$600 offer on that Rudall on eBay, Jon?
that’s downright criminal.
at least give them what it’s worth!
geeze
“too bad paul didn’t live long enough to see it happen again. of course, all his Rudalls are now in the hands of a single collector/player. Sigh. One day i’ll get the inventory.”
Who would that be David? Is it who I’m thinking of.. another Andrew?
Michael, I think.
Steampacket…someone with discernably deeper pockets.
I’m not at liberty to say or confirm as the individual has been a client…and may still be for the better pieces I find.
I was glad to see the eBay listing end. Boy, the feeding frenzy on this poor man. At least a few of you were good enough to let him know exactly what he had (particulary Jem, so kudos). I’ve emailed with the owner a bit and thankfully he’s looking to properly place the flute. Unbelievable, really, how fast the fish rise when a morsel appears. Sad, really.
I’ve only seen one Patent Head in day-to-day action (Frank Claudy’s) and most players, in the end, set them aside. Too heavy and cumbersome. A terrific engineering idea (the drawings submitted for patent are interesting). But sadly the practice was poor…their self absorption with the silver crown.
One of my loudest and best-playing Rudalls (#6208) is a patent head that I’ve not used in many a year. I have a different headpiece I use for it. Sadly i’ve used it so much the stamp is nearly worn away. Sort of like seeing a cherished item decay with time.
I did want to note one thing about the flute sold at Christie’s. The owner has contacted me – it’s a lovely player, apparently – to say their motivation to buying it was information from the catalogue showing no single owner (thus far located) with consecutively numbered Rudalls.
True, indeed, there are 5 sets of consecutively numbered Rudalls located (no more than two in a row, mind you) and none is held by the same individual. So there you have it. The reason why the flute sold so high…though apparently it is quite a player and looker, too. New photos to come and share when they arrive, I’m sure.
dm
there is just no crediting the things people will pay for. Nowt so queer as folk. 
It’s a pity there’s always more interest in the tools than the music really, you could just as well buy a £500 flute, play lovely music for the rest of your days and give the other £5000 to poverty aid or something. I suspect the satisfaction quotient would be as high.
now, now, Mark.
Analysis isn’t the way to go here. It’s little different than someone buying a Porsche when a VWBug is just as practical.
Why does someone wait 7 or 8 years for a keyed Olwell flute when they can make lovely music on a bamboo one for a fraction of the expense? It’s all relative to one’s position in life. You have the means, you can have it. You don’t, you can pine for it.
It’s how it works, man.
One man’s trash is another’s treasure. That’s why they’re called collectibles.
dm
tee hee! 
- re last two posts!
Diolch yn fawr iawn am y “kudos”, David. It would have been verging on criminal to let them sail blindly on and get stung by a back door offer they couldn’t believe but which undervalued the flute, or to see the flute go for over the odds to a wealthy collector who wouldn’t restore and play it… I felt both the item itself as an artefact and the people deserved better than that.
It’s little different than someone buying a Porsche when a VWBug is just as practical.
I’m teasing obviously but… my point precisely. And paying 40% more for the second Porsche because it has a consecutively numbered license plate might seem just a trifle retentive 
“I’m not at liberty to say or confirm as the individual has been a client…and may still be for the better pieces I find.” David.
Fair enough David.
“I’ve only seen one Patent Head in day-to-day action (Frank Claudy’s) and most players, in the end, set them aside. Too heavy and cumbersome. A terrific engineering idea (the drawings submitted for patent are interesting). But sadly the practice was poor…their self absorption with the silver crown.” David.
That’s interesting as I met a lady who had a lovely sounding boxwood R&R with a patent head at Willie Week. She had another one at home, she played them both at sessions, they were her regular working flutes.
