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Piano, piano, piano

My last week has been completely taken up with thinking / dealing with pianos. Every time I sit down at my computer to do some work (I need to get all my coursework ready to hand in for assessment, the final hurdle as my degree finishes, I’m bored just writing about it, the work is all done it is just getting the format right etc etc) I end up thinking about pianos.

The situation is that I have decided to upgrade my piano, and there is an auction coming up…..it has been a very complex process. Finding one I liked, trying to work out a budget, there is a hefty premium added on to the hammer price plus the moving costs are significant. Then I had to register to bid and read the extensive instructions for new buyers, a four page document.

And then I have to find a new home for my old piano. If I hadn’t just spent a lot of money refurbishing it a couple of years ago I would have been more resigned to scrapping it but it just seemed wrong. The piano tuner warned me that I would be spending more money on it to repair it than it was worth but it just seemed wrong to NOT fix it. It is a “good” piano, a Victorian Brinsmead, but not worth putting into auction, there are too many new equivalent ones to make someone want a battered old one.



And I wasn’t ready at that time to upgrade…..

I love and hate my old piano. It is quite ugly in my opinion but I have learnt on it and come to really enjoy its sound and playing on it. Finally today I heard of someone who would be interested, someone my husband has worked with, their child is starting lessons. Perfect, I would like them to have it.

I’m a mix of anxious and excited at the thought of a new piano, can I justify it? Do i “deserve” a new piano??? I’ve selected one I like and to be completely honest, I’ve fixed my heart on it! I’m trying to be sensible, it is only a few photos, I need to see, hear and play it in real life. It is easy to project fantasy desires onto on-line stuff. Will I like it when I visit it prior to the auction? Will I be able to tell? I will be extremely self conscious playing it in a warehouse with other people milling around, how will I be able to tell if I’m “comfortable” with it when I’m in such a strange environment?

And that’s before we’ve even got to the bidding stage!

I have to forbid myself from thinking about it at night as I try to go to sleep, as I try to keep myself in hand. There is another auction at the end of the year so I keep telling myself not to pin all my hopes onto one fantasy piano!


Here is a screen shot from the auction catalogue of my potential piano's innards, is it just a dry run this time? If it is, at least I will know the ropes for next time......

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