The short version
- Typical range: £40 – £250 — see the full flute value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Music & Instruments
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Test the pads by closing the keys and checking for suction; leaking pads are the standard fault.
- Note whether the head joint is silver-plated or solid silver, and whether it is open or closed hole.
- Check for dents in the tube, bent keys and the condition of the cork.
The photographs that sell a flute
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The flute assembled, full length, on a plain background
- The keys and pads close up
- The head joint and embouchure hole
- The case, cleaning rod and any dent or bent key
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Brand, keys and material: “Yamaha YFL-212 Flute, Closed Hole, Silver Plated, Case Included”. Open versus closed hole is a real filter, since students need closed and advancing players want open. Say whether the head joint is solid silver, which is a genuine price factor.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Brand, model, and whether open or closed hole
- Whether the head joint is silver plated or solid silver
- Pad condition and whether all keys seal
- Any dents or bent keys, and whether case and cleaning rod are included
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a flute. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Close each key and feel for suction. Leaking pads make a flute unplayable and a repad costs real money, so buyers ask first.
Look at the keys. Closed hole suits beginners and open hole suits advancing players, and buyers know which they need.
Run your eye down the tube in good light. Dents affect tone and are expensive to remove properly.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The flute value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £145 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a flute — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £145 |
| Poshmark | −£29 | £116 |
| eBay | −£20 | £125 |
| Mercari | −£14 | £131 |
| Etsy | −£9 | £136 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
Lifts in September and before Christmas as school music starts. Student models sell fastest in those windows.
Small, light and easy to post in its case. Make sure the case latches are secure and pad the outside.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a used flute worth?
Typically £40 to £250 for student models, with solid silver instruments far above. See the flute value guide.
How do I test flute pads?
Close the keys over each hole and feel for suction as you lift. If air escapes, the pad is not sealing. A full repad is a significant cost, so buyers check this before anything else.
Open or closed hole: which should I list?
State which yours is. Closed hole is standard for beginners, open hole is preferred by advancing players, and buyers filter on it directly.
See also: what a used flute is worth · browse live music & instruments listings · condition grades explained.