Market research

[Brian Trout]

Hi Todd,

I was going through some old e-mails recently and came upon yours, which I
had intended to respond to.

I don't have an exact answer to your question, but I do have a few
statistics I could pass along for your ponderance. <grin>

1)  Of the new pianos sold in the U.S. last year, 32,000 were grands, 60,000
were verticals, and 86,000 were digitals, for a total value in dollars of
$830 million, up from $799 in 1998.

2)  In 1997, Terry Lewis of Yamaha, estimated that there were at least 17
million used pianos in the U.S.

(It would be neat to know how many were junked or otherwise destroyed every
year, too...)

3)  It has been estimated (source unknown) that 20 million Americans play
the piano.

4)  A 1997 Gallup survey reported that 31% of youngsters between age 5 and
17 played an instrument, and that one in three of those played the piano.

(This would ignore a significant number of people who do own and maintain
pianos that no longer take lessons, but still play.?? hmmm...)

I gleaned this from an Associated Press blurb in a local paper.  I don't
know if it's of any interest at all, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway.

Food for thought...

I'm curious, did you get any other response?  I've always had a bit of
fascination with statistics myself.

Have a nice day. :-)

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net