SUGGESTIONS NEEDED

[jdub1107]

I'm helping a family friend sell a Nippon Gakkai white grand piano that was used by Elvis on many of his recorded songs. The piano was purchased by the studio specifically for Elvis. It was then sold to our friend, the owner of the building where he recorded the songs. A couple of years ago, he elisted the help of a professional seller and listed it on eBay, but the sale was never finalized. Now he wants to sell it again.
I was thinking of creating an auction and then sending the links to different Elvis fansites/collectors that I can find on the internet. Also, I'm not too computer savvy...How can I create a semi-prof looking auction. Oh, and for large items like this, does the buyer usually set up his own transportation method?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[MisterJackson]

Take it on tour!

 

[kranky]

Approximately how much is this item worth? That will determine what to do.

 

[BW86]

I'll buy it for 13 dollars and 23 cents.

 

[AMDZen]

eBay is still your best bet

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

I give ya's tree fiddy. Tree se'bndy five, tops

I have no real advice, so good luck

 

[Jzero]

Is there any proof that he actually used it?

 

[Siva]

Has it been appraised? Any kind of certificate of authenticity? I figure if they tried to sell it once these have been taken care of, but if not it would probably be your first step.

 

[KK]

Is there anything hidden in it?

 

[Ipno]

Screw that, take it to one of the big auction houses where celebrity's bid hundreds of thousands of dollars on useless crap.

Then give me 10% for suggesting it.

 

[jdub1107]

I have authentication from Joe Esposito, Elvis's roadie back then that it was used in recording sessions. I also have an article from the LA Times about the piano. It's probably worth around $500,000.

LA Times - "....which retailed new for $7,300, according to the Yamaha Corp. of America -- along with scans of notarized documents corroborating its legacy as the instrument at which Presley rehearsed for Vegas shows and recorded such tracks as "Green, Green Grass of Home," "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" and "Pieces of My Life," among others."

 

[kranky]

Then here's what you do. Contact Sotheby's or Christie's or another big, well-established auction firm and talk it over with them.

You have a very unusual and expensive item which will appeal to a handful of people. You can't hope to contact them on your own, but they already have those people as their clients. They'll know how to market it and they'll take a cut of the take, but it will be well worth it.

The relatively few people who will be interested in this item aren't going to be browsing Ebay. And some customers of those big auction houses could be interested even if they aren't known to be Elvis collectors.

 

[jdub1107]

Originally posted by: kranky
Then here's what you do. Contact Sotheby's or Christie's or another big, well-established auction firm and talk it over with them.

You have a very unusual and expensive item which will appeal to a handful of people. You can't hope to contact them on your own, but they already have those people as their clients. They'll know how to market it and they'll take a cut of the take, but it will be well worth it.

The relatively few people who will be interested in this item aren't going to be browsing Ebay. And some customers of those big auction houses could be interested even if they aren't known to be Elvis collectors.

I agree with you. That's what I originally told my dad to tell him. But for some reason he doesn't want to go through one of those. Maybe he had a bad experience the last time with the professional seller. I'm hoping to spread the word somehow. I'd get a piece of the selling price, so its in my best interest to sell it myself as well.

 

[kranky]

He's wasting his time, and yours. If you really want to sell something, you do it the right way. You don't take a half-million dollar item and sell it at a flea market, which is essentially what he's doing trying to move it on Ebay.

No matter how hard you try, you can't possibly reach the people who would want and be able to afford such an item.

Let's say the thing is really worth $500,000. What is the least he's willing to let it go for? $5,000? $100,000? I'm guessing he's not going to list it with no reserve and a 99 cent opening bid. He's screwing himself doing it on Ebay. You'll go through a lot of work and not sell it.

So if he wants the full value, he'll take the appropriate action whether he had a bad experience in the past or not. I can't see the harm in talking to Sotheby's or Christie's just to see what they have to say. It's stupid not to.