Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Young Chang G-157 Age & Value Needed

Greetings...

I'm a new member here and this is my first post so please bear with me....

After 44 years playing piano, the past 5 or 10 only playing 3 or 4 times a year I have decided I'd like to start playing again for fun, not to be involved in the music business any longer...

To spark my interest I have been looking at several used baby grand pianos recently... a Bell, some obscure brand from Halifax, an old used Steinway, and none have come close to impressing me in either sound or appearance...

However today I came across an Ivory Young Chang G157 and it impressed me in both areas... I really liked it!

Seller has little knowledge of the piano as she bought it several years back to get her kids to play but they never got into it so it seems to have had very little use...

It plays well and sounds great but is not in perfect condition... the korean 'fit and finish' problems exist... (little missing tabs that used to cover screws etc) and a few small marks, one where the lamp on top of the piano fell and struck the area over the keyboard leaving a scratch etc...)

It is a good "used" piano from what I can tell and I don't really expect it to be perfect but I feel her price may be a bit high in today's 'recession-esque' market... she wants $4,000 for it...

Searching online I found a retailer just across the line in the U.S. with a New YC G157, same color for $4995, listing regular price as $6495 so I find myself really questioning the seller's price.

That said, she is open to offers as she is downsizing and selling her house, has advertised her piano twice at this price and says nobody has called to see it (I overheard her say this) and am wondering what the experts here (you guys) think a fair offer would be for this piano...

I am not sure of the age, but serial # is G053426 so if anyone can help establish an age or good offer for this piano I'd sure appreciate your help...

Thanks for your time...

~Trev

Not sure about the age but you may want to confirm where this new Young Chang you saw for $4,995 was made. Young Chang is making some grands in China and some in Korea. The Korean-manufactured pianos tend to be higher quality and generally have higher mark-ups. Ask the buyer if she has a receipt or how much she paid for it. You can bring up the fact that a dealer is selling the same model (if it truly is) for the said price and offer her $3,000. If you are the first interested party she may go for it. Good luck. By the way, are you talking about Canadian dollars or US dollars? What is the conversion rate?

Yes I'm talking about $4,000 Canadian dollars asking price... the "new" dealer piano south of the border would be in USD I'm sure...

In researching this piano I have found them scattered across the country from $980 and up and there are a surprising number of them for under $2500 which is of course why I am asking...
As for the G157 it was my understanding they were all made in Korea and were now discontinued...?

It's unfortunate that Young Chang doesn't have an online serial number---> age converter but I'm sure someone will come along with some frame of reference... it would be nice to be able to go back to her with a lot more knowledge than I left there with...

Thanks for your help!

~Trev

Just curious if Young Chang serial numbers were similar across all models...

I just found another model of baby grand with a 053xxxx prefix and the seller stated that his piano was made in 1989...

If anyone can help pinpoint the details of this piano from it's serial number I'd sure appreciate it...

Oh and by the way PianoMadam, she has none of her original paperwork left from when she bought the piano and was just as interested to know as I was how old this piano was...

Thanks again...

~Trev

I think it was made in either late 1989 or early 1990. (looked it up on the web)

The closest current piano to it shows a Fine list of $12K USD and would probably sell for around $8k or so. So, I guess the price is not unreasonable if you like the instrument. As previously stated, though, you have nothing to lose by offering her less.

I tried looking it up on the web and had no luck at all...

Oh well, sounds like we're in the ballpark for year and price so I'll talk to the lady and see if she'll take a lower offer that we can both live with...

Thanks for the info Dennis...

~Trev

I would be very hesitant to buy an almost 20-year old Young Chang, especially if you can buy a new one for $4,995.

The thing is I played *that* Young Chang and really liked it, PM... the age factor should make the price reasonable in the long run too (I hope!)

The advertised $4995 Young Chang is in Washington while I am here in Canada, there is a 30% exchange rate, travel and even the issue of crossing the border (didn't I hear you need a passport now?) and so on and so on... by the time it's all said and done after exchange rate, duties and taxes, moving expenses etc it may not be such a great deal...

Time will tell... if I get it you guys will be the first to know...

~Trev