to consider buying a friend a flute?

[thedolly]

She used to play up to grade 8 when at school but her flute has since 'died'. Her DD (8) has started playing trumpet and is doing brilliantly but when I asked friend about how her flute playing was coming along I was to find out that she no longer owned one.

DH says that if she really wanted one she would buy one. I don't think it's as simple as that as sometimes other things/people take priority. Although, having said that she has just bought herself a green velvet coat (Boden).

So, what do you think?

What a lovely friend you are

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-Silver-Head-311-Flute-A1-Condition-rrp-920_W0QQitemZ150374003938QQcmdZViewItem QQptZUKWoodwindInstruments?hash=item2302fd34e2&trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht500wt_1182

Is this the sort of thing?

There's probably not much hope of getting it for the reserve or thereabouts is there?

ShellingPeas, would those be new prices or second hand?

Tinfoil - these are new prices. You can pick up new flutes for less than this but the quality is dubious and essentially you pay for what you get.

Thedolly - if you could get it for the reserve price then you would be very lucky!

Just be careful if you're thinking about buying from ebay especially if you don't play or know much about the instrument yourself.

I picked up an open hole yamaha flute with a solid silver lip plate (but not full head joint) for about £350 on e-bay a couple of years ago.

Personally - and I accept I'm a bit funny about things like this - I would feel mortified if somebody spent that kind of money on me - and obligated to return some kind of favour or use the instrument for the greater good which would then turn into indebtedness and potentially resentment. I don't like accepting things that I can't pay back.

(Mind you - I suspect that my dh paid for the flute out of his paypal account and I've not paid him back yet - oops. Then again - his car came out of my savings so its probably all fair in love and internet purchasing)