Yogic

I know this is a dumb question. But can the value of the violin be improved if a replica scroll is grafred by removing the head part alone.

Do players buy violins like these inspite of being made by Piero Paravaccini ? I know certain dealers would give such violins a wide berth but just checking other opinions AN ITALIAN VIOLIN BY PIERO PARRAVICINI, MILAN, 1949 https://tarisio.com/auctions/auction/lot/?csid=2199207936&cpid=3606052864&filter_key=

I second that.It seems to be like they are selling inventory than auctioning it.I see instruments from the previous auction carrying forward

What does the group think about this violin ? Is it close to being authentic ? Label looks good, branding at the end pin and also a silver emblem.I know its not because it is in T2 but still checking https://t2-auctions.com/auctions/lot/?csid=2199257088&cpid=3672326144&filter_key= Otello Bignami, Allievo G. Pollastri, 1 Premio 3 Concorso Nazionale di S. Cecilia, Fece in Bologna Bignami Otello 1977, Alla maniera del M.ro Augusto Pollastri" and "Incollatura del fondo, Otello Bignami, Allievo G. Pollastri, 1 Premio 3 Concorso Nazionale di S. Cecilia, Riparato in Bologna Bignami Otello 1979." Branded to the inside back and the lower rib, "O. Bignami" and bearing a gold monogram "OB" to the button.

B2B is Business to Business

Its a 1925 violin and not modern exactly at least in my opinion. They say you don't choose a violin and the violin chooses you. Its now gone to the right dealer who values its worth and is probably headed to a player to whom it was meant to be with. Amen !

We are not debating the authenticity of a certificate but its use in a sale.Certificates do not seem to help in a B2B scenario. The second dealer who bought it did not really care for the certification. He just said send the certificate along if you have one and it was not important to him in his buying decision. Certificates do not seem to influence the sale process as dealers seem to make their own judgements.Proactively getting a certificate is not advisable unless it is specifically asked for.

Bought instrument first from an auction and got a certificate post purchase.

Has anybody dealt or bought from amberviolins ? Their catalog is online now. Are their maker attributions accurate ?

I am a picker if such a term is accepted in the trade. I also dabble with Rolex watches and Vintage cars.I also have a regular day time job. I pick instruments from a variety of sources and sell to dealers primarily because I get my money instantly and do not have to focus on the setup.I sell outright and not do consignments. Over the last few years I have had plenty of success with older commercial makers like a Heinrich Heberlein or a Mezin. A local dealer gives me a standard price of $2750 for every Heberlein in good condition I bring in and $3500 for a Mezin pere.Does that make me a dealer ? No, but I do sometimes sell my non movers on ebay or craigslist as well. I picked up this fine Italian violin from an auction after verifying the images with an expert and getting a certificate thinking it would be a smooth transaction as a certificate is a selling tool is what I thought.But that does not seem to be the case. After reading all the responses I have a few learnings- 1.I am not going to take expensive older instruments to dealers who do not have a strong history of selling them. A certificate will not matter. They will use their limited knowledge and err in coming to the right conclusion.The other dealer who bought it is large and has a very strong base of similar violins. Obviously he is able to spot a diamond when he sees one, certificate or not. 2.I am not very privy to the inner workings of dealers.So I assumed maybe there is something going on with fraudulent certificates in the market or maybe the expert is not viewed highly among dealers. But that does not seem to be the case mostly. 3. I am not going to put my money on certificates any more. I may do it if it is specifically asked for during a sale. But a certificate is just an extra cost and seems to not add much value in a B2B sale. Thanks to all for your comments and pointers, they were very useful.

Are there any instances of certificate fraud in the market ? Or are there any instances of somebody copying a violin in the certificate and passing off a fake as original ?

That brings us back to the first question.I am not a dealer so wanted to check if the expert is no longer well regarded in the dealer circle. However, the responses states that he is still the best to go to.

The authenticity of the instrument has never been questioned. It has a strong provenance and certified by one of the Big 5 experts who you mentioned. The expert is appropriate for the age of the instrument. Italian 1925. I sent it to another dealer who picked it up with no questions. For privacy concerns I unfortunately cannot reveal the name of the expert or post pictures of the instrument as it is now part of a dealer inventory.I have lost my time and expensive overnight shipping fee for this event.My question was why would the first dealer do his own research by comparing the violin with pictures of similar violins made by this maker. Should the buck not stop with the expert certificate ? What makes this dealer disregard the certificate issued by this expert and try to do their own research when they frankly do not have the skills to do it.Anyway , I believe this is a one off case by an overzealous dealer. I have some answers to my questions for all my future certifications- French - Rampal . However I wish we had more choices here that would be accepted by most if not all US Dealers.Would Warren be considered OK ? Italian-Post 1900- Blot or Gindin Italian Pre 1900- Carlson/ Neuman English instruments like a Craske or a Hill- Do you have any experts you can recommend ? German- Anybody strong and well respected in the US ? Thanks to everyone for your inputs

Thank you. For older French instruments like a Paul Blanchard, other than Rampal who can be considered experts ?

Thank you. For older French instruments like a Paul Blanchard, other than Rampal who can be considered experts ?