So, what do you do when you're buying something expensive (like a piano) from a private seller? Let's say it's $10,000. I would not want to give a check in advance of receiving the piano. And at the same time, if I were on the selling end, I wouldn't want to let movers come in and remove the instrument before I had payment, and I wouldn't be comfortable with a personal check knowing how problems with the check can surface after some significant time has passed.

Is a cashier's check sufficiently secure? Do sales like this between two random individuals use some kind of escrow company?

Has anyone here purchased a piano, or car, from a private seller? How did you do it?

Cash

$10, 000 (or more) in cash? Have you ever paid for something with that much cash?

No way would I want to walk* around with that kind of cash in hand! What if something happened to it? What if the seller decided to take the cash and not fork over the piano?

I can't be the only one this paranoid, can I?

*ETA: or drive around with that much cash, I bet this state is pretty big on asset forfeiture....

Have the mover scheduled. At that time meet the owner with the cash or go to the bank so they can cash your check.

Ok y'all are not nearly paranoid enough!

I got my piano from a private seller. It was around 2001. I can't remember all the details right now but I'll look them up for you...at least whatever I still have.

Seems to me I met the sellers on the porch. Movers were in the driveway. I handed them a cashiers check and the movers commenced to moving.

Fairly straightforward.

I would definitely be more comfortable with a cashiers check than cash!

I'm surprised though, it all seems too casual to me. I guess I'm just paranoid.