Seeing as the ABRSM doesn't have the insight to allow us a classified section for selling and buying instruments and accessories, does anyone know where one could sell parts etc?

I have a few things I'd like to sell on now and ebay is useless because it's dominated by the chinese factory stuff!

I wish ABRSM would allow a classfieds section, I don't know why they don't.

There is no better online market that I know of than ebay, though you are quite right about the difficulty of selling there, we don't try any more. I don't recall even having a single inquiry from any of the other online places I have tried.

On ebay you will need to accept that the value of any instrument drops by 50% from the list price the instant you leave the shop - the only exception is very low value items (such as a Stentor 1 violin perhaps). The best price I ever got for a resale on ebay was 60% of the list price, that was for a pre-sold but apparently unused clarinet, of the most popular brand, which we were selling with our own one year guarantee, 100% feedback and a very good listing with lots of photos. Even then it took two or three listings before it sold. We have listed new flutes on there with our own and the manufacturer's guarantee (but not the brand everyone wants) and have been totally unable to sell them even at cost. So you need to be very realistic about the price, also you need to go for a lot of good photos and a great deal of inofrmation. Apologies if you already knew all that!

You will get the best price from a commission sale through a specialist shop but you may have to wait a long time to sell your items.

You mention parts, though. I have no suggestions for parts other than starting on ebay at 99p.

Liz

Ads at local music centres and schools are often successful from what I've seen, since you always have kids needing a bigger or better instrument and often parents waiting around for the lesson to finish will read noticeboards.