The risks of buying a piano through classified advertisements

Various internet sites offer a swathe of classified advertisements offering all sorts of pianos for sale: upright pianos, grand pianos, from well-known and unknown makers, new, vintage, antique, wooden framed and many more. The tempting descriptions in these advertisements might say “in good condition”, or “needs a tune” or “beautiful instrument”, and people often jump at the chance to buy a cheap piano and grab a bargain. Sadly, pianos aren’t like tables, where seeing a photo might be enough to buy one online. Just taking a look at the instrument or playing it for a few minutes isn’t enough either. Despite appearances, a piano is a fragile instrument. It can be affected by being moved, changes in temperature, being out of tune and the passage of time. Many pianos have been damaged by the relatively dry atmosphere of modern homes, and also by a lack of maintenance, which reduces their musical and financial value. An inexperienced buyer might think they can buy a piano and use it immediately with no further expense. However, they will find that the piano quickly gets worse as they play it, or even that it is completely unusable from the beginning. This is the case for all older pianos that have not been restored. It is practically impossible to use a worn out piano regularly and properly without encountering any irritating problems.