Hello, I just came across a Kawai KG 1 D at a dealer shop. It was made in 1983, previously owned by a lady who had arthritis, so the piano was not played a lot. It had one owner only. It played really nice. Looked very new. The dealer offered 5 yr warranty, free delivery and 1 free tuning. Is this a good deal?

Thanks for any advice.

That's the 5'1" grand? I'll assume it is.

Prices vary a lot by region, and I'm not sure where you are. In my area that wouldn't be a steal on a 30 year old small grand, but it's not highway robbery either. In my area I would just call it a reasonable dealer price (would expect lower price from private party but you wouldn't get the warranty, delivery and tuning).

Yes, it is the 5'1" grand. Thank you, piano teacher. I am at Ohio. How do piano prices vary between CA and OH?

I'm no expert, but it seems a little high to me. That, or perhaps $500 more, is about what I would have expected to get for my similar vintage 5'10" Kawai in TX in a private sale, and it might have sold for $5,500 or $6,000 from a dealer here, but the extra length makes the 5'10" more desirable. The dealer warranty, delivery, etc. adds some value over a private sale, and things are probably a little more expensive in Ohio. My husband (who knows nothing about piano dealing at all) would suggest taking in $3,950 or so IN CASH (dollar bills) as a non-negotiable offer, for what his suggestion is worth.

That said, I do think my Kawai was a good piano in its price range. I sold it to a friend who is pleased with it. Good luck.

The only data I had available for estimating Ohio prices is Craigslist - so I checked Cincinnati and Cleveland. Those prices are only asking prices of course, and I'm sure there's any number of other ways this could be unreliable data.

That being said, the prices looked lower to me. So - depending on the reliability of my Craigslist data - I agree with the other poster, and this $4600 looks high for your area. Perhaps try offering $3700 or $4000?

Thanks everybody for the advice!

One question, though. How much do you value the dealer's warranty? Equivalent to $?/year?

How can you put a price on peace of mind?

Generally speaking, though it's not really the warranty that is the difference, it's the fact you are getting a brand-spanking new piano that will (presumably) not need much work other than a couple of tunings a year and regular maintenance until a few years down road.

When you're buying used, and something 30 years old, not only does it lack a warranty, but it will most likely need a lot of work to bring it up to a level of playability and enjoyment. Now, if the previous owner has done all this work (and can provide receipts showing what they've done to it) then perhaps it's a good deal. Still, 30 years for a 5'1 baby grand is pretty old. At that point some major repairs may be needed.

Have you have a piano tech check it out? That will really give you an idea of what repairs are needed.

Thanks for reply. I guess I did not make myself clear. My question was: since the dealer offered 5 year warranty for the 30 year old piano, does that provide a peace of mind? If some major repair is needed, the dealer will cover it, and the piano will be good for a number of years more. Is this correct? How much does this warranty value?

Peace of mind is priceless.

I had a Baldwin Acrosonic for almost 50 years before I got my Mason BB. It had no work done on it except tuning and had no serious problems. There is no way to know how much work, if any, this piano will need.

I do think the claim about the owner having arthritis, while possibly true, sounds quite amusing as a sales pitch. I would definitely ask to see a doctor's report verifying this before I bought the piano.

A warranty and peace of mind certainly has value in my book. Make sure you understand the details of the warranty - what's covered and what isn't. How much $ is the warranty worth? I guess that depends on exactly how much the dealer is covering.

The reputation of the dealer also has value - that is assuming of course that he has a good reputation.

Thanks, piano teacher. Just asked the dealer yesterday. They cover "parts and workmanship". They said parts like hammers and even soundboard are covered. Workmanship includes labor for replacing parts and maintenance. The dealer has been around for around 50 years now.

My tuner offered me 8K on my 30 yr old KG-2C....the piano has aged well....I mean the action...I don't see any wrinkles on the body. A dealer price can be negotiated but the warranty you're getting I would consider good. Everyone who has ever played my piano [ and I have two grands...I'm talking about the Kawai] wished they could have it.

rada
btw....anne..so sorry you had to switch from a Kawai to a Bosie

Ok great - sounds like a good warranty and a dealer with a good reputation.

Thank you call for the advice!

Save your tears, Rada. The Bose is not bad at all.