BLUEBOOK OF PIANOS
PIANO INFORMATION NETWORK
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WHERE TO SHOP FOR A USED PIANO
DEALERS:
Piano Dealers can be a good source, especially if you have a specific brand in mind. Many dealers will recondition the used trade-in pianos they sell. It is a dealer's responsibility to sell you an instrument that is right for your needs and fits your budget. Beware of dealers or technicians who "bad mouth" or who will talk disparagingly about other dealers and other pianos. Consider the source. Look around to get a feel for a dealer's overall pricing policies, and the quality of the products. Remember, most dealers employ tuners and technicians to tune, regulate and prepare many pianos for sale in addition dealers pay commissions to technicians who bring in customers, so a technician's opinion may not always be neutral..
It's a fact of life that some old pianos are quite valuable and that, after all, is one of the reasons that re-building them is such a popular pastime for many thousands of individuals. However, it's also a fact that some old pianos regardless of age, have not increased significantly in value over the years.
Piano Dealers are the best source, for a piano, especially if you have a specific brand in mind. Many dealers will recondition the used trade-in pianos they sell. It is a dealer's responsibility to sell you an instrument that is right for your needs and fits your budget.
Look around to get a feel for a dealer's overall pricing policies, and the quality of the products. Remember, most dealers employ tuners and technicians to tune, regulate and prepare many pianos for sale in addition dealers pay commissions to technicians who bring in customers, so a technician's opinion may not always be neutral.
BROKERS AND CONSIGNMENT OPERATORS
These are usually people who are salespeople, they locate and keep track of certain types of instruments (old Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, etc.) who will advertise them in the newspaper and sell them for private parties. Dealers will also often have pianos on consignment, owned by private parties who split the profits with the dealer. These are usually good values.
Always keep in mind that price guides [including ours]] for any type of merchandise are just that: GUIDES! They should never be taken as gospel! Because someone writes a book of opinions about a product does not make all information contained there-in true facts; there are many opinions there as well, one man’s opinions. The true value of a piano (or any other object) largely depends on the eagerness of a buyer to acquire the item, and the willingness of a seller to part with it. A price guide provides nothing more than a reasonably reliable starting point for the negotiation. None of the published price guides profess to provide anything more than a general reflection of marketplace conditions compiled just prior to publication. Remember, too, that the most important single factor influencing a given piano's value is its appearance (condition). Re-builders generally care less about how the item operates than about how it looks, after all they intend to overhaul the inner workings, however, checked varnish, dents, scratches, faded finish, or damaged or missing parts all adversely affect this rating and are more difficult to renew
PIANO PRICE & RARITY GUIDELINES
MINT CONDITION
Brand New, absolutely unmarred, all original and unused.
R&R RE-BUILT & REFINISHED - LIKE NEW CONDITION
Free of any blemishes, nicks or scratches; original condition throughout; very little sign of use.
REFURBISHED - EXCELLENT CONDITION
Minute nicks or scratches; no dents or rust.
VERY GOOD CONDITION
Few scratches; exceptionally clean; no dents or rust.
GOOD CONDITION
Scratches, small dents, dirty.
FAIR CONDITION
Well-scratched, chipped, dented, rusted or warped condition.
POOR CONDITION (VALUE $1.00)
Beat up, junk condition, some usable parts.
THE BLUEBOOK OF PIANOS
AMERICAN STANDARD DEFINITION OF TERMS The Bluebook of Pianos has adopted the following definitions to help clarify the level of repairs on a piano. 1. "A used piano that has been disassembled, inspected, repaired as necessary with replacement of all worn or deteriorated parts, reassembled, tested and approved to at least the tolerances of a new piano of like manufacture is said to have been rebuilt. 2. A used piano that has been put back in good condition by cleaning, repairing and adjusting for maximum performance with replacement parts where specifically indicated is said to have been reconditioned." The labor-intensive work required to rebuild a piano properly is not inexpensive. Therefore, a rebuilt piano should be purchased because of its merits, not purely as a money-saving measure compared to a new instrument. We have adopted the following designations to identify the condition of an instrument. 1. R & R = Rebuilt and Refinished 2. Refurbished = Reconditioned 3. The age of an instrument is considered as a part of the condition. Under 10 Years = R&R Excellent =Up to 10 Years Old Good = 10 to 20 Years - Fair Over 20 Years
[Rebuilding or Reconditioning resets he condition clock.]These are rigid standards, However, re-builders are not often bound by these or any other standards, and all too frequently an unwary novice is sold "Like New", an item in that may in reality be in "Good" or even poorer condition. It's admittedly sometimes difficult to be objective in grading a treasured instrument that you have worked so hard on for sale. Nevertheless, a seller's credibility is on the line in such transactions, and every seller is well advised to err on the side of conservatism and to disregard sentimentality in grading each piece.
Always remember that the more sources you consult, the more informed your buying or selling decisions will be. It's really as simple as that! Just keep in mind that these are only guides, and that there really is no substitute for experience. There is wisdom in a multitude of council.
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