Ebay mystery violin

[pahdah_hound]

At the risk of going afoul of the rules, I am posting this link to a violin I am currently selling on ebay. I did a similar violin last year at this time.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...me=STRK:MESE:IT

Jesse

[priya]

I think it's a great piece of Yankee ingenuity. I hope you cross referenced it on ebay with American Folk Art, violin collectors run from these things while Folk Art people love them. I like it!

The Priya

[bean_fidhleir]

That table certainly isn't up to the standard of the scroll. I wonder whether it's original.

Yet from the MOP inlays, someone must have thought he did a good thing, and was proud of it. I find it more saddening than obnoxious, really.

[maestramusica]

WOW!!! What a tale you tell! At least you have a great imagination, and should your violin selling career be cut short by the curs-ed fiddle, you could always take up the writing of suspense stories!!!! (Or perhaps episodes for "Scooby Doo"! I 'bout busted a gut laughing over your story!

And NO- this one's personal peculiarity does NOT appeal to me like that other one a few weeks ago did. (not one of your sales)

Maybe it can be an April Fools fiddle?

[violinguy1234]

Very intersting looking. I don't quite know how to describe it other than a little ameture like. I'd be very interested to hear it!

[guta]

Could be one of those late period Lasagna violins or even a Notoni. Put on a set of strings and you might see it's value increase as much as $15. Best, Larry---

[Barry J. Griffiths]

Does it come with a certificate?

[Michael Darnton]

Oh, that is uggggggggly.

[priya]

I think some of those early American Folk Art violins are wonderful.

The reflect a period in this country that America was predominately agricultural.

People didn't have the money to buy everything they needed, so they sewed their own cloths, made their own soap to wash their cloths and made their own furniture to store their cloths.

Sometimes they made their own violins. Some look as if they had never actually seen a violin up close before. The interior construction at times could be remarkable different and at times ingenious and creative. They were people who wanted music in their lives and they had long winters to construct what they needed.

There is an innate charm to folk art and a wonderfully creativity instilled in some of the pieces. Folk art has captured the attention of the antique market, from painted furniture to primitive paintings and the interest has been growing.

The violin world has taught us to be snobs and laugh at early American instruments.

I think it's a mistake, some are real art and they capture a way of life that we can only imagine. It's our history, sometimes folk art collectors see more than we do.

[Michael Darnton]

On the politically correct scale, I'm a zero: not everything that "folk" did is automatically nice, just because "folk" did it. This one is UGGGGLLLLLY. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want to own it, though.

[guta]

Priya- There is a lot of great American folk art, but just because we call something folk art does not make it good. Just as there are great weathervanes and poor ones, good duck decoys and less good, we can also rank this violin compared with other early American examples. Sorry, but I don't see this as a good example of anything.---Best, Larry.

[pahdah_hound]

Quote:

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WOW!!! What a tale you tell! At least you have a great imagination.

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What imagination? You think I could make this up?

Quote:

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Maybe it can be an April Fools fiddle?

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Notice the ending date.

Jesse

[hauptmann]

I think the table & f-holes look like The Devil. Perhaps you ought to call Channel 7 in Boston. Lately they have been giving airtime to grease stains that look like the Mother Mary and turtles with demonic faces on their backs.

And the worst part is I'm seriously considering bidding on it

[Karla]

Oh Jesse!!! Thank you again. I have it on watch and intend to bid later today. I can't wait to be high bidder. Last year's was so much fun.

Ewwwwww.... It is as ugly as they come isn't it?

[guta]

Oh My, The more I look at this thing the more I think I was a snot for saying what I said--- I think I may be getting sucked in---- H-E-E-E-L-L-L-P-P-P----

[ROYCE]

That's actually a neat old violin. Some Man probably put a lot of time in creating that old Violin. A violin like this is a good conversation piece. It shows the tenacity of someone who wants to play that just doesn't have the money or means to get an instrument. That's a good story too. Jesse does have a knack at story writing. Maybe this story could be made into a "Tales from the Cript" episode. The thing is Jesse,,,someone will probably bid that violin up way more than you hope...

Royce

[Fellow]

Hi All,

There are violins, and there brave people.

Good luck for your biddings. /yuen/

[pahdah_hound]

You will not believe some of the emails I have received... I heard from a medium who said that when she looked at my listing, the lights flickered and went off in her house, but the image of the violin would not leave her computer monitor. She also said that she had a headache afterwards.

I'll bet she was using a battery powered laptop.

By the way, I have nothing against folk art violins. I have had many, some good and some bad. My own daughter plays a great folk art fiddle that I will never sell. This is my April Fool's listing and I needed to find a suitable fiddle to humiliate. If someone has another one, perhaps equally or more suitable, I will be happy to consider it as next year's "April" object. Last year's was a very coarse Jackson Guldan violin. I do not discriminate with regard to race, gender, religion or national origin of any ugly fiddle. But for a fiddle to qualify, it must be deviant in a disturbing way.

Jesse

[Auelfan]

You should have taken a shot at the one from Huntington, WV made in the early part of the last century that was on E-bay about a week ago. In fact, I think it ended the same day as all those "labeled FSM". We laughed and laughed, and I bid on it, because we lived near there once upon a time, but the silly thing got up over $200!!! It was a double bagger.

Auelfan

[maestramusica]

Jesse, I am HOPING you made at least the glow in the dark part up- otherwise, I'm thinking you may want to ask a priest to do an excorcism!

[maestramusica]

On second viewing- the "label" is quite interesting- maybe that "Geigen" person was right about false labels?

[jackc]

Jesse- you're making the world a better place...

[bean_fidhleir]

This one is approaching $200 already. Unbelievable!

Jesse, do you think the high bidder will actually pay up?

[pahdah_hound]

There are a whole lot of people who see things in this violin. They are emailing me. One said he saw the an image (I won't go into details) in the pattern of the bird's eye back. Another said that "this is a very magical and powerful thing". Hey, folks paid a whole lot a while back for a 10 year old grilled cheese sandwich. There are a bunch of people who will pay a lot for something metaphysical. Can one trust a Paypal payment from a psychic?

Jesse

[Singingmaple]

I see what could be construed to be a Skull shape in the center of the lower bout on the back if tilted to the right a little. But what did the writer tell you he saw in it?