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Hi. I am new to this site and am on the verge of buying my first piano.

I have looked at a 1996 Samick SU118 (46.5" tall) for sale at a local piano store. The piano sounds beautiful and appears to be in great condition. The asking price is $3500.

First, does $3500 sound like a fair/reasonable price for a used piano of this kind?

Second, what questions should I ask of the dealer and are dealers generally open to negotiations on an instrument such as a piano?

Thanks for any piano love you can share!

Bonnie

I dont know where do you live but that sounds way too high for a samick...

That's close to the price of a new Samick upright.

Heavens, no. You can buy a brand new Kawai 506N for that!

Welcome to the forum, bonkars. Most (but not all) piano dealers operate much like car dealerships, i.e., the sticker price is a starting point for negotiation. How much can be negotiated depends on a lot of factors. At the right side of the forum page, you should see a link to the "Piano Buyer". It is a free online guide to choosing and buying new and used pianos, and you should find it extremely helpful.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to buy a piano. I know I goofed up horribly buying my own first upright (I didn't discover this forum until afterwards), and I paid full list price for an entry level upright that didn't meet my needs at all. But live and learn.

My advice is to take your time, do some research, try out lots of different pianos at every piano store within commuting distance, and don't give in to heavy pressure tactics.

Way too much money for a 1996 Samick.

I'm in the Rochester NY area. Unfortunately we have only two stores in this area.

Thank you all for your input. I'm so glad I found this forum. I will do a little research and work some negotiation magic.

Thank you again.

Welcome.

I agree with beethoven986. I would try to find a used Kawai or Yamaha for that price. For a used Samck, that price is high. Also, the size is only 46.5" and not even a big one.