over buying a new piano. And, pre-owned pianos often have as good as sound and tone quality as new pianos. The wood has had a chance to age and the piano has sort of "grown into" its sound.
Most pre-owned piano sales occur outside of established piano stores, however, and in private homes. This is where buying a previously owned piano can get tricky and dangerous. You want to make sure you avoid bad neighborhoods when you buy a used piano. Sadly, you could be walking into a trap straight out of the news headlines.
Dangerous neighborhoods have many hidden risks. First, the person advertising the piano for sale could have ulterior motives for placing a high value item in the online classified ads. They could intend to harm or rob you. Secondly, high risk neighborhoods have higher rates of crime than more 
established areas. Car theft, assault and vandalism are all crimes that occur in seedy areas of town and you need to protect yourself against these crimes as well. There is also the risk of exposing your family members or young children to crime if they accompany you to the sale.
Before proceeding to a private sale to buy a used piano, take some precautionary measures. Use tools like Google Earth and Google’s street view function to take a look around the area. Trust your instinct about what you see. You can also look up crime statistics for different neighborhoods through the local police department.
Or, you could simply avoid putting yourself at risk entirely and shop for a used piano from a reputable dealer. Many piano stores offer pre-owned pianos for sale. Buying a piano from a store brings you all the advantages of buying a used piano and none of the risks. Don’t put yourself in harms way by venturing into unsafe or unknown areas. Shop in a safe, secure environment instead.