How to Sell a Piano: An In-Depth Guide

Did you buy a new piano and are wondering what to do with your old one?

You probably don’t want to leave it lying around, especially when you could polish it up and list it on online platforms for a decent price.

Even if you think your old piano can’t be reused, it’s still valuable, and you can sell it; however, you need to know where to start.

You can avoid all the bottlenecks and stress associated with selling your musical instrument by following our in-depth guide on how to sell a piano.

Why You Should Consider Selling Your Piano

Here are a few reasons why you should consider selling your old instrument:

• You’ll Make Some Money: Making money is why you should consider selling your used piano in the first place.While your buyer gets a discount, you get paid handsomely for a used item you no longer need.
• It’s a Good Deal for Your Customer: There’s no significant difference between a new piano and a used one in good condition. Selling your piano means allowing someone else to buy a high-end product at a discount.
• It’s a Potential Business Opportunity: After selling your used piano for a favorable price, you can decide to leverage the sales structure you’ve built and help other people sell their old musical instruments for a commission.
• It’s Easy to Find Buyers: Organizations like churches, schools, bars, bands, and clubs will always need pianos. When you list your used piano on an ecommerce site, these potential piano buyers will find you, and you can close the sale faster than you thought.

Related: How to Start an Online Business

Problems With Selling a Piano

Selling your piano online comes with unique challenges. Here are some of the problems you’ll encounter when selling it.

1. Highly Competitive Market

While there are a lot of people looking to buy their next piano, there are also numerous parties ready to sell to them.

You’ll need to deal with established dealers, piano stores, and piano owners like you as competitors when you decide to sell your piano.

2. Reduced Profit

To dwarf the competition, you may have to cut your price (and profit) to make the sale. Refurbished pianos are always up for sale, and selling yours at the same price as established competitors isn’t a wise market decision.

3. Expenses on Maintenance

You can’t sell your piano unless it’s in good condition, and that involves spending money on refurbishing. Ideally, a piano technician needs to check the keys and polish the body before you list your instrument online.

What You’ll Need to Sell Your Piano

If you want to sell your piano online, there are some things you need to get in place. They include:

• An Accurate and Compelling Product Description: Before you list your piano on any platform, you should have a product description ready, and it should be persuasive enough to convince potential buyers to purchase the piano. This product listing will include the piano type, brand, manufacture date, condition, color, and every other relevant detail.
• High-Quality Pictures: After you create a description, you need to take a couple of high-quality images. These pictures will be uploaded with your product description when listing your piano on ecommerce sites.
• Logistics Plan: Ensure you have a transportation plan before listing your piano for sale.You have to be ready to deliver the piano to your final buyer once payment is confirmed.
• Preferred Online Platforms: Listing your piano on multiple ecommerce platforms is the best way to increase visibility and hasten the process. Pick a few online platforms where musical instruments sell best and list your piano.

Where to Sell Pianos

Selling your piano on ecommerce sites has a few advantages. For instance, you allow buyers to find you and reduce expenses on marketing.

Check out some of the best places to sell pianos online.

1. PianoMart

PianoMart is one of the oldest and most reliable piano online stores today. It’s the go-to store for professional musicians, private instructors, and music lovers. PianoMart mainly features grand, upright, baby grand, and digital pianos.

What Makes This Option Great

You can place an ad on the platform (100%free) if you have a piano to sell and get connected with a buyer quickly. The ad listing includes a headline, description, model specification, pictures, and videos. The website also offers piano buying and selling advice.

• Fees/Commission: PianoMart charges a 3% referral fee when your piano sells.
• Payment Methods: Direct bank transfer, PayPal, and Escrow services.

2. Reverb

Reverb is an online marketplace for musical instruments. The platform offers digital pianos, organs, grand pianos, and more for sale. You can list your used piano by brand or type so buyers can find you easily.

What Makes This Option Great

This website offers pianos and piano accessories for sale in one place. It sells synths, controllers, accessories, and workstations, attracting more buyers to the platform.

It also has comprehensive buying guides for each instrument and multiple informational articles for your potential buyer.

• Fees/Commission: Reverb charges a 5% referral fee when your piano sells.
• Payment Methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

3. eBay

eBay is a popular online marketplace where different items are bought and sold. This platform features different musical instruments, including used and new pianos.

What Makes This Option Great

Buyers can filter the piano choices by brand, price, type, color, condition, and other requirements. This means people who are interested in your piano specifications can find it easily. Also, eBay offers free shipping, which makes things easier for you as a seller.

• Fees/Commission: eBay charges a 9% commission when your piano sells for $5,000 and above. They charge 15% when the value is less than $5,000.
• Payment Methods: PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

How to Sell a Piano: Step-By-Step Instructions

The process of selling your piano comes with a few bottlenecks. However, if you follow the right steps, it becomes easier.

Here are step-by-step instructions you should follow when trying to sell your piano.

Step 1: Polish the Piano

Even though you’re selling a used item, ensure it’s in the best possible condition. Refurbish the piano and ensure all purchase and maintenance documents are in order.

You might also need to repair a few parts of your instrument before putting it up for sale.

Step 2: Research the Market

When you’re sure your piano is in the best possible state, attach a reasonable selling price. Since it’s a used piano, research the current market value and price it accordingly. Check ecommerce sites and see how much they sell pianos with similar features.

Step 3: Pick an Ecommerce Platform and List Your Piano

This step involves signing up on your preferred platform, taking pictures of the piano, crafting an accurate and compelling description, and including all other relevant information.

You should pick an online platform that:

• Aligns with your goals
• Charges a fair commission
• Allows you to promote your product

Step 4: Promote Your Product

Promote your piano once you list it on online platforms. Start by engaging on relevant social media platforms, relate with folks on music forums, and reach out to music groups. There are many marketing strategies you can use to achieve your goal.

Step 5: Make the Sale

Making the sale involves attracting the right buyer, confirming payment, and delivering the piano in one piece. To ensure this happens sooner than later, follow the steps outlined above as well as you can.

Things to Consider When Selling a Piano

Before selling your piano, you need to consider the following factors:

1. Type

There are multiple types of pianos. However, they’re classified into three major categories:

• Digital piano
• Upright piano
• Grand piano

Digital pianos are the most common, and grand pianos are the most expensive. Upright pianos are perfect for schools and homes. Consider your piano type to know where and to whom you can sell it.

2. Brand

Buyers look for popular brands when buying used pianos because they trust the manufacturers.

If your used piano is a common brand, you’ll find it easier to sell at a fair price. However, if the piano brand is unpopular, your potential buyer will need a little more convincing.

3. Condition

A used piano will attract fewer buyers than a new piano with similar features. If your piano needs repairs or maintenance, take it to the piano technician at your local piano store.

Make sure you refurbish it to the best possible state so the buyer gets value for their money. Doing this also increases the chances of listing your piano for a better price.

4. Fair Market Value

To sell your piano quickly, you must list it at a fair price. Find other used pianos online with similar features and then price yours accordingly.

Overpricing your piano will drive buyers away, and underpricing it will see you lose out on profit. Attaching a reasonable asking price backed by research is how you close a successful sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Similar Tutorials

If you want to learn more about selling, check out these tutorials:

• How to Sell on Craigslist: Learn how to sell items quickly on Craigslist by following our tips.
• How to Sell on Facebook: See what to avoid when selling on the Facebook Marketplace.
• How to Sell a Product: Check out this guide and learn how to sell any product on ecommerce platforms.

Wrapping Up

Selling your used piano on an ecommerce platform is a great way to generate income. You need to pick your preferred platform, list your polished piano, and wait for a buyer.

What are your thoughts on this post? Let us know in the comments below, and share the article if you liked it and want others to see how to make money from selling a piano!