martin swan

This is a lovely project and I’m sure St Mary’s will be thrilled. Congratulations to everyone - you did it!

This is also my impression with regard to bows. the great bow-makers were French, from NL Tourte onwards, and the tendency to imply that a bow might be French was very much like the tendency to imply that a violin might be Italian. I'm ready to believe that there were periods of anti-German sentiment in the US, but I don't see it as either a necessary or a sufficient condition for pretending that a German bow might be French.

Sure, I just want him to let us know what he's actually asking, whether he's contemplating a purchase or asking for opinions on a violin he might sell.

Switzerland Customs are notorious for confiscating "instruments for personal use" that have been bought outside Switzerland. I hope the UK doesn't go the same way With its current agenda to become a neo-liberal tax haven playground for the rich and stupid, it seems unlikely!

It's to do with how you present the facts ... If you say "I am considering buying this violin on Ebay with a view to selling it again" then people can choose whether or not to give you an opinion, and also whether to share any knowledge they might have about the respective sellers. If you san "this violin is in my workshop" when it isn't, you are implying that the decision to buy is already taken, or that you are setting up the violin for a customer. Somehow you are obscuring the true nature of your request. It's a small distinction I know, but to me it's pretty important. Others probably feel differently. I also am very much against the idea of using informal opinions to sell violins, since those opinions carry no legal weight (cf. Jacob's quote : "Charles Beare writes, Charles Beare does not say ...") You may notice how the opinions on your threads conflict - some say yes, some say no, some say maybe. What's to stop you picking the opinion you like?

Thanks for the clarification. If you want endorsements for your customers, you should pay someone for their opinion in the form of a certificate. I would not like to think you are using casual opinions given here on the basis of poor photos as any kind of security for your clients.

I would suggest that you buy from people you trust, and then you won't need second opinions from Maestronet.

If you want to play by the book you would need some kind of proof of purchase and you should declare the items by going through the red channel. In practice I don't suppose many people would do this ...

I would prefer it if the OP would post on the Auction Scroll, and include a link to the violin they are considering buying.

If it's your own instrument and you can prove it, yes ... If it's a purchase and you're bringing it home then you need to declare it and pay import VAT in your home country or bring it in as a temporary import if you plan to export it again. If it's to sell outside of your home country, you need to pay import VAT in the destination country. If it's to maybe sell or just to show, you need a carnet. If it's for repair, you need to import it under temporary admissions. We should also clarify that if you are VAT registered and reclaim import VAT, legally you are required to sell the instrument plus VAT, not on a margin scheme.

Alexander doesn't have a long history of anything here Strad, please don't take the following personally, it isn't directed at you though I hope you will agree with the sentiment ... I can no longer easily find the forum rules, but I would encourage everyone here to refrain from personal attacks or even personal remarks. We are here to share our enthusiasm for violins and to discuss them, not to discuss or pass judgment on the other people on the forum. I love Maestronet, I have great respect for many of the contributors, but my mood is dragged down immeasurably when things get personal. I'm sure many members feel the same.

I haven't made any comment on the issue of the label, so it's beyond me how you know what I do and don't understand.

Steady on .... I have been sceptical about this violin (and still am TBH), but as far as I know Alexander is a happy owner not a prospective seller and he is under no legal or moral requirement to do "due diligence". Anyone who proudly posts images of their Benito Frascati violin here on Maestronet must accept some level of professional dubiety with good grace as he has done, but he's not obliged to know any more about his violin than he already does.

It's true that from the perspective of someone living in Switzerland very little has changed. Also for people from Asia, the US etc. The issues, such as they are, really only affect what was up until last year a seamless trading relationship between the UK and the other countries of the EU.

I'm speaking as a dealer based in the UK who is in daily contact with many other dealers in the UK, all of us coping with the fallout from Brexit and the near-impossibility of trading with the EU. Also as someone who is pretty familiar with the business models of the different auction houses - I've talked a good deal with most of the people involved in the UK auction scene about the consequences of Brexit, their decision to move to the EU or not etc. Your position on this does seem to me to be uninformed, and it has some kind of neo-liberal subtext which I don't share. I think you should ask Jason if he examines and processes every Tarisio entry personally. What do all the other very competent people do? Perhaps you are right that I like the sound of my own voice ... a trait shared by most of the regular contributors here. But I will take that one on the chin