Jeny Mahon

No worries, I've been learning for 18 years and I am very much still learning. It takes time and holding many many violins of every quality in your hands, and most importantly, a VERY patient teacher, to even begin to know what you're looking at. People here willing to help, we look at a lot of eBay, etc. listings posted in this forum all the time. If you want to learn to identify good violins, I suggest making friends with the luthier at the shop you buy your daughter's fiddle from

All of this ^^^ Buying online anywhere, real Bisiach, or not, it is difficult because there's zero way of telling if the instrument fits her. You need to have her try violins in person, at a good shop who will measure her and find the ones that are the right size for her and comfortable to play. The fiddle needs to fit her properly. If you get something online without trying first it's liable to not be a good fit and would only frustrate a young musician. People and auction houses selling fiddles on any online platform are generally not luthiers and don't measure instruments correctly, so there's no telling what you're going to get until you get it and then you're stuck with it. Playing something that does not fit you will limit your ability to progress and enjoy playing. I suggest going to a shop and trying out some instruments, if even to get an idea of what you should be looking for. Don't feel bad to just go and try, most shops are happy to help and don't mind giving good advice, even if you walk out the door with a 'thank you'. If you buy from shops it will be more expensive, yes... but what you're paying for is a violin that the shop guarantees, with proper fit, a good set-up, and a luthier happy to do any future adjustments to it whenever you need. Also, most shops will let you take fiddles... not just one but a few... out to test for a couple weeks, to see which one she likes best. And if you buy from them, when she is ready to advance to a professional instrument they will take the one you bought back and give you credit for it against your new purchase.

oh but it's not even a "genuinely old wooden coffin case with brass fittings"!

I'm just curious. With these photos... am I completely missing something? https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/114140210

I do that too! Not only with violins but also jewelry and paintings. I've returned a fiddle that was owned by Charlie Bowman in 1934 back to the family. It got there 2 weeks after a fire had destroyed what they had left of his things, so they were very grateful.

WOW... that's a blast from the past! Good old pknorr! Man, I wouldn't even try to outbid him. I just focused on whatever he wasn't interested in Well if his feedback numbers are anything to go by, we can expect precisely 1,575 more fiddles where that one came from!

I thought I was the only one who did that In most cases it's because I feel bad that some poor soul thinks their "Grandfather's Italian Violin by Rocca" will sell on eBay for $8,999... so I cave and message them about it. If it's anything halfway decent I tell them to go straight to the nearest shop for advice. I will also tell them they can send photos to Tarisio for an evaluation. Here's the most recent one. It's actually a nice fiddle, and I was so sad to tell her it probably has a soundpost crack on the back. I haven't heard from her since.

Probably listed it on eBay.it! Ah, here it is. He must have posted it on FB "According to the Associated Press (AP), Naples police arrested the apartment owner after he shared a “less than credible” story of “casually” purchasing the painting at a flea market."

I wonder if the First Piano Bank of Serbia is taking deposits? Sounds like an excellent place to stash some funds

Exactly! Here's what Duane is referring to. I requested photos of the head. Every time I checked the listing it had gone up another $1,000. People finally gave up at $3,802 when they realized somebody probably had a max bid of $10,000 in there or something ridiculous. https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/113507161

The website has a great archive search feature. Here's the results for a search on violins... these are fun to look through! Antiques Roadshow Violins and Bows

I went to a Roadshow here in 2012, and brought all of my Native American jewelry. The setup is exactly how PhillipKT described. I saw a guy in line in front of me with a huge and very old bear claw squash blossom necklace. It was clearly made for an important individual, not a tourist item, and I complimented him on it. Later when I went to the antique jewelry line to see about my ring, I passed by where they filmed the TV segments. That same guy was there about to get filmed with the necklace. I'd have to look at the archives but I think he made it on the show. I, however, did not

The pegs are cool

Could you post a close-up, full sized photo of the middle of the back which includes all four corners, maybe in daylight if possible? I've attached an edited version of your photo as an example.

Thank you! I always wondered about that too.

I think FiddleDoug just wants to see photos of the bow. Ever since I received a rose gold mounted Hill bow in the case of a fiddle I got off of eBay for $375, I always want to see the bow! The listing didn't even mention bows at all, and there were three in the case; the Hill, a nice silver mounted German and a nickel mounted German. The fiddle was a cute old Markie as I recall, very pretty varnish that had been antiqued quite well. We sold it for $2500 to somebody wanting to use it as a model for antiquing, and the Hill went for $6,500. I have photos of that bow somewhere, I should dig them up and post sometime. That was many years and many fiddles ago... complete beginner's luck which has not been repeated since, but I keep trying

Yes.

Oh, yeah... they told me. Forced password change, and I haven't seen anything sketchy come up so far via email. You can pay whitepages $6.99 a month and get anybody's address, property information and current phone numbers, including cell. So what little they may have gotten wasn't anything already public, aside from my email address. The notice said they didn't get cc numbers, not that it matters anyway... the one I have on there is expired; I put in in years ago to bid on antique Native American jewelry. Then didn't

$4,400!!

No it was definitely not me that bought it! I know what it is, so I just watched the live auction for entertainment value! This site can almost be more dangerous than eBay... watching the bids fly back and forth was astounding. In the end it sold for $4,400! Sorry I forgot it will hide sold prices on the public site. https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/94999481_fine-violin-francois-caussin-label

I thought so too at first... I can't decide if the first letter is a W or a fancy P, and it's hard to tell if the last two are "sa" or "en". Hopefully the photos of the violin will help.

Yes, thank you! Possibly Viennese, then?

Can anybody tell what this says, before the date? Also, I found this from a book dated October 1918. If there really was an eccentric and entertaining Signor Vitelli (although this might just be an educational story) who was a famous player maybe the label is referring to him, or maybe he had a stint as a dealer at one point? It looks more like a dealer's stamp to me, not a maker's label. P.S. The first fiddle I bought was one of those $0.68 instruments from the teens Mr. David Stone informed me of this woeful fact 20 years ago!

Y'all crack me up What's the GH on the button?