The things you find in the bottom of pianos
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382664)
Rockingham, Australia
February 9, 2026 8:43pm CST
Fleur (@Fleura) wrote about doing some repairs on her piano and Fiacre (@xFiacre) wrote about checking out the bottom on a piano to see if any cash had been stowed away there.
When I was quite small, a piano tuner turned up at the farm on a motor-bike. This was a great rarity and Mum immediately engaged him to tune our piano. He told a few stories about some the ‘finds’ he had come across. He said it was quite common to find a heap of old pipe bowls as these were supposed to keep the moths away. And once he pulled away by the housewife who’d forgotten she’d put some jewellery there for safe keeping. Once he knew we had a piano, he would call in every few years.
The photo shows the inside of our piano.
19 people like this
17 responses
@DaddyEvil (174749)
• United States
10 Feb
When I was small, mom, my youngest brother and I started taking piano lessons. Mom bought an old piano from somewhere and had it restored so we could practice on it. I don't remember seeing anything inside it but I was around 10 so might not have noticed.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174749)
• United States
10 Feb
@JudyEv The repair guy had it completely open to repair it.
2 people like this
@Fleura (35160)
• United Kingdom
10 Feb
@JudyEv A removals company brought furniture including the piano here from my parents' house. My parents' house had a steep drive down to the road. This house is down a narrow lane with a sharp corner, and then there are steps. They collected everything in a massive lorry (wheeling the piano down the drive), brought it back to the depot, transferred it into two smaller vehicles and brought it here and then carried everything in.
I thought we would have to construct some kind of ramp system for the piano but they said 'Oh no, we'll just carry it' and they promptly picked it up and carried it down the path negotiating two sets of steps, up the step into the house and through into the dining room. We were gobsmacked. I mean my partner and I between us can barely get it off the ground to get over the slight sill from one room to another!
2 people like this
Our removalists used straps but perhaps there were just the two of them. I can't really remember now.
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Feb
@LadyDuck When we were ready to sell the motor-home, we thought we'd better check in the little safe that was in it. First we had to find the key but then we found $300 in the safe! lol Sometimes I think we have more money than sense. 
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (13067)
• United States
10 Feb
When I lived in Oregon, someone was giving a way a piano and my daughter and I went to get it so we could get lessons for my granddaughter. When we had someone out to tune, he found legos, a water bottle, old vintage necklace, dried up peach pit and half a denture. 
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (59404)
•
10 Feb
The inside of your piano is lovely.
We had an aunt that hid things inside of hers. She had a jar she put her extra change and small bills in, and saved that towards Christmas every year. That was a long, long time ago, I had forgotten about it!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Feb
@MarieCoyle I know ours is very heavy.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17245)
• China
10 Feb
Never have thought that stuff can be stowed in the bottom on a piano !
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86940)
• United States
10 Feb
That does seem like a good place to hide valuables. That’s some attention to detail, putting a design inside the piano.
I would imagine most of what the tuners find is dirt.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91201)
• United States
10 Feb
I never would have thought to hide money, jewelry, etc inside a piano but I guess it's a great hiding spot. My great aunt had a very old piano and she played like a pro. When she passed my son and daughter in law inherited the piano. They paid quite a bit of money to have it moved to their house. After reading your post I wonder if there were any hidden gems in that old piano?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Feb
Have they ever had it tuned? Perhaps you should mention it to them.
@JESSY3236 (22287)
• United States
10 Feb
pretty piano. I wish I had looked really good at my uncle's pianos before we sold them.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222896)
• United States
10 Feb
I always wanted to have my piano tuned; but never got around to it.
1 person likes this
