http://www.ebay.com/itm/320886284062?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1219
Well after getting a grand total of 0 bids on the two boxwood flutes I put up on Ebay, I’ve decided to try again with my 2009 blackwood Olwell. I hate to sell this one, but it seems like trying to raise cash with medium priced flutes is very difficult in this market. I’m hoping that the higher end will be more solid, but who knows? I actually thought that gorgeous boxwood copy of Chris Norman’s flute would go for a bit more than it did even if $3000 was clearly unrealistic. Anyway, I’m sure everyone on this forum knows all about the flute I’m selling. The only thing I’m going to add is that the end opening is 14/32 because I once read that Patrick changed that at some point.
I appreciate that some people on the forum would prefer not to deal through Ebay. But I want to reach as many potential buyers as possible and will not “take it down” now. I’ll see it through and its there for the viewing if you are interested.
I doubt you’ll have any problem selling a blackwood D keyless Olwell
Presumably a buyer in Europe might also have to cough up some import duties on top of the payment to the seller???
(he said…pondering…)
B
yes, that´s correct. Importing a flute from the US to Germany will cost
the payed price including the shipping costs + 3,2% Duty Fee
and then this sum + 19% import VAT
for example - if you have payed 1000 EURO including shipping, the price will increase due VAT and custom fees to 1.284,02 EURO
Being a guy of ..flexible moral, i usually ask seller to label box “return of repaired instrument” and if asked by customs to provide a receipt proving it was purchased in my country, i will give them a hand written one from a friend.
(Mods - if this is an inappropriate post, delete it)
Er, yeah … We don’t advise people to circumvent the import/export laws of their country, however unfair. You could be putting the sender or receiver in legal jeopardy, and at worst the instrument could be confiscated by the authorities. A word to the wise.
Not only is this advice encouraging breaking the law, but it is very risky advice. This is a good way to lose an instrument. If the government people suspect anything amiss they will seize your instrument and demand full payment of taxes, import duty, and any fines before they will release it. You are at their mercy. I have had a flute held for over three weeks at one point. There is also a fair chance that you will never see the instrument again. It’s a dodgy business at best.
A friend of mine had to pay the import duties and the Value Added Tax on his own Martin guitar, on the spot, when he carried it into Shannon - or lose his guitar to the customs officials. They declared the value and he had to pay over €1,000 to keep it. Colin Dipper and Hammy Hamilton, for instance, won’t ship any other way than fully insured with the full value declared.
It hurts but there is no other safe way.
For the UK I wouldn’t pin much hope to a hand written receipt. I shipped an instrument back to its maker in the USA for work recently and took advice from UK customs. There was a little extra paperwork but it all worked smoothly and on its return I didn’t even have to show the outgoing documents; customs must have matched it up via my address. But it looked like they they did match it up with the ‘export’ record - computers are handy for that sort of thing.
I’ve never paid a cent of customs duty or import fee in my life. My understanding is U.S. customs can charge individuals duties, but they don’t because administrative costs would outweigh the revenues. Nice for buyers, not so nice for American flute makers I would think. (I don’t mean to sound flippant about that, I just don’t want to get all political here). Am I wrong? I’m just curious, have any of my fellow Americans ever gotten a note saying you had to go down to the Post Office to pay a duty? If so, I imagine you felt like you had just received a 
. I would. I
This may be inaccurate, and when I did research this the info I received is that there is no import duty
on flutes to the USA.
No import duty, but you may have to pay sales tax. Depending on which state (or province if in Canada) you live in, that can work out to a significant chunk of change. I live in Canada, and whenever I’ve bought instruments in the States I declared them at the border when crossing back into Canada (I want to have the legal papers, because I’m a frequent border crosser and often go into the US to play music; I’ve been asked to show my customs receipts a few times when crossing back into Canada), and I paid the combined federal and provincial sales tax of 15 percent.
Wow, bidding already passed $1600 with 5 days to go. Will be watching this one. Good luck on the sale. Wish I could buy it 
When I received my Hamilton back in '01, there was a duty tax on it - no, I didn’t have to go to the post office; the nice man held the box while I scrambled for cash. And yes, there was an official postal receipt. Same for another flute I bought from the Netherlandsaround '06 or so. I lived in NYC then; perhaps taxes/duties vary state to state (they do with inter-state taxes on many items as well.)
I purchased a new flute from France last year and it was held up in Miami until I paid an import duty fee, to the tune of about 8% of the declared value. This was my fifth flute sent from Europe and the first time I was stuck with additional fees. Someone correct me but I thought I read that only uilleann pipes are exempt from US custom fees (thank you JFK). The luck of the draw folks. Countries are hungry for fees and you just don’t know what will get snagged and when.
Yep, inaccurate, Jim. This was discussed in February. U.S. Customs posts a Harmonized Tariff Schedule available through their website. 4.9% for “Musical Instruments->Woodwind->Other->Flutes” from favored nations. 40% if ill-favored:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/used-flute-europe-to-us-what-to-expect/80710/6
As Shoner stated “the luck of the draw” I had a Wilkes and a Olwell come through, but a Murray from California was stopped by customs and I had to pay duty, even though the Murray was made in a EU (common market country, Ireland) and Sweden is a member. I wrote and explained, but it didn’t help. Some you win… I paid 1600 for my Olwell, 6 months old, 2010, and worth every dollar
http://www.dutycalculator.com/Hscodes/hs-code-for-wooden-flute/
is a calculator for import duties
Boyd
Sold for 2.405 USD plus 20 USD postage. Not bad for a keyless flute in a recession. The Wilkes keyless that went for 3.300 USD in 2006 still holds the record though 