A long time ago I was really interested in learning to play an instrument, and decided on whistles. That interest eventually faded when I picked up the guitar. During the whistle playing days, I ordered a large set of Patrick O’Riordan whistles. The set includes the C and D in kingswood, the low G, Low E and F, and the Low D and Eb. After three years on Pat’s waiting list, I got a call that they were done (so much for that 18 month to 2 year waiting list). The whistles are stamped O’Riordan, 2003. They have never been played.
Well, I was a bit embarrassed to tell Mr. O’Riordan that I lost interest, so I bought the set. I now understand that Patrick doesn’t accept new orders. Anyway, I’m currently researching the best way to sell these whistles, as they deserve to be in a real whistlers hands. Any suggestions?
You can always just give them away and make the world a brighter place. I for one wouldn’t mind at all if you gave them to me. 
Seriously, there was a set on eBay recently that went for…a lot. If you want to make money and have them go into a ‘real’ whistler’s hands, I dont think casual newbies would be forking over what they’d go for on eBay anyway.
The D/C Set went for $660 USD. 
http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2561488756
Ebay would be your best bet and where you’d get the best price.Good luck!
Couple of ways to go here (I’ll try to avoid the obvious third way, The Osattin Home for Wayward Whistles). You can either put whatever premium you choose on top of the cost and put them up individually and/or as a group on this Board (complying with the posting rules for such)and thus sell at defined profit to best first offer here or
Put them up on e-bay, set a minimum price with e-bay, and take take the best auction price once the minimum has been met.
Good luck.
PhilO
You can sell them here. Just post that they’re for sale
and the price. They’ll be gone in a flash. Best
Seriously, no question, your best bet is eBay. List them separately, except for the C/D set, obviously, with decent pictures. Put an announcement here on the board with links to your auctions. You might have better luck if you list them during different weeks, announcing in your auction what’s coming in the following auctions. People will spend more money if it’s not all at the same time. Good luck.
I agree with Jessie-Ebay is the best way to get your best price.
How about just waiting 20 years. Maybe you could get more(?). Maybe not. I have some O’Riordans, but I find other whistles more fun to play, namely Burkes and Oak. Maybe I should buy a bunch of Oaks to sell in the future! Don’t I wish I had a bunch of old Generations to sell…
JP
This could be the most exciting auction that has taken place 'round here in a long time. By all means put ‘em up on ebay and link the auction up here on the Board. Best O’ luck to ye!
Just want to say that the best way to sell a whistle
isn’t necessarily the way to get the best price.
The poster’s stated priority is to get these in the
hands of real whistlers. The board will
do that quickly and efficiently.
Personally I like to
sell things here, to you’all, passing things
along to members of this community, where
lots of people are falling in love with
whistles and wanting better instruments..
I’ve never sold things on e bay and perhaps
I’d like it better if I did. I’ve sold lots of
things here simply and easily, always had good experiences,
made friends, and always felt good about it.
To express another view, FWIW.
Of course
if my chief concern was to get as much money
as I can–nothing wrong with that-- I might
look elsewhere. I suppose one’s best chance
for getting a whole lot more for the O’Rioridans
than you payed for them is on e bay.
Best
Seconding Jim.
This is why I never sold an instrument on eBay, eventhough I did menace to do so.
However, this Tenor Aulos r****r, maybe I should 
I appreciate this board quite a bit, and have been very happy with the response I have gotten when either selling or buying whistles.
In fact, I would much rather buy a whistle from a boardmember than on e-bay, but that’s just me. Do what you like ~ the big money’s on e-bay I have no doubt.
Mary
Just chiming in to agree. More whistlers here, more money on e-bay. I can’t buy 'em either way, but I hope they fall into the hands of someone who sees them as instruments, not investments.
Tery (thinking maybe lottery tickets aren’t such a bad idea . . . )
Quote @ CTWhistler
I can’t buy 'em either way, but I hope they fall into the hands of someone who sees them as instruments, not investments.
I don’t see any reason why a good instrument can’t also be an investment.
I have found my instruments to be an investment…but I don’t look at either the investment or its returns in terms of money.
A good instrument will tend to improve your playing…especially if you have progressed to a certain level already before you get it.
That’s the real payoff of the investment.
And there’s a flip side to this: barring serious financial difficulty, I don’t know how anyone can stand to part with a good instrument.
Each instrument is different, each has its own personality and its own unique abilities…and when one leaves your hands, you can be absolutely certain that you’ll never have another exactly like it again.
–James
Or you could have some fun and do a combination of the options, since you have so many whistles. Sell a few on E-bay, sell a few on the board, raffle a few off, etc.
Just a thought…
Sara
I agree with both Cran and James; we can each be in this for whatever we desire. This has become a lifelong passion with many of us and we share so much of it on this Board. I collect whistles and play whistles and generally prefer collecting those that I like to play. However, once in a while, I’ll collect one that isn’t a favorite player, yet represents a piece of whistledom in such a unique or representative way. If some want to collect for resale (although I don’t see that as a big enterprise with whistles), more power to 'em.
There are a bunch of specific whistles I will never sell, because I love them, play them almost daily and would never find any that would please me more in various ways: Copeland ns sop D, Copeland Low G, Low F; O’Riordan Low G; Abell delrin sop D and blackwood Bflat/A; Burke Al-pro and black Tip D; Elfsong D.
I would also not sell a host of others because they are meaningful to me in terms of whistledom and representative of a maker perhaps and are very good players: Copeland sop D brass, Bflat, Low D; O’Riordan Low D; WAter Weasels (Bflat/A, D,C, Eflat); ALba A/G, Q1; O’Briain Low F, D; Silkstone PVC C; Sweet Kilhory C; Parkhurst D/C; Sindt D, C; Serpent Viper; a wildly painted Kerry Low D; a laser etched Susato Kildare Low G; my very first high end whistle that’s about 12 or 13 years old now, a Schultz cocobolo sop D; my lancewood Grinters sop d, Bflat, Low F; Walton Golden Tone C; Harper D; Busman bocote D; Tully D.
I also wouldn’t sell what I still consider maybe the heart of all this, my other cheapies and very first whistles - the Shaw D (on its way to the Freeman clinic), Clarke originals, gens, other Waltons, Feadogs, Clares, and yes even my red Perri whistles (that’s my daughter’s name, so self explanatory), etc.
The whistles in the first category are absolutely untouchable because I’ve found specific instruments that are to me the best to play. Some in the second category I keep because they are very good and representative of that esteemed maker, but I would sell or trade if I found a specific one that would fit in category one. I will not sell the O’Riordan Low D though, for example, although I hardly play it, because it is a beautiful instrument that will not continue to be made and it needs to keep it’s sister Traveler company.
I suppose at some future time I might consider selling or trading (more fun) some in the second group.
At one time, I had a full set of Goldie Overtons and sold them all because I thought the tone wasn’t generally what I was looking for (I know, sacrilegious). However, all but one were bought from dealers a long time ago and some were not I’m sure representative of the maker’s best work. The one that was made for me was great, but I sold it as I had others in the key I preferred. I will however, shortly order another Overton, because no whistle collection is complete without it - it has an historic place in whistledom. (I also wonder if the tone I didn’t so much like at the time was more me than the whistle).
Anyway, just posted this to offer insight into my personal joys with this music and my quest to be able to play the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard properly, that is with the traditional lilt, and yet add a touch of my own character. No, I do not think that finding the “right” whistle will help me in that; it’s just fun and educational to collect and talk to you guys. Yes, it remains primarily about the music without which I would not collect whistles or talk about them.
Regards,
PhilO