On Dutch trading site Marktplaats piano players can find a long list of pianos for sale in and around Eindhoven. Pianos are often offered for a small amount or even entirely free. Thrift stores no longer accept them, despite the continued popularity of the instrument.
One of those who has a piano on offer is Kevin from Son en Breugel. His father bought the instrument because he wanted to learn how to play. “Ït is also a nice piece of furniture in the house.You can use it to dispaly obejects, and it adds more atmosphere than, say, a table”.
“Because my father is ill we are selling the piano. I do not think I am going to learn how to play, at least not in the short term. The money I get for the piano will go towards a camper van”.
That putting the piano up for sale is going to bring in the money does not seem to be the case, however. “There is very little interest; I had one offer of 50 euros which I ignored so far. The ad was viewed just over a hundred times since I put it online at the end of May. A contributing factor may be our limited knowledge of the piano, for instance its age”.
Thrift shops
Two Eindhovens thrift shops get regular offers of pianos. They remain in the shops for a very long time”, a staff member at Karoesell on Edisonstraat says. “I am not surprised to hear that Marktplaats is no different. When we empty a house and there’s a piano, we take it with us but those are the only ones.”
Thrift store Dorcas on Brussellaan has the same policy. “It is very very difficult to sell them”, a staff member says. “Last time it was over a year before someone was willing to take the piano. He paid 15 euros. We were happy to see the last of it as it takes up so much space. They also weigh a few hundred kilos easily so you give yourself a hernia lifting it”, the staff member says.
Treasure
Monique van Hoorn, of Van Hoorn Piano’s on Aalsterweg, thinks she has an explanation for the difficulty people generally have in getting rid of their second hand pianos. “People tend to think that they have a treasure in the house. Pianos can indeed last a long time, but they do get to the end of their lives. People often underestimate the cost of having a piano tuned or repaired”.
Pianos that have outlasted their musical lives subsequently end up on Marktplaats”, Van Hoorn says. “That seems an easy option because it is a hassle taking them to the dump, but for many old pianos that is the right place for them. Most people do not hang on to their forty-year old cars either. Much of the time, the reason for hanging on to an old piano is sentiment; owners want to keep it for the memories, but parting company is often the best solution”.
Covid
The reluctance of buyers on the second hand piano market does not mean that the piano business as such is doing badly. Quite the contrary. “In the Covid period many young people took up the piano, teaching themselves with the aid of YouTube tutorials. They tended to buy electric pianos, which you now see appearing on Marktplaats. Many of those customers now want to switch to accoustic pianos.
