Hello all --

Thank God for a forum like this! Today my wife was at an estate sale in our neighborhood, and called me to say that I really needed to come look at a grand piano they were selling. I have been playing for 30 years, but have never had enough money (or space) to have a grand to play. I am truly a newbie when it comes to buying one (got to play lots of nice ones in college -- lucky me!).

Anyway, I'm getting a bit off track. Turns out the piano is a (you guess it from the subject) 2005 Yamaha GC1 that has the Disklavier Mark III system. After looking at it (it looks to be in like-new condition, though I'm far from an expert, but some tuning is in order, probably not tuned very often since it was just a furniture piece to them according to the estate sale managers), playing it for 5 minutes or so, I had to leave (they were closing down the sale). I did some research tonight and realize that I don't know the specific model of the DK console (it does have a floppy disk and a CD input, and I *think* there was a recording feature, not just playback). The people running the estate said that it was originally purchased for $29K (they have a receipt though I did not see it). They don't know much about the piano, but they feel as though if it were sold to a wholesaler, it would fetch around $7,500.

They are looking for $11,500 obo. After some basic negotiation, they said that $9K would be a price they could accept.

My questions:

1) Good price or not (assuming a tech says nothing major is awry)?
2) What is the basic price difference for a regular GC1 and one with DK installed?
3) What sort of warranty comes with this piano from Yamaha? I.e., am I still in any sort of warranty period?
4) How can a find a qualified tech (I'm in central NJ) to give it a once-over before going for the purchase?
5) How much would it cost to do a nice thorough servicing once it's moved to its final location (first time servicing, not the regular maintenance).
6) Where does one go with a piano like this assuming no one expresses interest? Would it really fetch $7,500 to a wholesaler (that's what I'm thinking of offering) or is that just a negotiation tactic? I want some sense of what their alternative is going to be.


Your expertise, all, is greatly appreciated!

Kevin

For prices on new GC1 + DK, start here: http://www.pianobuyer.com/pages/272.html

Expect 20% (middle-of-the-road estimate) off the MSP. Then, use the depreciation schedule: http://www.pianobuyer.com/pages/63.html

Seems like a good deal if you care for the DK system. The estate sales near me are also baby grands only, but nothing as good as Yamaha. I can just picture ladies admiring their baby grands and putting photo frames on top instead of keeping it clear of objects!

Have you been sampling the wares at your local dealerships? Compare what they have with this one to get the best idea on whether this is a super deal.

Thanks a ton for the resources!

I actually haven't made the local rounds because I sort of fell into this opportunity. I would happily jump on this chance if it was a decent "steal," which is why I need others to advise me from here. The reading I've done tells me that only I can weigh whether it's right for me, but it never hurts to reach out for some informed help!