Learning to play a musical instrument has many benefits over the course of a child’s development. And with school back in session, many parents may have children who have reached an age where band or orchestra is an option.
Whether your child comes home excited with a signup form or you have looked into it yourself, you may be researching the best option to get your kid an instrument.
Renting is often the first thing parents look into for a number of reasons; however, it turns out that buying a used instrument typically turns out to be the better investment in the long run.
Pros & Cons Of Renting vs. Buying
Renting is typically the first option parents consider – it would appear on the surface to offer more security since insurance / maintenance is often included in the monthly rental fee and you can return it at anytime if your child decides band isn’t for them.
However, when you sit down and do the math, you will find that a super good rental deal of $25/mo adds up quickly. For a full calendar year, that means you are spending $300 for a beginner instrument!
Now consider that when buying used, you can often find comparable beginner instruments in the $200-300 range.
With the rental price continuing to add up over the years, you could end up paying $1,000+ by the time your budding musician hits high school!
If you had decided to buy used; however, you could have gotten the same quality instrument at a cost of less than one year of renting!
Get A Return On Your Investment
It is true that buying a used instrument has more upfront cost, but you also need to realize that you can reduce the expense further by re-selling the instrument after your child no longer needs it.
Say they try band or orchestra for a few years and decide not to pursue it further, which is fairly common. When you buy used, you can still get a return on your initial instrument investment by selling it to a used instrument shop like Music Go Round so the next potential young musician can get their shot!
When maintained, band and orchestra instruments tend to hold their value. You can likely make up a significant portion of the initial cost – something that is certainly not the case if you decide to rent.
And if your child finds they truly enjoy music and want to keep advancing, you can always trade in that beginner instrument for credit to apply towards an upgrade. In this scenario, you get the best of both worlds – reduced cost on a more advanced instrument while giving back to the local musical community!
Shop Great Deals On Used Band Instruments With MGR – STL
Even though schools may push renting – because they often provide the rentals – buying used is typically a much smarter investment.
With a constantly revolving inventory of quality used band instruments, we have a variety of flutes, trumpets, violins, snare kits, and much more for both beginner and advanced musicians alike.
So if your child is ready to try their hand at making music, be sure to stop by Music Go Round – St. Louis to check out our collection of quality used instruments. It could end up saving you big in the long run should your budding musician have the gift.
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