How much is a good used piano?

[Jessica1501]

I want my DD to take a piano lesson and keep playing in the future (but not become a piano professional)

Later on I will have to invest in a piano but it's very expensive.

Can you guys tell me the lowest price range of a good used one?

I search craigslist and some are around 2k, some are 10k...

I don't play piano so I don't really know how to choose one. 2k is affordable but it maybe not good enough, 10k is too expensive for us. 

Thanks.

[mumkimum]

I can't give you a price because I haven't bought a piano - BUT, I'd highly recommend asking a local piano tuner.  

Sometimes, they'll overhaul someone's unwanted instrument and offer them for sale, and you might find a good deal on an instrument that way.  They may also know others who happen to need to upgrade their instrument and would be selling the old one (and it had likely been kept in good condition).  They'd also have a good sense of cost for the level and amount of playing that you plan on doing in your home without the kind of pressure you'd get going into a music store (though music stores can be very good sources of advice too, I can just also see them being intimidating if you're going in uncertain).

[Wildflower]

Gee, I read this sad newspaper article saying that thousands of used pianos wind up in dumps everyday...People don't have space for them I guess, and less demand for them than there used to be.  You might try posting in your local freecycle group, might be cheaper than you'd think, as in, free ;)

[ThreeTwoFive]

I would recommend something like a Yamaha Clavinova.  They're full size keyboards and have a good feel to them.  And they never need to be tuned.  A free piano will have to be tuned after it's moved, and then regularly thereafter.

[purplerose]

wow, mine was only $200 from an ad in the paper! it is nice, has a mirror on top. i would love to trade it for an electric piano, bc once the piano gets put somewhere, that's pretty much where it stays until we move LOL It takes 6+ people to move it.

[mamazee]

I would consider an electric piano. I think a PP suggested the same. They don't all cost as much as a standard piano, and they are easier to move and don't have to be tuned, and don't take up as much space. Also, they hold their value reasonably well. And it gets bonus points for a volume control and the ability to use headphones. Just look for one that is set into a frame that puts it at a standard piano level, and that has weighted keys so it feels like a standard piano, and that sounds louder when you press the note harder. It basically has to behave just like a standard piano, but there are lots of options that do.

[pek64]

Our thrift stores have pianos running from $200-600, depending on condition.

[Jessica1501]

Thanks guys for all of your inputs.

My purpose for my DD to play piano is to love music, feel relax, and boost brain; and I want her to keep taking lessons weekly until at least high school (IF she likes piano)(now she's almost 5). With this purpose, do you think an electric piano is suitable?

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by Jessica1501 

Thanks guys for all of your inputs.
My purpose for my DD to play piano is to love music, feel relax, and boost brain; and I want her to keep taking lessons weekly until at least high school (IF she likes piano)(now she's almost 5). With this purpose, do you think an electric piano is suitable?

Yes. She is only 5 and it sounds like she is only just starting to play -- so how do you know if she'll continue to enjoy it? Unless you have abundant resources, it doesn't really make sense to drop thousands of dollars on a piano for a 5yo.

Even if you find one free/cheap, they are expensive to move, and older ones needs to be tuned even more frequently and may need extensive & expensive work. We had a piano & ended up giving it away because it was just too costly to fix & tune, and took up too much space in our house (can't just move it to another room on a whim!) I miss the piano but a decent keyboard is almost as good. Just make sure it's a touch-sensitive keyboard with a full range. If she grows to love playing & wants something else down the line, you could always get a piano then.

[mtiger]

I have both a Clavinova and a Steinway upright. While I no longer play, my son does (he's a music comp major). He prefers the Steinway (shocking, I know!), but finds the Clavinova a suitable alternative. He does not like most other electric pianos, as the keys don't have the same feel as a real piano.

If you google "used pianos", you will find several guides about pianos and what to look for in a used instrument. Good luck!
 

[rachelsmama]

Under the circumstances, a decent electric would be the logical choice.  I have a pretty strong preference for a real piano, but I still started my daughter on a keyboard until I had a chance to move my piano out of my parents' house.  If you start learning piano now too, then when you eventually need a real piano it would be for both of you, not just one player.

[SunRise]

I would be looking for free or 200 - 500. Once in a while Free pianos come up on craigslist. People are moving, or their children have moved on and they just want the piano out of their home. Since it costs a bit to move the piano and then tune it, many good ones come up as free or for a low price.