I've moved pins many times this way. It's really not a big deal. I have a staircase with a tight 90-degree turn with no landing (angled stairs), and it's tough getting a pin down there, even with help.
I have brought pins into shows by myself without disassembling (no stairs). It's not a matter of "not having friends" or being too cheap to buy a hand truck. Depending on the situation, moving a pin the way the OP described can be the best way to avoid damaging the pin, your house, or your body.