How to Place a Free Ad to Sell Your Flute on UsedFlutes.com

Updated

UsedFlutes.com is a free classified ad site for flutes, piccolos, and headjoints, and you sell by posting an ad that buyers respond to directly by email. To do it, open the site, use the Place Ad link, and write a listing that includes the instrument, its condition, your asking price, your location, and a working contact email. There is no on-site checkout: the site's own listings show sellers being reached at personal email addresses, so the sale and payment happen between you and the buyer. The steps below assume you have photos and details of your instrument ready and an email address you're willing to publish.

Before you start

  • Photos. The sample listings on the site either attach photos or point to a "Photos / Website" link, so have images ready or a page you can link to.
  • Specifications. Listings on the site are detailed, for example: maker, model, serial number, key type (C foot, B foot, offset G, French/open cups), material (sterling silver, 10K or 14K gold lip plate or headjoint), pitch (A=442), and any recent service such as an overhaul or COA.
  • Condition and history. Say plainly whether the flute is "like new" and unused, professionally maintained, or a backup instrument, and note any dents or repairs.
  • Price and terms. State your asking price and who pays shipping. One listing on the site reads "$3,000 plus buyer pays shipping," which is the level of clarity buyers expect.
  • Contact email. Buyers reply to the address in your ad, so use one you check often.

Steps to place the ad

  1. Open the site and find the Place Ad link. The site's navigation shows Place Ad alongside Contact and Search, with category links for Flutes, Piccolos, and Headjoints.
  2. Choose the right category. A complete flute goes under Flutes, a piccolo under Piccolos, and a standalone headjoint under Headjoints. The sample Pearl headjoint ad appears as its own headjoint listing, separate from full flutes.
  3. Write the title as maker plus model plus key detail. Examples from the site: "Pearl Flute Vigore Headjoint 3K Lipplate," "Vintage Haynes Flute," "Handmade Silver Burkart Elite Flute, 10K HJ." A buyer scanning the list should know what the instrument is from the title alone.
  4. Fill in the description with the facts from your prep. Cover maker, model, serial number if any, materials, keywork, pitch, condition, service history, and what's included (for example, a cleaning rod).
  5. State the price and shipping terms explicitly. Put the number in the ad rather than asking buyers to inquire.
  6. Add your location and contact email. Site listings show a city and country (for example, "Aurora, CO USA" or "Trento, Trentino Italy") plus an email address.
  7. Attach photos or a link, then submit. Expect the ad to appear in the category list with your email visible to buyers.

What a complete listing looks like

The site's own ads show the pattern to follow. A Burkart Elite listing there packs the essentials into one block: sterling silver body and keys, soldered tone holes, A=442, B footjoint, offset G, French open cups, C# trill, 10K white gold springs, a 10K rose gold handmade headjoint with 14K rose gold embouchure, condition ("excellent," last COA in August 2022), the original new price, and the asking price. You don't need that much detail for a student flute, but the categories are the same: what it is, what shape it's in, what it costs, and how to reach you.

After the ad is live

  • Buyers contact you by email. Reply with additional photos or arrange a trial if you're willing.
  • Agree on payment and shipping directly. The site provides no checkout, escrow, or payment platform, so settle these terms yourself before shipping.
  • Watch for scams. Because contact happens off-site by email, be wary of overpayment offers, requests to ship before payment clears, or buyers who won't discuss the instrument.
  • Remove or update the ad once sold so buyers aren't emailing about a flute that's gone.

Common snags

  • Vague titles get skipped. "Flute for sale" tells a buyer nothing; name the maker and model.
  • Missing measurements on headjoints. Headjoints fit specific brands, and one site listing notes the tenon tube measures about 19.7 mm and that fitting to another brand may need a technician. Include measurements if you're selling a headjoint alone.
  • No price. Listings with a stated asking price are easier to act on than "make an offer."
  • Assuming the site handles the transaction. It doesn't; your email is the point of contact, and the deal is yours to manage.