he says they are chinese and they are replicas of other flutes and are good. i think they were called `stars`. i have never heard of them. has anyone? Should i buy one?

Rachel - be VERY wary of these Chinese flutes. Your best bet is to buy a name brand, if nothing for the re-sale value. To try and sell a flute later that no one has ever heard of is extremely difficult.

I know someone who has a flute with the brand "STARS" on it. It is a horrible flute, hers fell apart while just playing it. It also was very hard to make a sound on and has a dull tone. I would encourage you to NEVER buy genaric instrument. I would go with a yamaha if I were you. They quite expensive, but if you want a good student flute, the yamaha`s are the way to go.