Organ Donation - Pump Organ That Is

Growing up, we had a music room. We lived in a huge mansion downtown that was four floors with a servants staircase at the back of the house, huge walk-in attic and two toilets that were closets, one working indoor bathtub, no shower and a maids bathroom that had a bath but no toilet and it never worked long as it kept leaking so we all shared the one tub/sink bath. 

My mother LOVED antiques and music as she taught music for some time and sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for ten years. She is still in a choir today at 81.

We had two pianos and one organ along with lots of other instruments in our music room. Most of her children sing and many play instruments. My brother is in the Army Band and plays the trumpet and sings. Here is a post about that.

We played that pump organ all the time and had a little claw footed stool that would spin up and down so you could play at a comfortable height. It is a lot of work to pump that organ enough to get a good constant sound and the front of your calves get really sore from pumping. I have to admit that more often than playing with the organ, we played with the stool.

We would lay on the stool on our stomachs and lift up our feet. We would take turns pushing the person around and around on the stool up and down which was great fun until the stool reached the bottom or the top of its spinning capability and the person on the stool would then hit a sudden stop and go flying off the stool.

You would then put another person on and go at it again and again. This made us all dizzy but was great fun.

Over the years as we grew, the stool got more loose with our abuse and was wired together for some time before it gave up the ghost and was put to rest.

When we lived back near Boston, I went to an antique store and found a small pump organ that was like a chest. It was somewhat portable and it worked. We purchased it for $100 if I remember correctly. When we moved, it got stored in a cold garage and the billows cracked so that they leaked and it didn't work as well. I lost it during the divorce but since it didn't work, I knew I would never get it fixed so I was alright with that. It looked somewhat like the one pictured to the left, golden oak and square. 

When we cleaned out my mom's home several years ago, we each got an item of inheritance. I got a trophy of her beauty queen days and her silverware. The trophy was in five parts and ended up going to about five different fix up shops and costing me over $300 to get restored but I planned on giving it back to her until I realized it was fragile and I didn't dare for fear if it broke again, I wouldn't be able to restore it again. I had some coaching from family on that choice. It would be sad if it were gone for good. 

A few years after that, my brother decided to move to South Carolina and didn't want to take the family pump organ that he inherited. 

He has many little children and I think it was more of a toy for them as it's stool was for us as my brother reported some of the kids putting toys into the decorative air slots below the keyboard. 

They asked if anyone in the family wanted the organ before getting rid of it and I replied I would enjoy having it. I would have been fine with someone else taking it but no one said anything and I felt it was good that it was still in the family.

I saw one a few years before that and it was only about $500 but was very ornate and tall and thought that was a good price but it wasn't a need so I passed on getting it. I figured they were worth more than that so I was tempted.

I was very excited to get the organ and I think it looks beautiful in my home. It works VERY well still and I polished it up and put new carpet pieces on the pedals as there was only scraps of the former left on there. 

It does have damage to the decorative air vents in the front and the finish is speckled with white paint and the varnish has cracked but for how old it is, it is late 1800 to very early 1900's so to still work and be in that great of shape is wonderful. 

I looked up the value and with working billows, it goes from one cent to about $500 depending on the maker and condition and sound. It is from a reputable maker and has some value for that but there are over 300 on ebay alone and there were about 20 that sold in the last few months and most were about $100. Some HUGE decorative one's went for under $100 and only one that was very ornate went for $500. 

So, there isn't much worldly value in the organ but it definitely has sentimental value. I got everyone of my girls piano lessons as I love that talent but it didn't take with any of them and we went through several teachers so I guess I was lame on the practice schedule as that is really what it takes to learn the piano. 

I love that it has a hidden compartment where you can hide the books. You lift up the music stand and store stuff in there. Kinda fun.

So, if you want to be able to sing hymns in a group setting if the power ever goes out, go right to eBay and order yourself a pump organ for $1 and you will probably spend a few hundred in shipping it but if you find one close to your home, you could pick it up and have a new organ for the price of gas! There are hundreds for sale as you read this! 

I am VERY grateful that my brother allowed us to have this rather than selling it. I would have paid for it rather than have it gone as I cherish certain family items and am grateful for the ones I have!