Chiff and Fipple Forums

I am thinking about selling my Grinter 8 keyed D flute...in African blackwood, silver keys etc, wooden box with grease container...I bought it new about 20 years ago ? My memory fades!!!...The Grinter symbol has a B with it for Ben, who helped Mike with the making of it... ..It is in very good condition..not overly played....or particulary well played as it should have been...I cannot find a similar one to put a price on so will probably put it on ebay...anybody give me some idea of what sort of a starting price I should put on it ? It will be in Aussie dollars...

Grinter wrote to me in July, 2017, to say that a new blackwood six-key Grinter flute would cost 3400 euros = 5343 Aus. dollars.

A lancewood six-key Grinter flute was for sale in March, 2018 for £3000 = 5294 Aus. dollars

Prehaps a starting bid of 5000 Aus. dollars to get the ball rolling?

Loren had posted one a cocus Grinter 8-key for sale for $8500 in June 2018, don't know how that turned out. Good cocus would bring a premium.
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=106869&p=1204328&h ... r#p1204328

More comparable:

In 2016, one of the C&F forum members sold their 8-key blackwood Grinter on eBay for $4750.
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=101995&p=1170743&h ... r#p1170743
https://www.ebay.com/itm/-/252247466949?#viTabs_0

2014 C&F Sale of an 8-key blackwood, sold by offer:
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=96606&hilit=Grinter

Thanks for the replies...I would be happy to get $Aus4500 for the flute if somebody offers me this amount now.. If I put it on ebay then I may wait until after the new year when there is some money around..

I could be interested in it for $3,000 USD but shipping it to the US requires dealing with current CITES regulations for commercial sales. Are you willing to deal with that?

Jerry wrote:Thanks for the replies...I would be happy to get $Aus4500 for the flute if somebody offers me this amount now.. If I put it on ebay then I may wait until after the new year when there is some money around..

Your main problem will be your limited market (Australia) unless you can get satisfactory documentation from Michael Grinter to allow you to get an export permit for the blackwood ( Dalbergia melanoxylon - currently restricted as a rosewood under CITES II). Limiting your market unfortunately can limit the price you can hope to get.

I have forwarded this thread to a friend that is interested. His name is Scott Miller and he should be in touch soon if he hasn’t already reached out.

I received a notice from the webmaster that you had pm'd me about my interest for $3000 USD but apparently I am not authorized to open pm messages. So my email is rmontagna@iditarodtours.com. Rich Montagna

chrismontez wrote:...apparently I am not authorized to open pm messages.

Having completed 3 approved first posts, you now have full permissions.

Someone else mentioned this but beware of the restrictions of shipping Blackwood instruments out of the country. With out the proper permitting this instrument may find itself confiscated and destroyed.

At 20 years old it may be old enough to be documented as an antique. I don't know. But you would need to get someone to certify its age if that is the case. In the US the Department of Fish and Wildlife is the agency to contact. Australia will have an equivalent agency.

There is also some talk that the conference at the Hague is considering changing these requirements next year to exclude small musical instruments.

Buyer and seller both need to be aware of the current law for exporting and importing flutes made of restricted wood.

Good luck to you.

Re...possible sale of the Grinter flute...I would be happy to accept $Aus4500 for it....I don't really want to pay EBay fees!!....buyer to pay postage etc.
Email me for photos if required..

It is now for sale
Check the Used Instrument Exchange forum

I have advertised this lovely flute for a couple of weeks now, on this site and ebay...after having to deal with a few time wasters I have decided not to advertise it publicly again....perhaps one day I will find somebody deserving of it through private enquiries, until then it goes back into the cupboard for the odd blast...