Sorry in advance if this sort of question is asked a lot.

I played the flute through middle and high school, I stopped for awhile and now want to buy a new flute and play just for fun. My first (and only) flute was just whatever "band" flute the music store wanted you to buy I have no idea what the brand was but it cost about $450 I think. My question is if I want to start playing again should I just buy another band/beginner flute (note: I never was very good I just liked playing) and if so what brand? Also how much do these cost roundabout for information purposes, is it still around 450 or is it more?

any help at all would be so appreciated!

I would suggest renting a flute for a month or two and get your skills working and find a local community orchestra or flute choir to play with. Most groups will take beginners and it will greatly help to get you back to playing as well as you had in the past.

By doing this you will also be better able to tell for yourself which flutes you try are better or worse than your rental and be able to comparitively shop around.

Are you comfortable with mail ordering? Here are a few reputable dealers that offer a wide variety of flutes at various price points:
FluteWorld - http://www.fluteworld.com
Carolyn Naussbaum Flutes - http://www.flute4u.com
Flute Center of New York - http://www.flutes4sale.com
Woodwind and Brasswind - http://www.wwandbw.com

If you`re not comfortable ordering via mail you can at least look at those websites for price references.

I highly recommend picking up the Rubank method books for starting out and Ralph Guenther`s Practical studies for flute books 1 and 2 for simple fun melodic etudes to get you started on flute again.

And of course a private flute instructor will be a blessing and joy to work with and you will find your playing improve beyond that which you once had with the targetted work, but certainly not a necessity for re-discovery.

Best of luck.