seattleslew Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 Is it my imagination or does the ebay buyer "pknorr" dominate the market for purchasing pre-wwII german manufactured violins? Is there something special about these violins? There seem to be an everlasting supply coming onto ebay. Are they the best value violins in the $500-1000 category?
Fellow Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 +++++++++++++++++++++++ Is there something special about these violins? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Yes, tones are more stable if not more responsive, and supplies are limited, cheap and have old charm. They are of better value than modern student violins which are about $800 gives and takes, supplies seem unlimited. /yuen/
guta Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 If P.K. is paying $500-$1000 each for pre-war German instruments he is dominating the very lowest end of this market. There were many extremely fine looking and sounding violins put out by these makers, but the truly excellent ones with original labels and stamps, go for way more even at auction. Ebay seems to be a last resort for many sellers, and I personally believe that the $500 Roths, Gutters, Knorrs etc.in all likelyhood have major problems relating to condition and provenance. I would rather have a very few great examples than corner the low end of the market. I'm not trying to sound like a snob, to me it just seems like good sense.
jackc Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 Guta, this is just not the case. A lot of them do have problems, but just as many have none. They still pop up, unlike Italian violins, from attics and estates. PK is especially interested in Marneukirchen violins, and he knows which ones are valuable and which ones are not. He is a bit of an authority for those and has written an article for The Strad on "markies". He is simply taking full advantage of the fact that some of these are good instruments in good, if fallow, condition, and he simply outbids the next highest bidder by being willing to pay just a a bit more (the bid increment) above the next guy. And he always bids with about 8 seconds to go, thereby never raising the price unnecessarily. It's like the saying, "I don't need to outrun the bear, I only need to outrun you..." If I think I'd pay $475 for one, PKnorr knows that if he bids $1500, and I'm the next highest, he'll get it for $485. I'll bet he almost never pays the max he'd give for one of these. He is knowledgeable about what he's buying and he knows how much to pay. He is the perfect ebay buying machine, and my guess is that he's 10s of thousands ahead of value on his ebay dealings.
Regis Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 He/she does not sell under the same ID. Does he sell to local market or under another id? Or, how many violins can one have in collection? anyone know PK's market?
Ed Shillitoe Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 Jack - can you tell us which issue the article is in? Ed
guta Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 Hi Jack C- If P.Knorr wrote the Strad article of March 2003, then he is Edward Ball, and certainly knows his Markies. I have occasionally found a really nice old German Fiddle in an out of the way place, but would hesitate to try it on Ebay, at least not without seeing it in person. What on earth will he do with all of them!
guta Posted March 7, 2005 Report Posted March 7, 2005 P.S. Perhaps I should Not have put his name out there, but since you told us that he wrote the Strad article everyone knows anyway. Anyway I cannot help but admire his acumen and willingness to take risks that obviously pay off, judjing from what you have said. All Best, Larry.
seattleslew Posted March 8, 2005 Author Report Posted March 8, 2005 What is so special about Markneukirchen violins? From the never ending supply on ebay, I assume they were mass produced. Isnt the Strad article called "Mass Markies?" I read some thread on this board that ER Roth would dictate that the tops were to be thicker than ideal so that no cracks developed on the ocean voyage to these shores.
jackc Posted March 8, 2005 Report Posted March 8, 2005 There is nothing special about Markneukirchen violins. Some are good and some are not. There were some very good makers making some very good violins, and there were others filling the range from least to most. PK is good at picking them, I think. In fact, he just bought what appears to be an A. Gemunder. I think he's right about this one, but I'm not sure. Gemunder? Regis, I don't think he sells on ebay. Selling on ebay is far less lucrative than buying, assuming you can sell the violins somewhere, or you have a very bad case of VAS ** **violin aquisition syndrome
rarecellos Posted March 8, 2005 Report Posted March 8, 2005 Indeed, the possibly "Gemunder" violin did look very interesting. rarecellos
guta Posted March 8, 2005 Report Posted March 8, 2005 Hello All- I looked up August Gemunder @ Sons in Wenberg . He was a dealer who imported "Excelsior " brand violins violins from Germany , precarved, and did the finishing work himself. To me this makes it a shop instrument and a Gemunder in name only. Still the price was pretty low....
guta Posted March 8, 2005 Report Posted March 8, 2005 This is also assuming that the label belongs.... Cheers, Larry.
Fellow Posted March 9, 2005 Report Posted March 9, 2005 +++++++++++++++++++++ ... read some thread on this board that ER Roth would dictate that the tops were to be thicker than ideal so that no cracks developed on the ocean voyage to these shores. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Two possibilities: (1) As you said preventing crack occuring during shipment. (2) For re-graduation in buyers own shops ,final touch, thicker is better.
yaumnik Posted March 9, 2005 Report Posted March 9, 2005 Hi, all! I just went through The Strad's archive's for 2003 and did not see this article. Can someone post a link to the article or past the text in? TIA, Gary
Guy_Gallo Posted March 9, 2005 Report Posted March 9, 2005 EBSCOhost is a database of periodicals (among other things). Their direct web site is www.epnet.com. I think you can get a free trial there. But the best way to find The Strad's back issues (and a whole lot more) is to a) go to you public library and find out if they subscribe to EBSCOHost get a library card c) go to the public library's web site and find the link to electronic resources, among which will be EBSCOHost (we hope). c) log onto using their link and your library card. d) search "JN Strad" It's a truly great resource. Once you have access through your library or college, you can actually get online editions of many magazines sent to your email address. Including The Strad. The contents found on EBSCOHost are still in copyright, and so cannot be posted publicly.
Skreechee Posted March 17, 2005 Report Posted March 17, 2005 I have VAS I do up fiddles - as in restoration. But where is the best place to sell them? Not on ebay, thats for sure. People on ebay want a 'bargain' so they won't pay for time, effort and expense. Are real auctions the way to go, schools, advertising my services somewhere? I have been learning restoration for a while now with a luthier's help but I don't want to take over his patch. It is very hard to know where to go next with it. I am also in the process of learning bow rehairing. I would like to get involved in shop repairs but I have no formal training so no credentials - only what I can show in real terms - as with the violins I have repaired. Any clues?
Richf Posted March 19, 2005 Report Posted March 19, 2005 Just for the record (or maybe for the record books) PKNORR can be beat: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...me=STRK:MEWA:IT Now, who's going to take on this guy ihs12?
jackc Posted March 20, 2005 Report Posted March 20, 2005 So noted, Richard. I figured PK wasn't very interested in that violin, or he'd have it.
conductorfiddle Posted March 20, 2005 Report Posted March 20, 2005 Do you mean 19th century too? I have a nice handmade one that I was told was German, but it bears the name Jacobus Koftrzewfka-20 Aug-1856-sounds Czech-Perhaps the "f" in the name is supposed to be an "s". Who is this maker? The violin is nice and very resonant
Tyler Posted March 27, 2005 Report Posted March 27, 2005 Well since nobody has answered this question of whether PKNORR sells on ebay, in fact, he does. His eBay name is Attic(Attict). You will often see some of the violins that PKNORR buys show up in an auction by Attic (Attict). Sorry PKNORR, just business. I'm sure you will understand that sentiment. As I have stated before all the power to PKNORR, but he sure has taken some of the fun out of eBay for me. I surmise he has a relationship with a well known dealer. I detect a connection with Reuning and Son. It would be interesting to see if any of PKNORR's purchased violins end up selling at the Reuning shop. I would even go so far to say a major shop funds his purchases as a part of cooperative. Finally, don't think that PKNORR is infallible. He is, I know because I have purchased violins that I returned because of undisclosed major problems that PKNORR later purchased. So he is more of a gambler then he used to be. But to come out ahead, he must find a venue to sell his violins unless he has a huge warehouse. If you believe none of this is true, bring it on.
Ollie Posted March 27, 2005 Report Posted March 27, 2005 this information is not new. it was revealed a few months ago. name is "attic(addict)" not "attic(attict)" or whatever you said. his wife sells his junk. check this link: attic(addict) revealed
Tyler Posted March 28, 2005 Report Posted March 28, 2005 Thanks Ollie for correcting my mistyping and ignorance of a prior posting.
Ollie Posted March 28, 2005 Report Posted March 28, 2005 I'm sorry Tyler, i wasn't trying to be smart, just wanted to get the word out. You are not ignorant at all. Ollie
Ollie Posted March 28, 2005 Report Posted March 28, 2005 there are several other names loosely associated with pknorr's rejects, which i am still investigating. will post shortly. ollie
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