I’m about to pull the trigger on a new model-year Kawai digital piano. Thus far, I’ve only been to one store (15 miles away in Berkeley, CA) that is selling it for a bit over $5,000. On Saturday I’m going to go to a second store (34 miles away in San Jose, CA) to check THEIR price.

I’m wondering how much dickering room or leeway I’ll have at either store when it comes time to talk turkey. If a store is selling this product for $5,000, how much would you think THEY paid for it? Obviously if they paid $4,000 for it then they’ve marked it up 25%. Does someone have any idea at all what a store’s mark-up might actually be so I might discern the lowest acceptable price I might offer? I just don’t want to be a sucker and pay the first price I see if they can live with less; and unfortunately unlike automobiles, I can’t buy a Consumers’ Reports printout that provides this info. Thanks.

If the list price were $5000, you could get it for around $3500 (nearly 1/3-off). Any day of the week.

On just-released/new-models, that might be a stretch. But that's what I'd offer. There's still profit for the dealer.

Sent you a pm.

I appreciate your comment. Unfortunately NOWHERE is there published a list price of the Kawai CP139 or any other current Kawai digital piano (although a store might have a card on the piano showing an arbitrary and inflated list price) so I'll never truly know for certain what 2/3rds of a lits price would be.

However, you seem fairly certain that one can put forth any reasonable offer, so now I won't feel their advertised price is written in stone. Thanks!

I don't know about that...if you shop around with online vendors you might be able to get 20% off and up...not sure about Kawais tho'.

Thank you everybody - especially triple-Mac!

I bought the piano and am very happy with my deal. So thanks again for everybody's fine counsel; obvioiusly I'm very happy I joined this forum!!

Kawai CP-139

Nice work. Nice price. And nice way to avoid the Taxifornia's greedy tax-you-to-death mentality.