You're welcome and I'm glad the information helped.
Yes, I do have an idea what a good starting cello would cost, because I had to research this myself before I bought my cello. I have two answers, one that music teachers would probably like and one that they wouldn't.
(1) Answer that music teachers would probably like: You can expect a good starting cello plus bow and soft case to cost $1,000 - $1,600 US Dollars.
I read this webpage
How to Buy Your First Cello while researching cello costs and characteristics before buying a cello. I agree with the site, which says that you should search for a cello that is all wood (maple back and sides, spruce top) and has an ebony or rosewood fingerboard and tuning pegs, and a maple bridge.
The safest way to buy a cello is to go to a reputable local instrument store where luthiers actually fix instruments, so you know they know the quality of the instruments they sell.
If you want to buy a good starting cello online, I think the following cellos look like they are high quality but reasonably priced, and very likely they would serve you well as a starting and a "finishing" cello (no need to upgrade):
(A)
Samuel Eastman VC100 Student Cello -- $1,495.00 (but they say call for special price) which does not include bow and case (they sell those, too.)
Samuel Eastman 100 Student Cello
^ The Samuel Eastman VC100 Student cello is a very good student cello that is sold online as well as in my area by a reputable instrument dealer who also sells more expensive instruments costing many thousands of dollars. This music store takes pride in the quality of the instruments they sell, so I think an Eastman cello must be quite good.
(B)
Stringworks Artist Cello -- $1,395.00
which also does not include bow and case.
Buy Cellos | Artist Cello | CodaBow - Cello - Violin - Viola - StringWorks.com Maker
^ I haven't heard much about "Stringworks" cellos, but it looks like a high quality cello and organization to me.
* * *
(2) Answer that might make music teachers cringe: You can go cheap and expect to pay $300 - $400 for cello, bow, and case from a lower quality manufacturer if you are willing to get a "good enough" cello, meaning it is good enough to play but may have some structural problems.
I chose to live on the wild side and buy a cheap Chinese cello made by the Cecilio company (which is based in California but sells cellos made in China) because I am of the philosophy that the sound one gets out of an instrument depends more on the skill level of the musician than on the instrument's quality, and I also didn't want to spend $1,500 (!).
I bought the Cecilio 4/4 CCO-200 Handmade Solid Wood Student Cello with Hard and Soft Case, Bow, Rosin, Bridge, Strings and Instrument Stand, which now costs $320:
Amazon.com: Cecilio 4/4 CCO-200 Handmade Solid Wood Student Cello with Hard and Soft Case, Bow, Rosin, Bridge, Strings and Stand: Musical Instruments
The Cecilio CCO-200 cello has maple back and sides and a spruce top, plus rosewood fingerboard and pegs. When I received the instrument, I noticed right away that the bow was cheaply made and badly warped, although I can still use it. I think the cello's fingerboard may have warped since I first got the cello, because within several months I had to shift the bridge from its ideal position to make sure the strings didn't hit the fingerboard over its whole length when I pressed a string with my finger to cause a note to sound. (Using guitar speak, the action was too low.)
I've intended to look for a taller bridge to correct my cello problem cheaply, but since the cello still plays and sounds okay as is, I haven't yet done anything. Even with these problems, my cheap Chinese cello still sounds like a cello.
You can read my Amazon review about the Cecilio CCO-200 cello here, if you'd like:
Amazon.com: Leia's review of
If you buy a cheap cello like this ^ online, there appears to be a significant risk that something will be or will go wrong with the cello. (Reading other people's reviews may scare you away.)
I don't regret my purchase, because I was lucky in that my Cecilio cello actually works, and I enjoy making music with an inexpensive instrument because I feel smug that I don't need an expensive instrument to get the sound that I want.
I'll admit, though, that I've been toying with the idea of upgrading to a better cello in a couple years (although I'll start by upgrading to a better bow and figure out what's wrong with my cello's fingerboard and/or bridge).
It probably would have been wiser if I had simply purchased a higher quality cello right from the start...but I didn't want to spend a grand!