My wife is a very fine violinist.. I do not play.
I bought, sold, collected and hustled violins for many years back in the 8o's.
I had many extraordinary violins go through my hands.. and many quality bows.
I often bought violins just to get the bow.
I made a considerable amount of money trading violins and was asked by a rather famous violin shop in San Francisco to join them. I declined as I was otherwise well employed. Violin hustling was a sideline.
As with learning to play the violin, learning to buy them is also a steep learning curve. I paid the price many times.
The quality level I was looking for was mid level... beginning concert quality up to $10k.. that was in 1980s dollars. Double that for current values.
About a year ago.. many years after I gave up the hustle.. my grandson needed a viola of some quality.. he was playing the typical Chinese, virtually unplayable unit. I went on a hunt for a 15 1/2 inch viola.
After only one week I found one in a pawn shop. I usually avoid them as I detest the profession. But something compelled me to go in. Up on the wall were the usual trash but among them was a small viola. I asked if that was a violin, they said yes as if I was a fool. Me fully expecting them to be intelligent and say it was a viola was an overestimation of their scope.
They brought it down. I asked for a tape measure.. sure enough 15 1/2 inches.
Very nicely made mid fifties top of the line Mittenwald piece with excellent woods and finish all there. $150 with case and a decent German low end pernambuco bow.
I took it to my violin guy who set it up to German standards, new quality strings... all in, including cost of the viola and the set up and strings, $400. Value.. double that at minimum.
And I did not think there would still be instruments available given the internet and exposure to credible information.
BTW.. I have mentioned before that I hustled rare and exotic woods for instrument makers back in the 80s.. my specialty was pernambuco. I sold to bow makers from San Diego to Vancouver Canada and San Francisco to Paris.
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