I just looked and my count is 21 flutes mentioned for sale on the first page alone. This includes some that are already sold, some that were spotted on ebay, and the rest that are for sale by members.
This is starting to look like Fast Eddy’s Used Flute Emporium.
Oops. Make that 24, I missed the three Sweets.
for someone like me who is looking to buy the first “real” (meaning wooden) flute, this is great. i keep hoping that given enough time, i’ll be able to get a like-new, keyed grinter/hammy/olwell/aebi for 2.5k or under 
There are plenty of us in the Great Lakes area praying we won’t have to join the ranks of sellers…
The Upper Southeast, too. 
It’s a sad flute selling world out there right now. Definitely a buyer’s market. I’ve got my Clementi listed on Ebay for the third (and final time). I figure it’d be nice to have the cash and it’s a shame to have it mainly sitting in the closet. Maybe next year it’ll start looking up and I’ll give it a go then.
All these flutes for sale and Jessie’s not even in sight. 
I’ve also been trying to sell my house in Denver for the last 6 months if any one’s interested in that.
Down markets suck.
Wouldn’t you want to keep your flutes to have on hand in the event of a job loss? You’d finally have enough time to play, and heck, you could even make a little money busking if you were desperate enough. You’d at least be more interesting than all the throngs downtown with their cardboard signs vying for a little spare change.
‘Dark glasses and a white cane with a red tip
increase one’s gross while busking.’
Another helpful tip from
Jungle Jimmy’s Flute Warehouse.
I’m new. If this is a buyer’s market, how will I know which are the better (well-made, in other words) flutes/prices?
thanks
irishrosa82,
just hang around here for a month or two, and you’ll get a pretty decent feeling of how the market is tiered. it really depends how much you can spend, how much you play, how long you have played, if you’re playing together with others or mostly by yourself etc. if you’re looking at a specific offer, i’m sure many here would be glad to give their opinions if they think an offer worthwhile or not.
Greetings to you!
Yes, apparently this currently is a “buyer’s” market, but in time perhaps that could change to the other way around.
To your question, however, let me suggest that you first review the many threads of this, the C&F Flute Forum, to get a grip as to whatever flute could be of interest to you. By apparent consensus, moreover, there are at least several popular flutes as currently available. Unfortunately, apparently none of them are being given away, so you will need to spend at least some money, but, if you keep the money on the small side, most any of the popular flutes mentioned here will do you well, sincerely.
Welcome!
Take a look again at what these flutes are though. They are not the main focus for most fluters in ITM, the wooden keyless D flute. There’s maybe two of these at most up for sale now. There are always flutes for sale, but it fluctuates a lot, where there are times when not many are up for sale. I don’t think it’s a buyer’s market, either.
Keyed flutes always take a selective interest to sell them-and a large commitment in money, so unless they are flat out rarities or bargains, they don’t sell all that quickly. Flutes in keys other than D don’t sell as quickly either, since there isn’t as much demand for them. And antique flutes have a specialized market too-not eveybody wants one, unless of course, it’s a R&R at a bargain price.
When you decide what flute you want, or would like to try, and then go looking for that flute, just see how many come up for sale on Chiff or elsewhere-not many is the usual. If it were a buyer’s market, there would be a number of each flute for sale, but there aren’t.
And don’t compare it to the housing market either-flutes aren’t a necessity, unless you just have to have one, like most of us, and we’re not talking mega bucks like houses either.
Used flutes sell like hot dogs at the ballpark, if you don’t mind putting them up at an attractive price. If you want most of your money you have invested, then sometimes it’s not as quick of a sale, and you just have to wait for the right buyer to come along.
Being one of those selling a flute I have to admit, though I have had several ‘bites,’ it is obvious to me that I am not going to get what I want for my R&R. I can wait for the current tide to shift gears… I’m not that anxious to part with this flute. I really want to see it in the hands of someone who is going to play the hell out of it and love it for what it is- a great flute!
I know the idea that flute sales are a valid economic indicator was dismissed in a recent thread. Yet, I put my 8 key on the market now because of a strong feeling that if I didn’t sell it now, it would be harder to sell in the future. I’m with those above who have argued that harder times means reassessing one’s priorities. One good flute is surely a necessity. Flocks of flutes are a fluxury.
Cheers,
Hugh
Works both ways… If this is a buyer’s market, how come I can’t afford anything? Can’t sell anything so that I can buy, either…
Browse the archives. That’ll give you a pretty good idea. Look for thread titles with FS or For Sale in them. The listing time will be in all of them, the sale time (or when the seller found out the flute was gone) will be in most.
This group isn’t necessarily a real barometer for what’s a good flute price, but it is a good bunch to buy from and sell to.