by Kaitlin Hershey, Content Marketing Manager

Have you ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling on Instagram when you stumble on a beautiful flute and you start to think, “Maybe I do need a new flute!” Trust us, we’ve been there. The next time you take out your flute to practice, you are totally distracted by your own thoughts, “Would a new flute help me improve? Maybe it really is time to upgrade.” You talk to your teacher, figure out your budget, and  set up a free trial with the Flute Center. A few days later, you have found and purchased an instrument that you absolutely love. Yay!

But what to do with your current flute? It’s in good condition, but you know you won’t be playing it much anymore (not with your shiny new flute!) Selling it seems like a good option, especially after your big purchase (your savings account would appreciate the help!) But how should you sell it? Is Facebook Marketplace really going to get you the best selling price? And what’s it worth, anyway?

The answers to these questions are easier than you think - you should sell your flute through the Flute Center! The Flute Center Resident Flutists are experts in flute sales, and sell more pre-owned flutes than any other flute shop. In fact, the Flute Center averages one pre-owned instrument purchase per day, every day. Yours could be next!

Now that you’ve decided to sell your flute through the Flute Center, the first step is sending in your instrument. FedEx is our preferred shipper, but UPS is also a great option. Once your flute arrives, the Flute Center Repair Department will assess it for any necessary repairs and let you know the repair cost. This is an important step - pre-owned flutes are required to be in like-new condition, which helps them sell for a fair price. If a flute isn’t in excellent condition, the potential buyer usually isn’t interested since they can’t tell how it will really sound. 

Once any repairs are completed, it’s time to finalize the sales price and terms in a consignment contract. Since we sell so many pre-owned instruments, we truly have our finger on the pulse of the resale market. Price your flute too high, and no one will even want to try it. Price too low, and you’re leaving money on the table. Lucky for you, you don’t have to make the decision alone: Our team of experts will help you decide on a fair selling price. 

The next stop for your flute is our industry-leading Marketing Department. Your flute will be professionally photographed and added to our website, featured on social media, and included in email campaigns. Finally, we alert our team of Resident Flutists - it’s time to find a new home for your flute! Once your flute sells, we issue your payment via your choice of check, PayPal, Zelle, or Wire Transfer. What should you do with your payment? We have a few ideas… ;) 

Questions about consigning your flute? Contact us! 

Ready to start the consignment process? Find all of the details on our Consignment page, including the Consignment Shipping Form.

Don’t just take our word for it! Reviews from Happy Consignors:

“The Flute Center has been wonderful with assisting me to sell my father's flutes on consignment. As a consignee I would strongly encourage anyone to use the Flute Center. The staff and owner have been a pleasure to work with and I greatly thank them for all of their efforts.”   Corrine S.

“I sold my flute through the consignment team at Flute Center and they were an absolute joy to work with. If you're in the market to either sell or buy a good instrument, I highly recommend working with them. I live in Colorado and it was so easy to do everything remotely, so it doesn't matter where you live.”    Emily L.

“I highly recommend Flute Center of New York for anyone seeking a quality instrument in addition to kind and patient experts. I believe they will find the best home for my beloved consignment! What more can a person ask for.”   Jun A.