Current whistle market (aka, why won't this thing sell?)

[Nanohedron]

...on many online sites it's frowned upon either to 'bump' one's own ads, and/or to relist the same item right away again.

Hmmm. Our concept is the exact opposite, isn't it. Who knows what we were thinking.

But seriously, the members-only community nature of C&F naturally led us to this comparatively brisker, more hands-on method. If C&F allowed just anyone surfing by to post in the UIE, I'm sure we would have done things the other way.

I do consider 2 weeks to be a very short time frame...

If it eases your mind any, no one else here has objected to it yet that I can remember, and we have never discouraged member input either through private channels or in public (on an official note, that's so long as the input given in public doesn't pose an outright violation; obviously yours doesn't, or we wouldn't even be having this conversation).

[pancelticpiper]

frustration at the apparent total lack of interest in a Busman whistle I've been trying to sell. In the Used Instruments Exchange section of this site, there is only one post with any indication of a successful sale... This includes several current postings for instruments that have in the past been highly sought after and hard to find (a keyless Olwell, two Oz whistles, a silver Copeland, and on).

I can only speak for myself. I bought a whistle listed here (Alba Bass A) just a week or so ago. It was something I wanted and the price was surprisingly low. (A Goldie F sold recently too.)

I wasn't interested in the Busman and Oz whistles because I have no familiarity with those makes; neither have I heard much "buzz" about them.

I read a number of positive reviews about MKs, Killarneys, Goldies, Sindts, and Lofgrens and I bought examples from each of these makers.

About the silver Copelands, I've encountered good and poor Copelands and besides the prices these go for is out of my budget.

About the Olwell, yes I'm surprised by the low price and the fact that it hasn't sold. If I was physically capable of playing flute I would have jumped on that one.

[brewerpaul]

Just to chime in on cracks in wooden whistles. Wood is indeed a fickle material and some are more fickle than others.
In whistles of mine, and similar design, the cracks most often appear over the tuning slide where the wood is very thin. Being lined by brass, those cracks are generally not a problem, although repairing them is still a good idea. I've repaired some( I wouldn't say many)of my own and some Thin Weasels and never had one come back for a re-repair.
Wooden instrument makers try to take care to prevent these cracks by using well seasoned wood and letting it "rest" at various times in the process to equilibrate. After drilling the bore, I let them sit for a minimum of a month, usually more as the wood absorbs or loses moisture from the surrounding air and for normal internal stresses in the wood to relax. Usually the bore shrinks a tad, but I re-ream them once they're stable.
Still, as noted, cracks can and do occur. It's a fact of life with wood.

[Mr.Gumby]

After drilling the bore, I let them sit for a minimum of a month,

A friend of mine makes pipes. He lets his wood settle for at least a year after turning it down and putting in the initial bore. And that is after having the billets in place for several years. Patience and planning ahead is really the name of the game when making instruments in wood.

[Steve Bliven]

....Still, as noted, cracks can and do occur. It's a fact of life with wood.

And with plastic as well, witness some of my elder Generations. It's an imperfect world.

Best wishes.

Steve

[pancelticpiper]

A (crack) repair is nothing more than a band-aid. Cracks only get worse, they never heal.

Back in university I took an oboe class and the teacher, a professional oboist, told us that pretty much all oboes have a repaired crack in the upper section.

"You buy a new oboe. After a few months the top cracks. You send it to have the crack repaired. Then you have a trouble-free oboe for the rest of your life."

Many vintage violins have repaired cracks in the face. Some violins worth vast sums of money have loads of cracks. It doesn't diminish their tone or their value.

[pancelticpiper]

Another whistle just sold here

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=103862

I don't think there's much wrong with the "market".

[ytliek]

Let's see what the whistle market will make of this whistle.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pat-ORiordan-Pe ... SwnHZYWLuy

And this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322364821735?ul_noapp=true

Just because a particular whistle sells at an inflated price doesn't mean that is the established value for all. Supply and demand fluctuates.

[pancelticpiper]

And this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Copeland-Irish- ... SwnHZYXbry

[mickey66]

John,
I don't know if this will make you feel any better BUT.....I put up 4/sale a bunch of brand New tweaked Clair High D's on the same page as you. a low price as well.....zip, nada,no sale! However, I received a few inquiries on them with well over 1,500 views. I finally said to myself....to heck with this! Timing must be wrong! Wrong month,wrong price,wrong sound etc,etc!

[colomon]

Let's see what the whistle market will make of this whistle.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pat-ORiordan-Pe ... SwnHZYWLuy
And this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322364821735?ul_noapp=true

Huh. I absolutely believe those are O'Riordans -- his writing on them is very distinctive -- but both of those have major differences from my O'Riordans in those keys. But I guess they're from about a decade after mine were made?

Also, those prices are scary...

[Mr.Gumby]

I don't know if this will make you feel any better BUT.....I put up 4/sale a bunch of brand New tweaked Clair High D's on the same page as you. a low price as well.....zip, nada,no sale! However, I received a few inquiries on them with well over 1,500 views. I finally said to myself....to heck with this! Timing must be wrong!

In all fairness. What you are offering is a totally unknown entity with no proven credentials. You can't expect there's any incentive for anybody to hand over $35 (plus postage) for something like that when it's unclear where the added value lies.

[pancelticpiper]

I put up 4/sale a bunch of brand New tweaked Clair High D's on the same page as you. a low price as well.....zip, nada

I'll second Gumby on this, I've never heard of Clair whistles nor of your tweaking, so I wouldn't have any interest.

There was a great article about Michael Burke and his whistles, I can't remember where I saw it. The article mentions the importance of Burke whistles getting into the hands of a number of prominent players early on.

As I recall it was a matter of Michael being present at various festivals or venues where these prominent players happened to be, and him letting these players try his whistles. (Perhaps letting them try the whistles on loan? I don't remember.)

When people see Mary Bergin playing your whistles, you'll have orders for them, sure enough.

[Mr.Gumby]

I've never heard of Clair whistles

I initially wrote misspelling the name of your product doesn't create a particularly great first impression but to be fair the initial offerings used the correct name. Still, too little detail offered and nothing to tickle the curiosity.

Over the years a few people have come here to offer modified whistles, following on from Cillian O Briain's original , and still finest, 'improved' modification. Jerry Freeman is the only one who made a go of it. But that was done through a relentless marketing effort, as well as a constant feedback based adjusting and imrprovement of the product to suit the demand, and it didn't happen overnight.

[ytliek]

Does the original Clare whistle need tweaking?