Is December a Good Time to Buy a Starter Piano for Your Child?

For die hard bargain shoppers, Black Friday and the pre Christmas season are when most of us can find those great deals on Christmas gift merchandise. Our family has also recently discovered that Black Friday weekend and the early part of December is a great time to buy a piano.

Pianos usually aren't on our radar as Christmas gift possibilities. For one thing, they rather expensive plus impossible to sneak in a house and wrap. Pianos are also one of those gift items in which you run a bit of a gamble since you aren't sure how well it will be received. However, if you have a child leaning towards an interest in playing piano, buying a starter piano for your child in December rather than in the spring or fall can save you thousands of dollars.

Here is what we discovered after our weekend of piano shopping:

Huge selection of Used Pianos:

Piano stores are a bit like a car lot in which a buyer can expect to find current models, last year's models, and plenty of trade-ins. Our family was astonished at the incredible selection of used pianos we saw in the stores we visited, far more than what we have noticed at other times of the year. For families interested in starter pianos, the selection of used quality pianos in December is excellent.

Steep discounts.

December discounts were also pretty amazing with discounts ranging between 25-50% on both new and used pianos.

Some of the deals we found included:

* New spinets starting at $600
* New performance vertical pianos starting at $5000
* Used Studio sized vertical pianos ranging between $1500-2000
* Used Petite and Baby Grand ranging from $1500-$4000
* Used spinet and console sized pianos between $400-$1200 (this is my pick for a bargain priced starter piano for a child).

Extra perks.

Different stores throw in different perks with a piano purchase, which can also save a family money. In December, the perks seem to be a little more generous. Perks to look for include:

* Free delivery
* Free one month tune-up
* Will accept the piano as a trade in on an upgraded model in the future
* Will haul off your old piano at no cost ~ this was a big money saver for us, since our old upright piano had no trade-in value and would have cost us $160 to have moved to a thrift store.

December is definitely full of deals for a family looking to buy an inexpensive starter piano for their children. While used spinet and console sized pianos are the most affordable option, even a used Baby Grand is budget priced in December.