What's the issue with Gemeinhardt flutes?

I haven't played my Gemeinhardt flute in awhile, almost 5 years. I considered buying a new flute, but decided to see if I could just get my old one refurbished. I hated putting my 50-year-old flute away, but that's exactly what I will have to do. read more

The above link is a list of Gemeinhardt flutes and piccolos that are handmade in Elkhart, Indiana, United States. They are the professional models, though, and most are probably way out of my dollar range. read more

On the other hand, Gemeinhardt has been the top seller of flutes in the world for nearly 40 years, so there are millions and millions of Gemeinhardt flutes out there from the 70's and 80's. In fact, it seems that Gemeinhardt flutes from the 2000's are very rare, because there are just so many old ones still around. read more