What price for my U3?

[mwf]

Hi,

This is not an advert.

I just want to know how much money I could get for my U3 if I sold it on ebay, or rather how much I should set as the minimum sale price, here are the details of my piano:

Its serial number - 4161676, so I think thats around 1986 it was built.

I bought it around a year ago from a piano dealer in London for £2,200, it was used condition, but they did a total makeover on it so to speak, meaning they obviuosly bought it in from Japan already used. It is fully restored which means new tapes, new loops, new felts, new key bushings, new key covers and repolished cabinet.

So basically its a year old from its refurbished state, done by the dealers.

Any ideas on a suitable selling price would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

[PianoGuy]

Try advertising it for what you paid. It's the right age to be saleable, and the cost to dealer has gone up since you bought. I reckon you'd get £2k for it (if it's mint) once you've been chipped by the punter.

[mwf]

Ok that sounds like a good plan, thanks for your reply.

[chrisvenables]

Its serial number - 4161676, so I think thats around 1986 it was built.

I bought it around a year ago from a piano dealer in London for £2,200, it was used condition, but they did a total makeover on it so to speak, meaning they obviuosly bought it in from Japan already used. It is fully restored which means new tapes, new loops, new felts, new key bushings, new key covers and repolished cabinet.

So basically its a year old from its refurbished state, done by the dealers

If it was 'fully' 'restored, it would have had, additionally, at least new strings, pins, new dampers and springs as well. It's an unfortunate fact that so many second hand pianos are sold as fully restored when they've only had a face lift. Sceptical I may be, but I doubt it has been 'repolished' - maybe buffed up instead. Barrie quoted a customer about £500 to replace a set of loops a few weeks ago. What 'new felts' means is intriguing.. dampers, hammers, key frame, washers, checks, cushions? etc etc. Hmmm.

Just be careful you don't advertise it saying 'fully' restored, because it probably isn't.

[PianoGuy]

So basically its a year old from its refurbished state, done by the dealers

Just be careful you don't advertise it saying 'fully' restored, because it probably isn't.

Absolutely.

There are very few dealers whose U1/3s are "Fully" restored, and these are very rarely restored by the dealer. There are companies which rebuild U-series Yamaha in factories (probably in China) and produce a fully restored product, but I doubt £2,200 would have bought one when you bought yours, and the cost of repolyestering alone in the UK would cost that, so in all probability as Chris has said, it has probably only had a casework buff-up with a rotary polisher. Only make these claims if you have paperwork from the dealer to back up the facts. Then if they're wrong, you have some redress!

[mwf]

Thanks for your comments everyone, I must say the piano went through a check list, which had over 100 points of refurbishment if you like, it was an offical thing, cant remember much about it now, but quite alot had been done to it. New hammers I am sure they put in, and everything inside and out looked (and still does) like new. The company was Little & Lampert who I bought it off, they were very proffessional about it all too. And its from Japan definetely not a Chinese one, which I heard are not the real thing.

Thanks

Mark

[mwf]

So bearing in mind it is not as people have put 'fully-restored', will this knock the price down a huge amount? I was thinking of selling it for around £2000, maybe a little lower if I have to, was thinking £1800 minimum though, does that seem reasonable?

[PianoGuy]

And its from Japan definetely not a Chinese one, which I heard are not the real thing.

Thanks

Mark

They're *all* from Japan!

Some have however been refurbished in China!

No, Stick with your £2k. You can always drop your price but you can't raise it!