I`m considering purchasing a dc piccolo but I know nothing about them. Are they reliable?
Thanks.

Unless you buy one with a WELL-established brand name, you run a high risk of it not being worth servicing the first time it is serviced, which may well be as soon as you get it!

For example, if pads progressively fall out, and the instrument is of such slopopy manufacture that it is not worth doing a repad job on it.

My advice is to head for Yamaha or Gemeinhardt, instead of running a high risk of buying womething to throw away.

Are you talking about a piccolo made by a man named Dominique?(I think that is how you spell his name)?
If so, I can say that a DC piccolo is a fairly good choice-I have a DC Pro Series Three flute and it has served me well...
I can suggest many other piccolo brands instead of DC`s, including Yamaha, which is my favorite. But, if you are willing to keep an eye on the piccolo for a while to make sure that everything is put together properly, go for it...