks so romantic – do not put pianos out in the wild. Better read about our piano disposal service.

Scrap the piano

Most waste management companies regard a piano as bulky waste or combustible waste, i.e. a discarded household item that, with reasonable effort to break it up, will not fit into an 80-liter residual waste bin. Depending on regional conditions, a piano can be handed in at waste management facilities with or without a fee (approx. 150.00 euros). Transport costs come on top. There it is then often incinerated whole or partially dismantled. We do not recommend scrapping via waste management companies that do not specialize in pianos. Please read about our piano disposal service.

Piano recycling

If there is absolutely no other use for the piano, recycling is the most sensible option. Quite apart from the emotional value of the piano and its history, sometimes over a hundred years long, given its ecological value it is best and most sustainable to have it dismantled professionally into its components and, depending on their nature and value, to put these to suitable new uses. More than 10,000 parts with a total weight of 150 to 500 kg were assembled in the piano over several hundred hours. Among them are resources that have become very rare today, but also some substances that are harmful to health. Recycling requires expertise, specialized tools and processes, as well as know-how in handling the valuable and residual materials. We are the first address for this. Please read about our piano disposal service.

Pianos often not only have a high emotional value, but also valuable components. We give individual components a new life in a new guise, because beautiful objects can be made from the woods or decorative elements, for example. So if you decide on piano recycling with us, we can also offer you lovely mementos.

Related: What is my piano still worth? · How to date a piano · Piano purchase