Has the market for flutes changed any?

I may have a flute up for sale soon. Would like some input from others about the prospect of putting up for sale a high-end
flute. I don’t know the latest on Ben P.'s Bb, but he seems to have been trying a find a buyer for a while.
Arbo

These day its seems most people have a lot less money and are tending to hold a little tighter what they have left.

Put it up for what you want for it and see where it goes.

You might have that one flute someone always wanted.

Seems simple enough.

I’ll give you $99, no questions asked.

$99.99!

Read it aloud in German: nein, nein, nein, nein.


Rob

I still haven’t sold my 6-key Olwell cocus. Nor my 32 button Suttner C/G Anglo concertina. I do think that the market has changed. In the past these instruments would have flown out the door. The fat times are gone - maybe forever. On the other hand, even at an exorbitantly high price a rare and valuable instrument will eventually find a buyer.
Good instruments have certainly held their value much better than real estate or equities. And they are a lot more fun.

Yeah, sales do seem slow of recent times, as one might expect. That Olwell “recycled” R&R on eBay didn’t go - and the Buy It Now was a very reasonable £2.6k. I don’t think values have dropped significantly - unless one is really pushed for funds and must sell at some (if not quite any) price, it is worth hanging on and one will eventually get a decent sale at a “proper” price for whatever it is (provided one isn’t being unreasonable/unrealistic, of course), but likely less swiftly than in better times.

Although there weren’t any bids on it, it did look like that one was pulled off eBay a day or two before the auction was scheduled to end. Perhaps Patrick found a buyer for it outside of eBay.

that was my guess as well

Yes, the Rudall did sell. At a very good price, too. I don’t think the market for Rudalls has slipped much over the past few months.
Top instruments hold their value pretty well.

Ah, thanks lads. i’m getting the feeling that I should probably wait and just tough it out. I’m not so desperate that I should part with a somewhat rare and unique flute just because I am facing some financial troubles. Even though it has been sitting in a plastic box these days, I think i should probably take it out and give it a blow occasionally… Troubles aside, it’s money in the bank, and a flute in the hand!
Arbo

i have some nice flutes that i decided to let go, but right now, unless you have no choice, i don’t think is a great time to sell.

I’ve seen news of a steady stream of R&Rs selling, but few others. Are modern high end flutes still re-selling? I know that Olwell is funding his workshop expansion, but is there a reason he’s doing so with antique flutes rather than his own work?

is there a reason he’s doing so with antique flutes rather than his own work?

probably because he’s actually gotta make the ones from his own shop.

Elite stuff still goes, and at a good price;less elite is a good deal less likely to sell at all.

One of the things that I appreciate about being poor is that there is no where to go but up.

I wish I could wish all your troubles away. Imagine what this forum would have been like during the depression or WWII.