GeorgeH

Doesn't it depend if J.Doe Bow Company is still making bows? Or if their catalog is available? Can you see a difference between your $1000 J. Doe stamped bow and the $50 J. Doe bows? Some of the modern bow producers do distinguish between their grades of bows by stamps, frogs, stick wood, mountings, and buttons. (See Dörfler bows and Hermann Luger bows as examples.) By the way, poor quality counterfeit bows by makers such as "M. Raposo" and "John Brazil" are fairly common now. So the $50 J. Doe bows you're seeing may be counterfeits.

Sold for $760 on third listing.

Are they stamped bows? If so, does the stamp (or frog) indicate the relative quality the manufacturer assigned to the bows?

Wouldn't it be better to just store a violin with its strings loosened? And if one is storing a violin for a long period without strings, should the post be dropped, too?

Very interesting and quite lovely violins. Thank you!

Most people would not buy their own violin for the price that they say it is worth. Truth.

The tip plate adds strength to the head. A broken tip plate at the mortice can lead to head cracking.

The retail price for a "new" violin depends on whose label is put in it and then what catalogue or dealership that it shows-up in. Many dealers buy unlabeled Chinese violins wholesale, and then select their own grades and retail price points for them, much as they do with "dutzendarbeit" violins. In my opinion, everything about selling new or used violins in the $1,000 - 3,000 retail price range is ruled by the free-market.

I am on the east coast U.S. All I am trying to communicate is that a violin buyer with $1,000 to $3,000 to spend on an instrument in a dealer's shop can choose between new decent Chinese production violins and vintage anonymous "dutzendarbeit" violins of similar quality as musical instruments. Dealers around here seem to have both in surplus abundance, and will offer both to customers. Both these types of violins compete in the same price range. Note that I am not talking about the horrible, beaver-tooth, awful-sounding, cheaper "dutzendarbeit" violins, nor am I talking about nitro-lacquered plain-wood machine-made Chinese violins. There are many "dutzendarbeit" violins that were originally well-made by anonymous makers in the cottage industry (or re-worked), and are perfectly serviceable and attractive instruments. There are many perfectly attractive and serviceable instruments coming out of China, too. Some customers will pay a bit more (and some dealers may charge a bit more) for a "vintage" violin compared to a new Chinese violin of comparable quality within that price range because the perceived value of an older violin is higher in some customers' minds. Some customers can't understand why anyone would want an old antique violin when they can buy a pristine new one for the same price. It is not unusual at all for commodity items at the wholesale level to sell for different prices at the retail customer level. I call "dutzendarbeit" violins "commodity violins" because that is mostly how dealers seem to buy them at the wholesale level. Like I noted, most of the ones I visit already have a surplus of these instruments, and are reluctant to add more to their inventories. Assuming that the OP's violin is set-up well, fully-restored, and sounds fine, there is no reason that it should sell for less than a new Chinese violin of similar quality, and several reasons to expect that it would sell for a bit more. @Blank face @Violadamore

There appears to be several labels in the violin, and you only showed pictures of parts of them. It would be helpful if you wrote out the text of both labels.

True, but this violin and similar violins are not rare or unique antique violins. It is just an older European-made violin. They are almost as much of a commodity in the violin world as modern Chinese violins.

I think that it is also important in considering the price of a violin at this "trade" level to look at the value of the competing brand-new Chinese violins in a dealer's shop. Decent student-level Chinese violins can start at $1000 and up. There is no reason that the OP's violin, (if it is well-made, well set-up, and sounds good) can't do better than that, particularly with customers who will pay a premium to have a true "vintage" antiqued European violin over a shiny new Chinese violin. People do still believe that old violins are better than new violins, all other things being equal.

It would be helpful if you posted exactly what any and all labels inside the violin actually say, instead of simply posting blurry dark pictures and expecting people to guess.

Yes, it could be in the $4,000 range wholesale, and you should not just let somebody with no experience selling string instruments on eBay list it. They will not know how to photograph it or describe it. For example, you need to know and list what repairs it has had and what repairs it needs. What geographical area are you in? The viola is a potentially attractive enough instrument that a few local dealers may take the time to come see it at your residence. If you cannot post pictures here, if you describe exactly what is on the printed on the label and brand, someone here may be able to tell you what grade of Roth it is. Higher grade Roths sell for much more than lower grade Roths.

I agree with you, but I do believe that the OP's violin could fetch at least $1,000 if it is set-up well and sounds good. I would also point out that the woman I mentioned definitely got her money's worth. That violin was priceless to her.