Purchasing a Piano Online

Before buying or selling pianos online

Anyone can list a piano online. Individuals selling pianos through internet sites will often not have the piano looked at by technicians, and there is a definite risk in buying a piano without knowing its condition. Most listings have not been appraised by a certified piano technician either, therefore the correct value of the piano is also unknown.

We offer both estimates and appraisals for those looking to sell their piano and those who are looking to buy. A careful inspection of the piano, before making the decision to buy or sell, is the best way to protect yourself from a bad situation. We recommend sellers who list their piano online, to post a copy of our findings about their piano. Buyers can be confident they know everything they need to know about that piano before making a purchase.

Appraisals ensure that a piano is listed at a price that is fair to both parties involved.

Fill out our online forms to schedule an estimate or schedule an appraisal.

A Piano that has not been appraised by a technician (which are the majority) may have the following issues:

• Cheap, poor quality piano that is not worth putting any money into.
• Some pianos should be disposed of and don’t justify the price to move it, tune it, or put it in good repair.
• A piano that can be repaired often costs an additional $500 – $1,000 just to put it into acceptable playing condition.
• A piano may not have many years of life left on it due to its age.

 

Our staff always suggests:

• Pay a technician to come, evaluate, and check out the piano before purchasing.
• Do not go by appearances.  It is impossible to see problem areas by just looking at the exterior of a piano.
• Many factors need to be considered:  the structure of the piano, the pin block, the sounding board, the plate and bridges, the action, whether a piano has been maintained every year.  Exposure to excess humidity or dryness, moths, mice and termites, are just a few issues that a professional technician will be able assess.  A piano that is not maintained for years usually has surprises that are unexpected to the buyer.  (For example, an unused piano invites mice, which can do hundreds of dollars of damage)