5 tips to sell a piano
Are you looking to sell your piano privately? Where can you start and what should you post? Here are some tips from the staff of Beethoven Pianos!
A piano is a large item and therefore it isn’t so easy to move it yourself. The moving will cost you or your purchaser. Moving a piano from point A to point B will cost at least (upright piano) $300 and up, excluding the price that you ask for the piano. Because of these investments the piano must function well. Tuning the piano is a small amount of the cost and if it needs repairs it may cost much more than the piano is worth. It’s hard to say from just seeing the outside casing of the piano, since pianos are made from over 7000 moving parts with different materials. It is similar to a car in many ways. For example, the car may look great from the outside but may need a new engine, transmission, timing belt etc.
This especially applies for pianos that are over 30 years old.
To avoid any trouble after you sell it, you should check the piano and be honest with the condition.
Search for a similar piano listing on Google, eBay, Craigslist, facebook marketplace, etc.
If you can’t find the brand, try searching “upright’ or “grand” and look for a similar look/size/age piano that has many bids. (no bids or watching means that the seller has overpriced the piano)
If your piano isn’t of a popular or reputable brand like Steinway or Yamaha, it could be a challenge to sell (especially to the dealers and stores.)
Please note that pianos DO NOT have antique value (antique meaning >100 years old. Unlike furniture pieces, a piano must be played and fully functional.)
Find the model and serial number of your piano, then search on “Bluebook of pianos, age of the piano”.
Upright pianos: usually stenciled on the plate when you open the top lid of the piano, OR stenciled on the back of the piano
Grand pianos: depends on the brand. Usually stenciled on the front of the plate (golden harp) or soundboard
Take a picture of the whole piano without any items on top of the instrument.
Take a picture of the brand name, so the customer can research it.
Take a picture of obvious damages or broken parts that avoid any trouble after you sell.
Take a picture of the inside to show the condition of it (hammers/strings), so that the customer can know the overall condition of the piano before physically seeing it.. It would be upsetting for your customer to travel far only to realize that the piano is not as great as advertised.
When and where you purchased it.
How long ago you had it tuned
Where it is located (if it is not located on the first floor of a walk-up building, you must mention it because the move may cost a lot for the buyer. Make clear who will be responsible for the moving fee.
State overall condition (especially the negative parts) to avoid future trouble with the buyer.
Check points [keys, hammers, tuning/pitch, action, pedals, and case]
eBay → Pros: large market and users → Cons: need an account
Craig’s list → Pros: local and easy post → Cons: stranger may come to visit your location before they purchase
Facebook Marketplace → Pros: Local and easy post → Cons: stranger may come to visit your location before they purchase
Classified ad on your local paper