"Given the long time span between new editions of The Piano Book, it's impractical to provide in the book itself the detailed model and price data that piano shoppers increasingly seek. Similarly, updated information about manufactuers and products is needed in a timely manner. This Annual Supplement to The Piano Book, published each summer, is designed to fill that information gap. I hope this modest companion volume will effectively extend the "shelf life" of The Piano Book as a valuable reference work, and serve as an additional information resource for piano buyers and piano lovers." --from the Introduction

Questions and Answers About the Annual Supplement to The Piano Book

Q: What is the Annual Supplement to The Piano Book?

A: The Annual Supplement is a book that contains two types of updated information about pianos:

• Current descriptions/reviews and ratings for most brands of new piano. This includes a restatement of material from The Piano Book and past Annual Supplements where still accurate, plus new material as necessary to bring the review current.
• List prices for nearly every brand and model of new piano on the market (over 4,000 of them), excluding digital pianos, plus advice on how to estimate actual selling prices.

Q: How often (or when) is the Annual Supplement published?

A: Each year, in the summer, usually June.

Q: If I get the Supplement, do I also need The Piano Book?

A: Yes, because The Piano Book contains most of the information about buying a piano. The Supplement only has detailed price and model information on new pianos.

Q: What if all I need is the price information? Do I still need The Piano Book?

A: The price information could probably be used alone. However, The Piano Book discusses how to bargain for a lower price, and has much other useful information about the process of purchasing a piano. If you are shopping for a new piano, we recommend that you purchase both volumes.

Q: Does the Supplement include prices for digital pianos, too?

A: No, only for regular "acoustic" pianos, including those containing electronic player-piano mechanisms.

Q: What if I'm buying only a used piano? Does the Annual Supplement have prices of used pianos?

A: No, only new pianos. Buyers of used pianos that are more than a few years old probably don't need the Supplement. However, by combining the price information in the Supplement with the depreciation schedule in The Piano Book, one could probably make an educated guess about the depreciated value of a used piano.

Q: Are the prices in the Supplement the same as the manufacturers' suggested retail prices?

A: The prices in the Supplement may or may not be the same as the manufacturers' suggested retail prices. Manufacturers create their suggested retail prices by marking up their wholesale prices by a percentage profit margin. The problem is that the manufacturers all use different percentages in formulating their retail prices, making any kind of comparison by the shopper very difficult if not impossible. The prices in the Annual Supplement, on the other hand, called "list prices", are formulated using a standard, uniform percentage markup. Although this percentage is to some extent arbitrary, its uniform nature allows shoppers to make some meaningful comparisons between brands and between offers from different dealers. The Annual Supplement also contains advice about how much these "list prices" may be further reduced through negotiation, which varies by brand, country of origin, and individual circumstances.

Q: Is the Supplement available in bookstores?

A: The Supplement is available from major bookstores (sometimes by special order), online booksellers, or directly from our distributor, IPG. It is also available from our recommended vendor as an electronic file that can be read with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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