Consigning Your Flute at Flute Center

When it comes to selling a personal instrument, the process can be daunting. After all, for many flutists, your instrument is an extension of you! How will you know how much to sell it for? Does it need repair first? There are so many questions, and not many straightforward answers. That’s why Flute Center’s 4-Step Consignment Process is designed to be as simple and easy for the seller as possible. We take the guesswork out of selling your instrument.

Step 1: Send in Your Flute

The first step to selling your flute is to get it to Flute Center! Submit our Consignment Request Form and a Consignment Team Member will reach out with further instructions and information. 

Please note: Flute Center is not responsible for a client's shipping boxes, personal items, original documentation, or the original case or case cover during the consignment process.

 Step 2: Prep for Market

All consignment instruments are assessed by Flute Center’s consignment team to determine the best selling price and then by our master repair technicians for any needed work. All flutes sold through our consignment program must meet our high standards to have the best chance for a competitive selling price. We require instruments to be in Certified Pre-Owned Condition; like-new playing and cosmetic condition (or as close as possible.) Any required repairs must be completed and paid for before the instrument will be listed for sale. After completing any necessary repairs, Flute Center will maintain the condition of the flute through the entire consignment process at no additional charge.

To qualify an instrument as Certified Pre-Owned, the instrument must be brought back to like-new condition*, and have a functioning case and case cover. The consignor will be responsible for all repair costs associated with bringing the instrument back to like-new condition before the instrument can go on sale as Certified Pre-Owned. 

*Like-new condition qualifications:

• All old pads replaced
• Any lost motion resolved
• All soft parts (corks and felts) in like-new, functioning condition
• All tenons in like-new, functioning condition
• Any dents, scratches, and tarnish removed to the best of our ability

Step 3: Spread the Word

Your flute will be professionally photographed and added to our website, social media, and email campaigns by our in-house Marketing Team after the repairs are completed and the contract is signed. Like all Flute Center staff members, our Marketing Team are real flutists (not an outside agency.) They appreciate the importance of your instrument and speak the language of flutists, making them the most qualified to advertise your flute.

Step 4: Make the Sale

Now for the fun part: Our team of Resident Flutists will sell your flute! Once a sale is finalized, your payment will be issued electronically via eCheck, Paypal, Zelle, or wire transfer - your choice. Certified Pre-Owned instruments are consigned at a 25% commission rate. Items that sell for less than $2,000 qualify for our minimum $500 commission for each item consigned at Flute Center. 

We sell hundreds of pre-owned flutes each year - yours could be next! Start the consignment process today.

Questions? Please email consignments@flutecenter.com to reach our Consignment Team.

FAQ

What does Certified Pre-Owned mean?

• Certified Pre-Owned instruments are in as close to like-new cosmetic and playing condition as possible. This allows us to help the seller get the most for their instrument. It also allows us to offer our Standard Service Guarantee to the next owner of the instrument. This gives the next owner confidence that the Flute Center will stand behind the quality of our pre-owned instruments just like we do with new instrument purchases.

How long will it take my instrument to sell?

• On average we expect the process to take about a year for most instruments. Some instruments sell faster than others and some take longer. Here are a few common factors that can affect the length of time it takes to sell:
• Age of the instrument: In our experience, a large majority of clients are looking for a flute made in the last 20 to 30 years with a modern scale pitched at A-442. Though we do have clients looking specifically for more vintage instruments, that group of clients is smaller and those older instruments often take longer to sell.
• Features: Offset G and a B foojoint are preferred by most clients in all categories. As you get into more professional model flutes, many players also want a Split-E mechanism and C# trill key. Over the last few decades we’ve seen a major shift away from inline G so we do find that inline G flutes sometimes take longer to sell.

How much will my flute sell for?

• Let's begin by clarifying two values that are frequently misunderstood: Replacement Value and Market Value.

1. Replacement Value is strictly for insurance purposes. This is the value you would typically see on an appraisal and the value you would want to insure your instrument for should it be lost or stolen and need to be replaced.
2. Market Value is the amount that clients are willing to pay for any given item. Market value is almost always lower than replacement value except for very rare and highly sought after items.

• We have two main methods of determining Market Value:

1. Market Value for Modern Instruments: If an instrument was made in the last 10 to 20 years and the flute maker has not made any major design changes to their models, then the general rule across the industry is to price instruments at about 20% off of the current retail price of an equivalent model. Depending on the age, condition, and popularity of an item we may adjust that percentage anywhere from 10% to 30%.
2. Market Value for Vintage Instruments: For instruments made over 30 years ago we use historical sales data to see what the market is willing to pay for a given item. 

Is my instrument worth selling?

• It really depends on what kind of flute you have and the condition that it is in. Particularly with older flutes, we find that the repair costs can sometimes be higher than the profit you would make from selling the instrument. A consultation is always free and we will present the numbers to you to make an informed decision.
• Generally, student-level and lower-level intermediate flutes are not worth selling through consignment as the repair costs plus our consignment commission usually cost more than the profit the seller would make.

My flute looks and plays just fine, why does it need repairs?

• In order to sell our flutes as Certified Pre-Owned and stand behind the quality of the pre-owned instruments we sell, we have to hold them to a very high standard. It is recommended that flutes have a Clean, Oil, and Adjust Service (COA), once a year to maintain excellent playing condition. If you have not done this maintenance on your instrument annually, expect that it will need at least a COA if not more. Furthermore, it is worse for an instrument to just sit unused, so if it has been left untouched for a long period of time, expect that it will need at least a COA if not more.

Can I sell my instrument as-is?

• In order to offer the best experience to clients shopping for pre-owned instruments we no longer allow instruments to be sold “As-Is”. Please note that we do have some older consignments or liquidation items that are sold “As-Is”. These are items that have been on consignment with us prior to initiating our Certified Pre-Owned program.

My flute is not selling fast enough, should I lower the price?

• It depends on how long your instrument has been on consignment. On average please expect it to take about a year for your instrument to sell. After about 6 months if we notice your flute is not garnering much interest from clients, we will reach out about lowering the price.

How often should I expect updates about my consignment?

• Due to the volume of consignments we handle, our small, but mighty team does not have the capacity to provide constant updates on your instrument. You are more than welcome to check-in with us, but once you sign your contract and finalize payment for pre-consignment repairs, the next time you should hear from us is when you receive a notification with payment for your sold item!

I have decided I no longer wish to sell my instrument, can I get it back?

• If your instrument has been with us for more than 1 year, yes. Otherwise, our consignment contract does require a 1 year term to allow us to sell the instrument. If you cannot commit to that 1 year period please consider waiting to consign your instrument until you are ready.