Selling a used piano in Singapore.

What to gather

Five facts that get you a straight answer.

A dealer who gives you a figure without these is guessing. Gather them before you write to anyone.

• Make and model: Off the fallboard or the plate inside. A Yamaha U1 and a Yamaha U3 are different instruments and different values.
• Serial number: Helps check its production year against the appropriate manufacturer records. The sale page shows where to find it.
• Approximate purchase date: And from where, if you remember. It helps place the instrument in context.
• Tuning history: A piano tuned every year is a different proposition from one that has not been opened in a decade.
• Location, floor and access: Floor, lift dimensions, door widths and any stairs. Removal logistics affect the arrangement.

What to photograph

Three photographs that show condition.

Condition is most of the value, and nobody can judge condition from a description alone. Three photographs provide a starting point for the enquiry; the dealer may need more information or an inspection.

• The keyboard, from one end, with the fallboard up, showing all the keys and the key tops.
• The inside of the piano, with the top board lifted on an upright or looking down into a grand: the hammers, strings and plate.
• The body and the case, showing the overall condition, any marks, and the finish.

More is better. A photograph of the serial number, the factory date label if there is one, and any mark or damage you know about saves a follow up question.

Comparing your options

Outright sale, trade-in and consignment.

The sell/trade-in page describes four routes out: outright purchase, trade-in against another piano, consignment sale from the dealer's floor, and giving the piano away. Which one suits depends on the instrument and on how quickly you want it moved.

Before deciding, ask about each option that applies to your situation:

• Outright purchase: what is the offered figure, does it include collection, and when is payment made?
• Trade-in: what value is credited against the replacement instrument, and is the credit shown separately in the quotation?
• Consignment: what is the expected selling price, what fee or commission applies, how long is the instrument listed, and what happens if it does not sell?

Ask for the terms in writing, whichever route you choose.

What a dealer assessment covers

And what it does not.

Ask whether any indication from photographs is provisional and what inspection is needed before an offer is confirmed. A dealer who gives you a firm number from photographs alone is guessing, because condition cannot be fully judged from images.

Not every piano will be taken. A dealer should say so plainly rather than stringing the conversation along. If the make, the condition or the market does not support a worthwhile arrangement, that is the honest answer.