How to Sell a Piano – What is the best way?

At some point you may find yourself needing to sell your piano. Whether you’ve outgrown your current instrument, it’s simply collecting dust, or you want to upgrade to something new, you may wonder what steps to take. Pianos are big investments, so you definitely will want to do your research to determine the best way to sell your piano. There are several ways to sell a piano, and there are several pros and cons of each.

How to sell a piano: Craigslist or Buy, Sell, Trade Sites

Pros: With any online forum designed specifically for buying and selling items, like Craigslist or a local Facebook buy, sell, trade page, you will have a larger audience seeing your item. The chances of finding someone quickly who is interested in your piano are higher, and you can message back and forth any questions and answers before meeting someone in person.

Cons: While you may get a lot of leads, it takes a lot of time and effort to determine which of the buyers interested are quality leads. For example, you may take a good chunk of time chatting back and forth with someone online about the piano, answering questions, and then find out that they are not willing to pay the appraisal price you are asking. Or, maybe they think they are ready to buy but don’t have a way to move the piano. Furthermore, maybe you have someone ready to pick up the piano but something breaks in the move or shortly after they get it home, and now you have to deal with more issues. Trying to coordinate everything online can be risky and can involve a lot more work and hassle for you than other options.

How to sell a piano: List on music blogs or forums

Pros: If you follow any music blogs or online music forums, you can ask around to find potential buyers. Since you are focused on a music specific forum, it may be easier to find someone with piano experience and knowledge rather than posting on a general site like Craigslist or Facebook.

Cons: Unless the forum you are focused on is local, you are most likely finding interested people from various cities and states. This throws a wrench in your sale because you then have to determine shipping, which can be astronomical for an item like a piano, especially over long distances. Many buyers would not be willing to pay for it, plus it would be a headache you wouldn’t want to deal with.

How to sell a piano: Check with local piano teachers

Pros: Piano teachers will have the inside track on any potential buyer leads. They may know students actively looking for a piano and would be a good resource to use.

Cons: Unless you know the piano teacher very well, many may be leery about referring their students to you. Teachers may be more likely to recommend their students go through a retailer or dealer that is insured and will offer warranties on new purchases.

How to sell a piano: Consignment through a piano store

Pros: When people sell a piano on their own, chances are they are uncertain about the instrument’s worth and end up losing money. Several piano stores offer consignment programs that help you get your piano sold. Going through a licensed dealer has several advantages like less legwork for you finding potential buyers, knowledge and expertise about your instrument, and many times warranties are provided for the purchaser, which makes your instrument easier to sell than on an online forum.

Cons: The only thing to be careful of when you sell a piano via consignment is to make sure you are going through a reputable dealer. Do your research before making your choice to make sure you are getting the true value of your instrument and are not falling into any traps.

Turner’s is a licensed reseller of pianos and can help you sell your piano on consignment and take the danger and work out of it. Call today for a consultation, and find out more information at https://www.turnerskeyboards.com/services/consignment/