PIANO MARKETING FAQs

DO YOU OFFER 100% TRADE-IN ON A FUTURE PURCHASE?

Nick's Piano Showroom has something even better because of our discount pricing model.  The fault of the 100% trade-in policy is that you will pay a higher price for the new piano than without the trade guarantee because the price will be subject to little if any discounting.  With Nick's always up-front discount price model, if you first purchased a $10,000 piano with a 20% discount, and later decided to buy a $20,000 piano, you would still receive a 20% discount less the actual cash value for your trade.  If for the purpose of this example your trade had an actual cash value of $6000, the net price from both transactions would still reflect a 10% discount on the piano you traded up to!  With the 100% trade-in offer, you will always be at 100% full price which will be very costly the more you trade up.

SOME DEALERS WARN ABOUT PLASTIC PARTS, IS THIS TRUE?

Some competing dealers want to create doubt in the mind of a consumer about a competitor's product.  Plastic naturally sounds cheap, but the reality is that the non-wood parts in the piano action are high tech carbon fiber composites and are chosen as alternatives where clear superiority to wood can be proven through rigorous testing.  There is essentially no dispute any longer among piano technicians on this subject.  In the case of Kawai, their composite materials have been in use for nearly 50 years and time has proven them right for using them to achieve superior results.  The results of this technology has shown them to be a bold innovator.

WHAT IS PIANO RESTORATION?

Restoration is a term that is often misapplied to pianos to make it sound as though a rebuilt and refinished piano is as good or better than a new one.  This can simply never be the case.  First, the quality of the work varies greatly and seldom matches the quality of the factory.  Even if all of the moving parts are replaced, the piano still has its original legs, lyre, pedals, hardware, action frame, keys, plate, inner and outer rim, beams, and case parts.  Sometimes non-moving parts such as the soundboard and pinblock are replaced, but if they are the rebuilding can become cost prohibitive and is not a good investment.  A rebuilt piano is still an old piano, and the quality and extent of the work performed will vary widely.  They can look good and play well, but are far from really being restored, and with all of the original parts listed above that must be retained, the word 'restored' is simply not applicable to pianos.  Competent rebuilding of pianos is to be commended, however.  A reliable formula to value a completely rebuilt and refinished piano is that its value is about 1/2 of a new one from the same manufacturer.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A WARRANTY? 

Piano warranties are fairly standard in the industry but 3 important things to look for are time, transferability, and transportation if a warranty repair or replacement is necessary.  Transferable warranties that also provide for transportation to be covered are especially valuable because otherwise the transportation cost could easily exceed the value of the repair.  In this regard the full warranty from Kawai especially stands out as it is transferable while most others are not.  The warranty can have a big influence on the resale value since most factory warranties last for 10 years.

DO PIANOS GET BETTER WITH AGE?

The short answer is no, but this will be expanded upon.

WHICH BRANDS HAVE THE BEST RESALE VALUE? 

The most important factor in resale value is the price originally paid!  People often fail to think of this when they only want to consider the most popular brands for which they may very likely overpay.  Another primary determiner of resale value are things in the future such as competition in the piano market that will exist at that future time, new technology, and which models have remained desirable even within a particular brand.  Value always wins out, and those who do their research will do better.  The internet has leveled out the playing field by giving consumers more information than ever before possible.  A quality piano purchased at a discounted price has an excellent chance of substantially holding value over time and even increasing slightly.  I can provide many examples of this.  Beware of piano retailers who sell their pianos as investments.  If their assertions were true it would be better for them to lock their doors, keep their present inventory, and sell it at a future date!

DO I NEED HUMIDITY CONTROL FOR MY PIANO IN FLORIDA?

This will be explained in detail

HOW DO I GET TRANSPARENCY WITH PIANO PRICES?

Most dealers will only quote high MSRP prices for the pianos they sell over the phone or online.  This has to do with dealer agreements that enforce each dealer's sales territory.  Most consumers find this inconvenient because they can't get real street pricing upfront.  Nicks Piano Showroom is among those that are most transparent in pricing and will quote our discount pricing upfront.  Please note that discounts cannot be published or quoted electronically because of dealer agreements to not advertise discounted prices that other stores would find difficult or impossible to match.