Buying Or Renting Your Child's Instrument

Indeed there are many benefits when you have decided to encourage your child to get play musical instruments. The interest may be there but the major hurdle parents face would be the cost of musical instruments. Any kind of musical instrument is a huge financial investment. Some parents would think twice since some kids tend to let go of their instrument playing within a few years.

It is important for parents to identify if their kids are casual players or interested in playing for a long term. There are also different reasons why children would stop playing musical instruments. At times, the instrument that they play is not their personal choice, but what the parents want. It is important to help your child identify what kind of instrument he or she is interested in. In addition to that, children may not be comfortable with the size or style of their instrument.

If you do not want to spend too much on a musical instrument then you could rent instruments from musical shops. There are also some shops that offer rent-to-own programs, which would allow you to own the instrument since about 80% of you rent fee would go to the payment for the ownership.

Unsure which option to choose? Buying and renting both have advantages and disadvantages.

� Buying

The good thing about purchasing a musical instrument is that you own it. you could even resell it, given that you maintain or keep it in good condition. If brand new is too expensive, then there are available second hand instruments which are still in good condition.

Buying new and second hand instruments would need a warranty and of course, a statement what kind of repairs you may be facing in the future. When buying musical instrument, it is necessary to also check the insurance if it covers loss, being stolen and damaged.

Another problem you may encounter would be the need to shift to another instrument size within a few months. It is also not the size changes, but you would also have to factor that children would usually change their mind about the instrument they play, unless they are totally dedicated with it.

� Renting

Renting an instrument is great especially if your child is still in the stage of deciding on continuing with the kind of instrument. If your child decides to stick with it, you could even upgrade or exchange it with bigger sizes once your child has outgrown its size. There are also insurance which you can add to the program, with an additional fee, of course. You can return or cancel the program, once your child has decided to stop playing.

However, some parents actually find renting to be more expensive than buying the instrument outright. At the same time, if there is not insurance coverage and the instrument gets broken or stolen, then you would have to be responsible for replacing the instrument.

With this in mind, some parents find renting a better option that buying the instrument. You could later on buy the equipment if your child has really grown to be a musician or really showed interest with the instrument.