Moving to a new home? Downsizing from the big suburban home to a smaller home in the city? If one of the tasks on your to do list is to find the value of your used piano and potentially sell it, you may want to rethink putting an ad up on Craigslist and jumping at the first opportunity you find.

There is a lot to determining value – its not as simple as looking at the make and model and assigning a number based on that. If you haven’t looked at pianos in a while, you may be shocked at what the current market could bring. But before you randomly select a number to move forward, keep a few things in mind.

• First, sit down and record the history the piano has with you. When did you purchase it? Where has the piano existed all these years? Has been kept in the same place or moved periodically? How many times has it been tuned? The more information you can gather, the more helpful it will be in determining a final price.
• Before you can start looking for dollar signs, you have to determine the condition of your piano. You can do this by inspecting both the inside and the outside of your piano. When inspecting the interior, look for cracks on the soundboard, hammer felt that is loose, worn-down or rusty strings, and grooves in the wood surrounding the strings.
• When inspecting the exterior, look at its overall appearance, such as if the finish is scratched or damaged in any way. Pay attention to how each key sounds, and make sure the pedals do not stick when you press them or show signs of rust. Also, make sure the piano’s legs are strong and sturdy without any signs of damage.
• After you have determined the overall condition of your piano, you need to determine the date of manufacture, the manufacturer’s name, and the serial number. The manufacturer’s name is usually found on the front of the keyboard or the soundboard. The serial number is found on a metal plate near the keys of the piano or the pin block. You may need the assistance of a professional to remove certain components of the piano to access the metal plate. Once you have this information, you can use it to determine the date of manufacture.
• Now that you have all of the necessary information, you can start looking for the value. The best place to look is The Piano Book: Buying & Owning a New or Used Piano, which is updated every year or every other year. Think of it as a blue book for pianos.
• Finally talk with a reputable piano dealer before you put your ad in the classifieds. With a little bit of upkeep and care, your piano may become even more valuable. A piano dealer will take all into consideration and give you a fair value for what the piano is truly worth. He may even be able to help point you in the right direction for finding a buyer for it as well.
• And if you’re considering a trade in, the perfect place to go is to your piano center. Just because you’re changing space size doesn’t mean you still can’t have music in your life. Maybe its time to move from a baby grand to an upright – giving you more room throughout your new home.

Whatever your needs, whatever your questions, give us a call today.