I am thinking about selling this flute and I really know nothing about it or it’s value.. I do know it sounds beautiful a friend of mine played it in a band recently and it was overhauled not too long ago. It could use a polishing a bit however I am a clarinet player and know very little about this Flute.
Any information or approx value would be most helpful.
Thank you.
Hiya!
Don’t really know much (read nowt) about this instrument, but just have to say the artley flute is a lovely flute to learn on. That’s what i taught myself with.
However just to make this a useful post;
Theres a few pages here with titbits of info about the flute. Might be worth your while to take it to a good woodwind shop and ask about values before you sell it.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Artley+Wilkins+model+Flute&meta=
I don’t know a whole bunch either, but here goes. This information is probably worth exactly what you paid me for it!
The Wilkins model flute was Artley’s attempt to break into the professional market. It was all silver, including the keywork (less certain, but I think the keys are silver too!). They are generally considered pretty decent, not splendid, but pretty decent. I think this all happened in the late 50s or early 60s, but don’t trust those dates either.
They used to crop up on E-Bay every now and then. Seemed to usually find a buyer. I haven’t looked at flutes on E-Bay in quite a while now.
There’s one on Ebay right now. At this point, it has been listed for 6 days and has no bidders at $1000.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2553247854&category=10183
I would think $1000 would be way too high for an Artley Wilkins model flute. I had one of these in the late 60s. It was certainly not in anywhere near the same league with pro model flutes, although you could certainly do much worse. It is not a modern scale flute. I might think of starting by asking around $700, but expect to possibly sell it for less. Of course, the condition of the flute will be a big factor, too.
Well to tell ya the truth I wasen’t thinking much more than 300.00 for it… I had no idea it would/could be worth more.
I just think it’s a shame since it is not being used hardley at all.
Is an open hole flute.. this is not..
From the sites in the search engine bits and pieces were picked up here and there. Some were gold (obviously worth more) others silver/part silver, opened holed, and closed hole.
I read that first chunk of information on a webpage, and that made me think a specific flute was designed, made, and released, however having looked a little deeper, it obviously wasn’t the case.
The ebay auction further up is open holed. Even so that seems a lot. In the search engine link i gave there was a few being sold in online music shops for around $800-$1000 but those tended to be perfect condition, all silver, or gold. You seem to get a price much less on ebay.
However they do say that Items do find their value on ebay. It’s a bit risky though if you arent sure of the value. If you do that, try a high reserve, and BIN price. You may strike lucky, but it would be really awful if you sold for a price not fitting it.
Think your best bet would be to take it into somewhere that knows about flutes before you sell it! Even try a US wide music mag that does Class Ad’s and try selling there. But I would say i think its worth more than $300.
Well the Ebay auction ended with no bids at all. Start price was $1000.00
I’d say its value hasn’t been found yet…