Ok, I know you should ALWAYS try out your instrument before you buy, but I'm looking for a beginner flute (not yet had any lessons but keen). Ebay seems to have many, some seeming half decent, some from China which seem a bit dodgy..has anyone purchased a flute from ebay and if so, how did it go? I have trepidations about buying a piano from there (my main instrument), as I have a Clavinova at present and thinking of upgrading, but as flutes tend to be less expensive initially for a basic model I was wondering if I should take my chances on ebay? Or am I being a complete loony???

I would not recommend buying cheap instruments. My first flute cost me £120 new, and was cr*p! It lasted me from July when i started, to October. I then had to upgrade, and because within a few months i was considering grade 3 it seemed pointless buying another student model so i found myself spending over £1000 on a new one. You can get good well known brands for as cheap as £200 secondhand which are often good, and theres no reason why a good student flute wouldn't take you to grade 8.

If you look up the Forums' very own elidatrading, follow the website link on her profile. There are two things which you will no doubt want to look at: i) her tips on buying from e-bay; and ii) details of the flutes she sells. And no, I'm not on commission.

Alot of e-bay buying is common sense. What is the seller's feedback rating like? Does the description and/or photo suggest that they're trying to hide something? How forthcoming are they with information such as the serial number?

E-bay purchasing may land you a real bargain or a heap of old junk. It's a subject which crops up regularly on the Forums, so a quick search should give you plenty of food for thought. Also look at some of the flute threads around here to see what people think are good student models.