To those interested in purchasing a piano, the likely goal is to find a quality instrument at a competitive price from a trusted source. While finding well-built pianos from reliable dealers is usually straight-forward, finding a sales event may prove to be more elusive: Pianos do not go “on sale” the same way other items do. Hence, a college sale, where the discount is substantial and the local college benefits from the event, would seem to be the perfect solution.
Or is it...???
What is a College Sale?
First, what is a college sale? The term itself is a misnomer—consumers, with little time to educate themselves on what such a sale is, often believe that the college/university is selling their older inventory and that the proceeds directly benefit the music department.
While logical, this understanding of the term is not correct. A ‘college sale’ is simply a sales event in which a college/ university hosts a sale (conducted by a piano dealer/manufacturer) as part of an instrument loan program.
Such sales are usually promoted through letters, email blasts and webpages which state that the school has use of (a certain number of) pianos on a “no-cost basis” for a year, and that these pianos must then be sold to perpetuate this loan program. The stated benefit for the school is the use of the instruments on an annual basis, while the stated benefit for the consumer is to have the opportunity to purchase well-maintained pre-owned pianos at substantially reduced prices. What is not to love?
Deception in Advertising
Unfortunately, such sales are, at best, deceptive, and, at worst, dishonest. The deception arises from the fact that most of the pianos at the sale are not those that were on loan to the school. Rather, the instruments at these college sales are stock from the piano dealer’s showroom floor. The consumer, then, is being brought to the sale under false pretenses. Moreover, the prices at the ‘college sale’ do not necessarily reflect a substantial savings; that is, they often are no different than the prices of the pianos in the showroom.
Charitable Contribution? (not)
In addition, some college sales letters go even further suggesting that “a substantial portion” of the purchase may be “considered as a charitable contribution” and “may be TAX DEDUCTIBLE.” While the consumer is advised to consult with an accountant, such phrases are a red flag. For an item to have a charitable benefit (and thus be tax deductible), the cost must reflect an increase in price. That is, for the consumer to receive a tax deduction for their charitable contribution, they will pay more than the actual value of the purchase thus eliminating any sales benefit.
Other Approaches
We take a decidedly different approach with our piano events. On occasion, we host selection and savings events at different locations (for example, Davidson College), in which we celebrate the school’s commitment to excellence. We also host Festival Sales (for example. Eastern Music Festival; Brevard Music Festival) in which piano inventory used by the music festival is sold after the festival is over. At these events, both special pricing and financing are offered. In addition, there is always a large selection of new and pre-owned pianos. This information is always clearly stated on our webpage and our promotional material. Both our customers and the fabulous line of pianos we represent are too important to us to be anything less than clear, honest and direct.
Have all your questions answered — by phone or email.