For as many new digital pianos there are available, it seems sometimes that there are twice that many used ones for sale. This availability leads to an important question: should you consider purchasing a used digital piano? In short, it’s probably not the best option.
To better illustrate this point, we’ll take a look at the top three reasons why purchasing a used digital piano is usually an unnecessary risk.
Reason #1: There’s No Pricing Standard on Used Digital Pianos
Digital pianos, like many electronics, depreciate their value quickly as newer and better models come into replace them.
What this means is that a piano that cost $2000 ten years ago might not be worth a quarter of that now even if it’s in perfect condition, simply because there are so many new digital pianos with more features, better sound, more realistic key action, etc. that cost half what the old piano did.
Since there is no way of judging this depreciation and no real way of knowing how comparable an older piano is to its modern counterparts, there is no standard for judging the worth of a used digital piano.
Going back to the $2000, ten year old piano we used as our example, paying $1000 for it may seem like a great deal (it is still in perfect playing condition after all).
But if there are new digital pianos for the same price that are better than the used piano was even when it was out of the box new, is it really that great of a deal?
The same logic goes for phones, computers, TV’s and most any electronic. There’s simply no way to judge their worth based off their original price since the newer models are so much more advanced.
Reason #2: Unseen Damages Can be Detrimental
Even if you are buying the piano in person and have the chance to play it before you purchase, used digital pianos can be time-bombs when it comes to how much longer they might last.
You may get one that was kept in great condition that will last for years or you may wind up with a piano whose previous owners let their grandkids treat like a cheap toy keyboard.
Broken keys, problems with the circuit board, loose and noisy keys: there’s just so much to look for and worry about that it’s so easy to miss the damages all together.
Like buying a used car, finding just one unexpected issue can be a costly fix that turns your “great deal” into a piano that ends up costing more than a much better, brand new one.
Reason #3: Newer Digital Pianos are Better
As mentioned, the main reason for the depreciation of digital pianos is the fact that they are constantly improving. The digital pianos today have better key actions, better sound, and much more digital features than those made even less than a decade ago.
While every great once and a while you may find a used digital piano for sale that is only a few months old, most of the ones you will find are going to be far outdated, meaning your much better off with a newer, more effective model.
Final Thoughts
With as many affordably priced and high quality new digital pianos that are out there, buying a used piano off of a Craigslist add (or anywhere else for that matter) is, in our opinion, taking an unnecessary chance. Like buying a used car, buying a used digital piano is a business of risk and reward—one where the reward is rarely worth the risk.