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USER LOCATION: Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA)
MAKE: Kawai
MODEL: VPC1
CONDITION: New
PRICE PAID: $1,849
DELIVERY CHARGE: Local Pickup
VENDOR LOCATION: Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA)
VENDOR NAME: Sweetwater Sound
PURCHASE DATE: 5/28/2021

USER LOCATION: Germany, NRW
MAKE: Kawai
MODEL: VPC1
CONDITION: New
PRICE PAID: 1299 €
DELIVERY CHARGE: Free
VENDOR LOCATION: Berlin, Germany
VENDOR NAME: JustMusic
PURCHASE DATE: 5/13/2021

USER LOCATION: Northern Ireland
MAKE: Kawai
MODEL: CA79
CONDITION: new
PRICE PAID: £2599 GBP
DELIVERY CHARGE: £30 for delivery and set up
VENDOR LOCATION: Northern Ireland
VENDOR NAME: AA Music
PURCHASE DATE: 2/6/21 (2nd June)

USER LOCATION: Houston, Texas
MAKE: Yamaha
MODEL: CVP-809PE
CONDITION: New
PRICE PAID: $9000 (Included delivery about $500 from Cali to Houston, that means the original price could be 8500$, No tax, 2 years financing 0% interest 10% down payment)
DELIVERY CHARGE: included
VENDOR LOCATION: Ontario, CA
VENDOR NAME: AA Music
PURCHASE DATE: 5/6/21 (5th June)

I had other prices that wanna share with you. Not all dealer can do these prices, as it depends on many factors. Usually the owner would be able to give you the best price.
CVP-809PE - Music Exchange - $9700 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - ‎Sacramento, CA
CVP-809PE - Hanmi piano - $9400 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - Garden Grove, CA
CVP-809PE - A dealer in Texas - $9700 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - Texas
CVP-809B - Floor model like new: $7200 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - Pendley Piano Gallery - Shreveport, LA 71105 (best price)
CVP-809B - Used model, like new probably be floor model (pre-tax, shipping not included): $8000 - Piano Solutions - Carmel, IN
CVP-805PE - New - thepianoguyspianostore.com: $6XXX (Express shipping to anywhere is US included, no tax, awesome deal, 8 year warranty)
CVP-709B - Pre-owned model - $6000 - rockawaymusic.com - New Jersey, NJ
CVP-709GB - Used - Facebook marketplace - $5000
CVP-701B - Used - Facebook marketplace - $2000
CVP-701PE- Used - Facebook marketplace - $3000

It's odd that TessB bought a piano from AA Music in Ireland as did JustinPh from AA Music in California.

Good catch, MacMacMac. I copied his template and forgot to update the dealer. Let me try to update it.

somehow the edit button is not available for that post. Let me update in h
Somehow the edit button is not available for that post. Let me update in here.

USER LOCATION: Houston, Texas
MAKE: Yamaha
MODEL: CVP-809PE
CONDITION: New
PRICE PAID: $9000 (Included delivery about $500 from Cali to Houston, that means the original price could be 8500$, No tax, 2 years financing 0% interest 10% down payment)
DELIVERY CHARGE: included
VENDOR LOCATION: Ontario, CA
VENDOR NAME: SoCal Pianos
PURCHASE DATE: 5/6/21 (5th June)

I had other prices that wanna share with you. Not all dealer can do these prices, as it depends on many factors. Usually the owner would be able to give you the best price.
CVP-809PE - Music Exchange - $9700 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - ‎Sacramento, CA
CVP-809PE - Hanmi piano - $9400 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - Garden Grove, CA
CVP-809PE - A dealer in Texas - $9700 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - Texas
CVP-809B - Floor model like new: $7200 (pre-tax, shipping not included) - Pendley Piano Gallery - Shreveport, LA 71105 (best price)
CVP-809B - Used model, like new probably be floor model (pre-tax, shipping not included): $8000 - Piano Solutions - Carmel, IN
CVP-805PE - New - thepianoguyspianostore.com: $6XXX (Express shipping to anywhere is US included, no tax, awesome deal, 8 year warranty)
CVP-709B - Pre-owned model - $6000 - rockawaymusic.com - New Jersey, NJ
CVP-709GB - Used - Facebook marketplace - $5000
CVP-701B - Used - Facebook marketplace - $2000
CVP-701PE- Used - Facebook marketplace - $3000

Aw that's a shame, I was tickled by the coincidence!

USER LOCATION: NJ, USA
MAKE: Yamaha
MODEL: P-155
CONDITION: 2nd hand, good condition
PRICE PAID: $200
DELIVERY CHARGE: Local Pickup
VENDOR LOCATION: NYC
VENDOR NAME: private party transaction (Facebook Marketplace)
PURCHASE DATE: 6/4/2021

USER LOCATION: San Francisco Bay Area
MAKE: Kawai
MODEL: ES920
CONDITION: New
PRICE PAID: $1,279.20 plus tax (20% OFF coupon code via telephone: (866) 498-7882)
DELIVERY CHARGE: none
VENDOR LOCATION: Online but curbside pick up at Santa Clara CA store
VENDOR NAME: Guitar Center
PURCHASE DATE: 12/18/2020 (arrived 6/10/21)

The coupon code may have come from Musician's Friend, which is associated with Guitar Center.

USER LOCATION: Illinois
MAKE: Kawai
MODEL: ES920
CONDITION: New
PRICE PAID: $1700 (tax and warranty included)
DELIVERY CHARGE: Free (asked for next day delivery)
VENDOR NAME: Musician's Friend
PURCHASE DATE: 12/13/2020
ITEM RECEIVED: 06/07/2021 (Yep, you read that right)

Long story short, made the order in 12/13/20. On website shows "backordered". I'm thinking, "wow, must be a very popular among the digital piano world". Since the demand was so high, naturally, the wait time will be long. Welp, I called in Feb' 21, they said that Covid was the main culprit as well as trade war (verbatim) from our President, I needed to call back sometime in April with the possibility of it be delivered. Welp, I called in April and Musician's Friend says the new delivery date will be around mid June. The reason for the hold up was the Suez Canal blockage.
At this point I was ready to pull out and just go local as I was seeing everyone getting their Kawai piano but realized that no one could match the 0% / 48 month financing MF was offering.
Even though I missed out playing for 6 months, I'm just happy to finally have it. Now it's time to make a new home for the piano to sit in.

USER LOCATION: Chicago Suburbs
MAKE: Kawai
MODEL: CA79 Ebony Polish
CONDITION: New in box.
PRICE PAID: $3899.00 + 7% sales tax or $4171.93
DELIVERY CHARGE: N/A, Take home from store
VENDOR LOCATION: Chicago west suburbs
VENDOR NAME: Prefer not to say at this point
PURCHASE DATE: 6/9/21

This is kind of an unusual situation. I have made the deal as described above, but the piano arrives in two weeks. I placed a $100.00 deposit down and have the right to cancel the deal and get a refund of the deposit any time up until I take delivery. I think I acted too rashly in agreeing to this price based on what I'm seeing here, which is what led me to register on the site and make this post, my first.

I originally went to this piano store a few weeks ago specifically to try out a Kawai CA79. They didn't have any in stock and told me they'd call me when they did. On 6/9 I got a call in the morning from the sales rep I had met on the previous visit, stating they just got a CA79 in which they had assembled to prep for delivery to a customer the next day. He said come in and try it out and I agreed. I really did not expect to make a deal that day. Anyway, I like the piano and asked when he'd get one in in the satin black. He said they are very hard to come by - could be months - but he had an ebony gloss CA79 arriving in two weeks. He said he could offer it to me for only $100 more than the satin black, which was $3799. Now, at this point the extent of my research on pricing was looking at the Kawai website and seeing the MSRP is $5899.00, but I could buy one for $4799. The ebony polish version is $600 more than the satin finish versions. Somehow, it didn't occur to me that of course the prices I could get directly from Kawai would be greatly inflated so that the dealers wouldn't be undercut and would have wide wiggle room to price according to their markets and circumstances. I got caught up in the excitement and didn't even try to negotiate. The fact that he offered me the option to put down the small deposit to hold the piano - which (of course) he had other customers waiting on - and the right to cancel without penalty convinced me I was getting a good deal.

Now I come here, and it appears if I go through with this purchase I will be the top price anyone has paid for this piano in months! Looks like I easily left $300 on the table, and as much as $600 if the price reports here are to be believed.

So the question is: Would you go through with this deal under circumstances in the market TODAY, cancel it outright and ask for the deposit refund, or attempt to renegotiate for a lower price after the fact? Seems like my only hope to renegotiate would be to ask for the refund and HOPE the sales rep offers to. I don't think he'd be willing to lose face if I came out and said I want the piano, but you need to give me a better price.

Hi Dalton - Welcome to the forum!

I think less than $4200 for the CA79 in EP (Ebony Polish) is spectacular. There were some deals to be had better than this a year ago; however, as I understand, Kawai reminded some of the vendors about pricing agreements. Since then, they've been more expensive.

I think $4200, today, for a CA79 in EP is fair and I'd stay with it.

FWIW, I have a satin black CA79 and it is amazing.

There seems to be much more variability in price in America than elsewhere.
I'm in Northern Ireland and our prices seem to be pretty much set as far as the instrument goes. There's room for discount on accessories such as benches or headphones, maybe a discounted delivery fee but the actual piano price seems to be as advertised.
I've just got a very good price on a CA79PE but that was due to a mistake with delivery dates (I ordered satin black and was told 6 weeks, when it's actually November and they have a PE in stock which they're going to sell me at a heavily discounted price purely because of the error) but had it not been for that, there was no wiggle on prices.
I think I prefer it that way. I hate the idea of so much shopping around and price comparison and haggling.
Also, digital pianos are in short supply just now, I believe due to the combination of chip shortages, more people taking up piano during lockdowns and also fewer people physically working in piano making due to covid illness and social distancing measures.
If you were happy with the price you agreed to at the time, stop looking at what others have paid as it's only going to lead to dissatisfaction, and look forward to enjoying your new piano!

If you look in the prices paid listing, $4200 would be the highest price yet paid.Yes, Alamo Music was selling these at low prices. It seems there was a territorial dispute involved, as discussed here some time ago. I'm guessing Alamo is no longer selling outside its territory anymore?

But even excluding Alamo Music ...
BattleOoze bought a CA79 PE from San Mateo Piano in California this year for $3900, including shipping.
USAFCarters bought a CA79 PE from Artist Pianos in New York this year for $4049, including shipping.
wshirey bought a CA79 from Ellis Piano in Alabama last August for $3300.

I stand corrected by 3Mac! Though I'd consider the $3300 to be an outlier, and $4200 to be pretty close to the other 2 you mentioned (within 10%, unless I'm mathing bad).

I was one of those fortunate ones who asked at the right time from Alamo. I'm in the region, so I believe it was an issue with some pricing agreement with Kawai since they'd be undercutting all other sellers. (Does that violate price fixing law..? I think there was some discussion of that at the time and it would be OT here).

However, considering the now-average price of the CA79s, and noting that typically the EP goes for what - $600 or so more? - I didn't think $4200 to be too far afield.

The $3300 price was a non-PE piano. That cuts quite a bit off the price.

Regardless ... that's not an outlier. It's a real sale.

There are no outliers. Somebody has to pay less than everyone else. I just want that to be me.

And someone has to pay the *highest* price, and I don't want that to be me. Thanks for the input.

I know it's "just" a couple hundred dollars, but I think it would irk me every time I look at the thing, knowing I paid too much because I was foolish enough to take the dealer's first offer without even trying to negotiate. I think I will call tomorrow and politely cancel the deal and ask for a refund of the deposit, and maybe hope they come back and ask me "What price would make you happy"? I doubt this will happen, as I have no reason to believe they don't have another buyer who will come along quickly and snap it up given the stock shortage and the risk of inflation causing the prices of newly imported pianos rising soon. I can't fault the piano dealer for my own reticence to negotiate down his starting price, and $4171 may very well be a fair price for a very highly motivated buyer (e.g. someone who is wealthy and needs/wants the piano right away) that someone will probably pay without too much effort on their part. But I am not in that very highly motivated category. I can wait for a good deal on a satin black CA79.

Thanks Kimby. I was heartened by your reply. But then I read MacMacMac's. Ultimately it's up to each buyer what they think is worth paying. $4171 may be a fair price for a well-motivated buyer (i.e. Someone to whom overpaying a couple hundred dollars means little to get the piano right away without the stress of haggling). For me, I think it would irk me every time I looked at the piano that I didn't even try negotiating. I will call the store on Monday to cancel, and see if they try to sweeten the deal. I'll follow up with results either way. Thanks again.

I'm troubled by this ...Sweetening the deal is the buyer's job. Don't expect the dealer to do that.

I like to do this by making an offer. There is no haggling.
This is not what people think of as "negotiating". It's just an offer.
And the offer is always sweet. That is, it's as good as I want it to be.

The dealer can only try to "un-sweeten" the deal by asking a price higher than my offer.
If it's just a bit higher I might accept.
Under any other circumstances I'll pass.