Advice on buying a first full-size cello for an 11-year-old

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Hi,
I have reached out to the music teacher about this, but I know what a source of help and advice this thread can be, so I thought I would ask here as well.

My 11 year old daughter has been playing the cello since she was 9. She also plays the drums. She really enjoys the cello, especially playing with school/Music Hub orchestras (she is MUCH too shy to play in public as a soloist!).
She is currently playing at grade 4 level and has a 3/4 size cello on hire from the music service. She definitely wants to carry on playing towards Grade 8 level and also potentially do GCSE music.
Her teacher has said that she is ready for a full sized cello now, as she is very tall and we are considering buying one - probably second hand? However, I don't know anything about buying cellos at all - I am a piano and recorder player!

1. Where do we get one from? I know we need to go to an actual place, not look online. We are based in Sheffield - is there somewhere near that would be a good place to start?
2. Do we buy something that is good enough to grow with her to Grade 8? Or buy something cheaper now and then upgrade later?
3. What sort of possible budget are we talking? I know we need to factor in the bow as well - how much would that be? (I have tried to break the potential cost implications gently to my wife, who is not a musician and nearly had a heart attack when older sister needed to upgrade to a decent electric guitar!)
4. Is it better to hire a full size one from the music service for now and then buy one when she is a bit older (and we have potentially extended the budget a bit as well!!)?

Any advice, dos/don'ts or suggestions very gratefully received.

I don’t think you’ll better the recommendation by her music teacher

Definitely wait for the music teacher’s recommendation about places.

The important thing is for her to be able to try a variety out. I always thought (and my teacher advised) to look for a secondhand smaller one (full size is not necessarily a standard measurement), but turns out the one that worked best for me was a new larger one.

I’d look for one good enough to take her through to university study if you can afford it.

Yes, I completely agree, but her teacher is a little bit reticent about recommending eg actual shops or even price brackets to parents (completely understandably) so I thought I would ask for any extra advice from the many experienced parents of string players here.

We bought a second hand cello from a music shop in Edinburgh. Very reasonably priced. You may have similar in nearby cities.

Doesn’t necessarily have to be full sized. After trying some the one my daughter liked was 7/8ths. We stuck with music service one as long as possible but had her own bow and case which spread the cost.

I would stick to hiring one from the music service until she knows she is likely to carry on to a higher standard. I got mine when I was 13, was playing a lot at county level and knew I was going on to do Grade 8 within the next few years.

A good cello will make the world of difference to her playing as she goes to Grade 6 and beyond, but is probably more money than you want to invest right now.

Second hand is not necessarily cheaper by the way - in fact, nearly all the new cellos I looked at were cheaper than the 'second hand' ones - as quality string instruments tend to get better with age.

Her teacher should be able to recommend the best place to go. You want somewhere that will let you take a few away to test at home for a week or so.

Tim Toft in Stone, Moseley Violins in B'ham, Ayres in Manchester, maybe Hobgoblin in Leeds, but check stock before you go.

Edited to add, as I see you've mentioned price brackets, mine cost £6k back in the day, so about £10k now. Bit out of touch with current prices, but would think you need to be looking at £3-5k minimum, or to £10k+ if she/her teacher think she has the drive and talent to go beyond Grade 8 and think about music seriously as a profession, i.e. aiming to go to a conservatoire or uni to study music.

My son’s violin was from stringers of London. They also do cellos and have branches elsewhere. They were recommended by his violin teacher.

London does have the best variety of shops if it's feasible for you go there. Just bear in mind that you will want to bring 2-3 home, so will need to drive - and you'll need to do it twice to take them back again.

But I really would recommend renting one for now.