23 years ago I bought a piano from a guy for $400. It was an oldy back then, and a bit dinged up, but a full upright, capable of really big sound, and really fun to play. It has moved with me to 6 different homes, but home #7 is a serious downsize and since we've decided to stay this small for the near term, it wasn't worth paying $130/month to keep it and a bunch of other stuff in climate-controlled storage.
The fact is, I haven't even played it much at all in the past 5 years. So now it's a millstone, because the resale market for pianos isn't that great. And we now live in a small town, so CL isn't real big. I posted it anyway a couple months ago, and in the meantime have been asking around friends and family to see if anyone wants a piano. Other than the usual spammers that wanted to send their shippers around, it was pretty dead.
Then I got a text 10 days ago from someone who's first question was "can I come by and play it?" That's the sign of a real piano player, and someone who would appreciate my piano for what it could do. Today she drove a UHaul with her dad from 150 miles away to pick it up. I had the storage unit cleared out so she could sit down and play. She started in with the Chariots of Fire theme and I actually got a bit teary-eyed, remembering the sounds it has produced for me over the years, and realizing my piano was going to a very good home. As we were loading it, she said she grew up with a "real" piano like this one, and wanted to give her kids the opportunity to grow up playing one just like it. She said it was definitely going to become a family heirloom.
Given that I haven't even played the thing much lately, I was surprised it brought out that much emotion in me. A combination of regret at losing a friend but happiness that it is going to the perfect new owner.
And I got my $400 back. If/when we upsize again, I can go get a "real" piano out of storage on CL. That helps lessen the regret a little.