Your best and worst violin buys on eBay??

[lhny]

I started lurking on Maestronet about 5 years ago when my daughter began to get more serious about violin, and I realized how expensive violins and bows can be.

During the intervening years, I've learned quite a bit here, and have tried with some success to get buy quality instruments for her at bargain prices. Overall, I've had a great time buying violins and bows on ebay.

What are your best and worst buys on ebay?

Here are mine:

Best buys:

1) 1972 E H Roth 1734 Guan model in excellent condition (real ebony pegs, not caspari) with E H Roth cert and a Hoyer HP Pariser bow paid $278 including shipping (Violin appraised at $2600, bow $1,500)

2) 1920's - 1930 French bow, paid $52 including shipping (appraised at $2K)

3) 1910 German bow, paid $61 including shipping (appraised at $1,500)

4) Mid to late 19th century German violin, paid $430, value: Priceless!! (my daughter loves the sound and wouldn't trade it for any of the violins we've tried valued up to the $40K - $50K range)

Worst buys:

1) "R. Arnold Stoss" bow, paid $100, turned out to be chinese, worth about $50.

[Fellow]

++++++++++++++

I don't have any experience of ebay. A comment of your best buy #4.

" 4) Mid to late 19th century German violin, paid $430, value: Priceless!! (my daughter loves the sound and wouldn't trade it for any of the violins we've tried valued up to the $40K - $50K range)

For $430 you definitely got a good deal, but I would not put it in $40k-$50K range. The law of supply and demand has a great deal to do with the price.

[zefir68]

I've bought a lot of fixer uppers for my own education on eBay and from this experience I would never buy a violin for personal use. If there is a loophole, a way to not mention the faults of an instrument without committing fraud, eBay sellers are masters. I have no 'best' story, since I am not looking to make money from eBay purchases, just buying beat up instruments that I can take apart or put together for my own education before I splurge and take a formal violin restoration course with some of the esteemed members here.

One of my favorite worst ones was a violin that had all the usual knicks, no fittings, etc. It arrived with the neck completely dislodged. I do not yet have the tools needed to repair this and was quite angry at the seller. When I reviewed the posting, however, I noticed how artfully they avoided mentioning this fact and how all the very detailed pictures managed to not show this condition. I am quite astute at examining the state of an instrument and they slipped this by me. Kudos to them, at some point I will learn from this instrument. I'm out $76, so it's not an expensive lesson.

A real bad one was buying a violin from a Chinese seller for $58, then getting charged $288 for s&h, after agreeing on such a charge of $44. No amount of emails and complaints to eBay and Paypal corrected this situation and the seller all of a sudden lost his ability to speak english and his eBay store was closed. I'm sure it's open under a different moniker.

[priya]

I do not buy very much from ebay any more except T-shirts and strings. But I know people that done well buy on ebay.

I did buy a violin several years, I paid $250, I was the only bidder. Great tone, condition not so great.

[fubbi2]

I've bought a lot of fixer uppers for my own education on eBay and from this experience I would never buy a violin for personal use. If there is a loophole, a way to not mention the faults of an instrument without committing fraud, eBay sellers are masters. I have no 'best' story, since I am not looking to make money from eBay purchases, just buying beat up instruments that I can take apart or put together for my own education before I splurge and take a formal violin restoration course with some of the esteemed members here.

One of my favorite worst ones was a violin that had all the usual knicks, no fittings, etc. It arrived with the neck completely dislodged. I do not yet have the tools needed to repair this and was quite angry at the seller. When I reviewed the posting, however, I noticed how artfully they avoided mentioning this fact and how all the very detailed pictures managed to not show this condition. I am quite astute at examining the state of an instrument and they slipped this by me. Kudos to them, at some point I will learn from this instrument. I'm out $76, so it's not an expensive lesson.

A real bad one was buying a violin from a Chinese seller for $58, then getting charged $288 for s&h, after agreeing on such a charge of $44. No amount of emails and complaints to eBay and Paypal corrected this situation and the seller all of a sudden lost his ability to speak english and his eBay store was closed. I'm sure it's open under a different moniker.

Shipping costs - It's become a big scam...sell something cheap, and then charge megabucks to ship it.

EBay has now posted the shipping costs right on the top of the page. It's the second thing I look at...

[Greg F.]

Hi,

I know very little about old violins and became interested in buying one recently only because my son needed to move up from 3/4 to full size. Being very familiar with ebay for another area of interest, I wasn't afraid to give this venue a try and was familiar with many of the potential pitfalls. It also occured to me that, after having checked some of the violins at the local luthiers and music dealers where modern Chinese instruments run the gamut from a few hundred up to several thousand, that I could take a number of chances with ebay violins before my outlay in both purchase price and repairs came anywhere close to the full retail shop prices.

So FWIW, my "best" purchase was a French violin c. 1870 labeled Francois Richard Paris. Although Henley suggests he was a maker, it seems more likely to be a factory violin, perhaps a "private label". I realize that labels can sometimes be meaningless, but I found pictures of two virtually identical old violins online with the same label. (I can only imagine how challenging it was in the pre-internet days to find pictures of common violins for comparison.) A local luthier with many many years in the business helped with the id.

The violin was problem free (no cracks, just some minor open seams) and needed only strings, a bridge and a better tailpiece (and of course the minor seam repair). When professionally setup it sounded "dark" and powerful and my son enjoys it daily as his school orchestra instrument. The local luthier was impressed and, though a bit coy, hinted that it might bring 2k or more in the shop, which was about 4 times what I had in it.

Of course, I've also bought some dogs on ebay, but even these have been fun and educational for me. And the prices were so low ($60-$150) that there was very little financial pain. Some even came with decent bows just needing to be rehaired as a free bonus. Since they're such "ordinary" violins I've even tried doing a few minor repairs: cutting a couple bridges (lots of info online about ways to go about this), setting up sound posts (using the old string method), gluing loose seams (with hide glue), fixing pegs, etc. Also, as part of my education I've gotten a bunch of large violin books via interlibrary loan to peruse. All-in-all I find violins rather intersting.

Greg

[Bob A]

Best is a Strad copy that had a mouse-gnawed treble f-hole, poorly repaired, for $350. I can't get it away from my granddaughter, who has a choice of more than a half-dozen violins to play. Reminds me of the Phantom of the Opera. Sounds wonderful.

A 7/8 Guadagnini copy by California luthier G M Kingman was a nice surprise as well, ran me 500 bucks from England. Good condition, surprisingly fine tone, not a bad deal for the money.

Worst is a tossup. A viola from ENgland that arrived as a wreck, the belly cracked in half; on repair, it was found to be a German factory item, with fake corner blocks and an integral bass bar. WHen I communicated with the seller, he gave me a sob story about his wife dying of cancer, and said his son had sent off the viola and he'd ask him about the crack. Then he disappeared. Cost me as much to repair as the original purchase.

The other was a Baroque instrument, so called. The neck angle was right for the style, has a nice baroque setup, but sounded terrible with the Chorda gut strings it came with. Took it to a local luthjier who fiddled with it for a while, moved the soundpost a HUGE amount, strung it with Eudoxas. Now it's not bad; but it was basically an extrememly modified early 20th cent German factoru fiddle. Only so much you can do.

I've scored another couple violas, and a few other instruments, two from Jesse kamien (Pahdah_hound), which were good instrumentss, at pretty much wholesale prices.

I always expect that an ebay fiddle will require strings, bridge, t-piece and setup, maybe pegs as well, so I figure that into the initial cost. (Jesse's fiddles have not required any work, yet another reason why his auctions are well-attended and somewhat pricier than the run of the mill fiddles).

Ebay violin buying is an interesting way to learn about violins and fraud and all. For the price of a couple college classes I've amassed a bunch of decent instruments and some dogs, and unlike a class that leaves you with some overpriced yet useless textbooks and some vague mental impressions, I retain the actual instruments, except for the stuff I've ended up donating to the local school system for their excellent orchestra.

[gowan]

Jesse (pahdah_hound) has already been mentioned. He's an honest seller who truthfully describes the instruments he sells. And he has an honest return/satisfaction policy. BUT his instruments are not necessarily cheap. However, your best "score" on ebay might be a beautiful sounding and playing violin in good condition that you pay a fair price for.

[pahdah_hound]

Jesse (pahdah_hound) has already been mentioned. He's an honest seller who truthfully describes the instruments he sells. And he has an honest return/satisfaction policy. BUT his instruments are not necessarily cheap. However, your best "score" on ebay might be a beautiful sounding and playing violin in good condition that you pay a fair price for.

I hope the worst thing anyone ever says of me is that my instruments are not cheap. I don't set the prices and I consider that my auctions are successful if I get a large number of watchers, bidders and realize a good wholesale price. Recently, due to the economy, there have been plenty of watchers, but fewer bidders and prices that are generally disappointing. I spend good money for good things and spend more having a good luthier repair them and set them up. I don't charge for all the driving around, hunting and wasted time previewing estate auctions that have nothing to offer but junk. But I love what I do, enjoy my customers and try to please them. I just hope I can continue to afford to do it. It certainly beats having a real job.

Jesse

[fidleir]

My experience has been generally positive.Many people on this site and others rather surprisingly advise against buying on ebay often siting the fact that one should go to a shop and try as many fiddles as possible until you find the one you like I think this is based on the need to evaluate the tone and playability.This I find puzzling as so many experts have educated me(through this forum )that tone is well down the pecking order when pricing a violin.I therefore concenrate on authenticity and condition and workmanship(I think I can now evaluate the quality of workmanship,varnish etc by looking at good quality photos)and avoiding anyhing that is toted as a violin by a single maker.The best value is to be got by targeting highend trade instruments which are often on offer on ebay at prices well below what you would expect to pay at Sothebys,Bonhams etc.One other important point to be made is that many of us just simply have not got a violin shop within 200 mls of us .I buy and sell (very rarely as a hobby)but I believe that what I have bought on ebay would bring me in a comfortable profit if sold at auction as a job lot.

[brokenbow]

You miss the point of those of us who discourage ebay purchases. A knowledgeable person whose motive is PROFIT can make good purchases on ebay. By knowledgeable, I mean someone who knows what to look at in terms of structural integrity, able to identify makers, models and varnish, detect revarnishing, etc. I am too lazy to type out a very long list of potential structural issues, but let's just say, it takes a lot of experience to look at a photo of a violin and determine whether its neck projection is 27mm. Knowledgeable people aren't going to pay any attention to my cautions--because my concerns are not relevant to them.

Those of us who have tried to discourage purchasing off ebay are speaking to people we perceive to be looking for an instrument to PLAY, who may have limited funds, are not sophisticated at assessing structural integrity and originality of varnish, and may not be able to afford repairs. These folks would benefit from spending more at a violin shop (or a shop like Elderly that has all their instruments set up by a luthier) and comparing and contrasting a bunch of violins in their price range. If I was dropping a five or six digit figure on a violin that I was going to be spending the next four years with, buying a plane ticket ($300) and spending a couple of days comparing and contrasting violins for SOUND--which is what players should be interested in, makes really good sense. I would certainly carefully choose the violin shops I go to, avoiding the high priced big city stores.

Maybe I am wrong. Grab a random 18 year old violinist, give them a hypothetical budget of $500 and have them sort through ebay violins. See if they can find a deal on an instrument that meets the minimum requirement of being structurally sound and worth somewhat more than the final sale price.

[lhny]

I think you are correct about the prospects for "a random 18 year old violinist," purchasing a violin on ebay. However, I think the odds go up when the buyer is an adult with considerable experience on ebay. I also tend to think that an adult with some life experience would be less likely to be taken advantage of walking into a violin shops with $50k to spend than would an 18 year old. (Please note, I wrote "a" not all. I am sure that many dealers and makers, some of whom post on this site, conduct business to the highest standards of integrity and would treat all their customers fairly regardless of age or experience.)

Part of successfully buying violins on ebay, is a lot of looking before buying and then a slow start to bidding. Also, avoiding sellers who seem to have an inexhaustible supply of violins with high end labels that were " the property of a concert violinist" helps as well

I realized I was developing a better ebay violin "eye" when I was consistently being outbid by a certain ebay bidder name Knorr (who has been discussed here) on violins that I thought had the "right" look.

Maybe I am wrong. Grab a random 18 year old violinist, give them a hypothetical budget of $500 and have them sort through ebay violins. See if they can find a deal on an instrument that meets the minimum requirement of being structurally sound and worth somewhat more than the final sale price.

Also, in reply to fellow who wrote: "For $430 you definitely got a good deal, but I would not put it in $40k-$50K range. The law of supply and demand has a great deal to do with the price." Of course not. I thought I was clear in stating that the violin sounded better than any violins we had tried up to the $40k -$50K price range, not that it was worth that amount, or that it would sell for that amount in any venue, be it an auction or a dealer.

As it has been discussed here many times, the greater the collector value of a violin becomes as a result of its maker, condition and provenance, the smaller the impact of tone seems to become as a component of value.

[Fellow]

[

Also, in reply to fellow who wrote: "For $430 you definitely got a good deal, but I would not put it in $40k-$50K range. The law of supply and demand has a great deal to do with the price." Of course not. I thought I was clear in stating that the violin sounded better than any violins we had tried up to the $40k -$50K price range, not that it was worth that amount, or that it would sell for that amount in any venue, be it an auction or a dealer.

+++++++++++++++

$40k-$50K violins are most likely overpriced violins in those shops. As the law of supply and demand is working, their prices will come down.

So, the numbers are not as firm as they appear.

[fidleir]

You miss the point of those of us who discourage ebay purchases. A knowledgeable person whose motive is PROFIT can make good purchases on ebay. By knowledgeable, I mean someone who knows what to look at in terms of structural integrity, able to identify makers, models and varnish, detect revarnishing, etc. I am too lazy to type out a very long list of potential structural issues, but let's just say, it takes a lot of experience to look at a photo of a violin and determine whether its neck projection is 27mm. Knowledgeable people aren't going to pay any attention to my cautions--because my concerns are not relevant to them.

Those of us who have tried to discourage purchasing off ebay are speaking to people we perceive to be looking for an instrument to PLAY, who may have limited funds, are not sophisticated at assessing structural integrity and originality of varnish, and may not be able to afford repairs. These folks would benefit from spending more at a violin shop (or a shop like Elderly that has all their instruments set up by a luthier) and comparing and contrasting a bunch of violins in their price range. If I was dropping a five or six digit figure on a violin that I was going to be spending the next four years with, buying a plane ticket ($300) and spending a couple of days comparing and contrasting violins for SOUND--which is what players should be interested in, makes really good sense. I would certainly carefully choose the violin shops I go to, avoiding the high priced big city stores.

Maybe I am wrong. Grab a random 18 year old violinist, give them a hypothetical budget of $500 and have them sort through ebay violins. See if they can find a deal on an instrument that meets the minimum requirement of being structurally sound and worth somewhat more than the final sale price.

I agree,however I still maintain that all of us keep an eye on ebay for a possible nugget and because it's ebay and not Tarisio does not deter me one iota there is profit to be made by experienced dealers.

[gowan]

I hope the worst thing anyone ever says of me is that my instruments are not cheap. I don't set the prices and I consider that my auctions are successful if I get a large number of watchers, bidders and realize a good wholesale price. Recently, due to the economy, there have been plenty of watchers, but fewer bidders and prices that are generally disappointing. I spend good money for good things and spend more having a good luthier repair them and set them up. I don't charge for all the driving around, hunting and wasted time previewing estate auctions that have nothing to offer but junk. But I love what I do, enjoy my customers and try to please them. I just hope I can continue to afford to do it. It certainly beats having a real job.

Jesse

When I said the violins weren't cheap I meant that they weren't necesssarily low priced. As far as I can tell they are good instrments well described and fairly priced. And by fairly priced I mean that the buyer is getting value for money. If one buys an instrument on ebay from some sellers one might receive a box of pieces or an instrument that needs many repairs to get in playing condition. Jesse's instruments are in good playing condition, well set up. Unfortunately some buyers think they are getting a bargain if they pay a low price. I think a good violin in good condition and well set up bought for a good price is a bargain.

[David Sanderson]

I have bought and sold on Ebay for a number of years, with generally good results. I enjoy some of the oddities - I'm in Maine, sold an accordion stand, the kind that holds it for playing, to someone in Hobart, Tasmania a couple of years ago, as unlikely a transaction as I ever expect to participate in.

As to buying violins, what I ended up doing is being specific, which may be a good tactic for some. I assume everyone knows about Ebay's automated searches; among others I keep a search going for "violin maine," to turn up items of local interest. I get emails most days, mostly irrelevant. But over a couple of years I've found a handful of interesting things, still waiting for my attention. There's a "repaired by" instrument from a known Maine maker, pretty cheap; there's a oddity supposedly made by the seller's grandfather, with an equally odd homemade case; and a couple of others. I keep a max price of maybe $200, so I got outbid on the Leander Nute instrument that sold a while back. But I've got what I need for playing (just a fiddler, so perfection isn't necessary), so it's pretty much amusement.

The great find in all this proves that you never know and always have to look. The instrument I play was made near here, in Auburn, Maine, labelled "1892" and "Ivory Bowie." As it happens it's exceptional, not a Classical solo instrument but quite respectable, especially after being regraduated. A few people have seen other Bowie instruments; I know of one more in the area. Bowie is otherwise unknown, shows up in the city directory for 1892 as a shoemaker, had a company with someone else. So he made violins on the side, finally shows in the directory as a violin make in 1909. And here's this delightful instrument from a man who made it because he loved making violins, obviously.

And this instrument came from a local flea market, years ago, $175. And now here's Ebay. And what turns up a year and a half ago but another Bowie - also from 1892. Just astonishing, and I had to have it, $250. But it came with the back seam open, really needing more work than it's worth value-wise, so it's sitting too. Got to fix it - the idea of being able to carry around a pair of sibling instruments is too good to miss; the chances against this ever happening are surely astronomical.

Ebay has what I call critical mass; that is, a number of users now sufficient to create conditions that cause such unlikely connections to occur, eerie enough sometimes, as when I found my great aunt's postcard to her boy friend, from 1902, for sale. Only a matter of time before it becomes sentient....

[brokenbow]

David,

Thank you for being clear about your motivations for buying on ebay, unlike others who seem to be encouraging anyone to jump on ebay and buy baskets full of bargains. Whether one can find what they want on ebay depends on their motivations. I can see how having a pair of violins from the same maker from Maine, even if one needs more repair work that it is worth, is a rewarding use of ebay--and an improbable occurence in any other setting.

I will state again, that players, who haven't already handled dozens/hundreds of violins, and know about structural issues and their related costs, will often loose their shirt trying to buy on ebay, when they could pay somewhat more at a store, but having compared a dozen instruments in their price range walk away with an excellent playing and sounding instrument. Last time I checked, sound and playability were the major motivations for players. It is dealers whose major motivation is buying low based on pedigree, not necessarily sound and playability. No ebay dealer, no matter how much they are praised on Maestronet, allows for the opportunity to compare and contrast a dozen instruments in a player's price range.

What I don't understand about this boasting about "all the bargains I found on ebay" is that posting statements like that on public e-forums just encourages more competition from other bidders--running up the prices on all those bargains. Makes me question some people's judgment and claims.

[Mark Neukirchen]

What I don't understand about this boasting about "all the bargains I found on ebay" is that posting statements like that on public e-forums just encourages more competition from other bidders--running up the prices on all those bargains. Makes me question some people's judgment and claims.

You sound angry.

I don’t think talking about the bargains will create competition that will drive up the prices. EBay is like the stock market - we all know that there is lots of money to be made, but there is real skill (and some luck) involved in finding the winners.

I’ll never forget the $30,000 Joseph Curtin violin that sold $10,000 earlier this year. I made contact with the seller after the sale and apparently the buyer was very pleased and was not going to return it.

I was searching completed violin listings last night and noticed a $5450 Arcus Cadenza Gold violin bow that sold for $3000. This is the Crème de la Crème of carbon fiber violin bows, and was a real steal for the person looking for one.

Yes, there are amazing bargains to be had on eBay, but just like stocks, caveat emptor.

[brokenbow]

Not angry--merely exasperated. Please reread and then THINK about my two posts. Go talk to your local musical instrument repair shop about the unfixable rubbish they see on a regular basis that people bought off of ebay hoping to save a buck. All I am doing is trying to discourage people without sophistication from loosing their money to some con artist or antique picker selling on ebay, when they could make a safe purchase at a fair price from a music store that helps them continue their study and enjoyment of music.

[IBK]

Not angry--merely exasperated. Please reread and then THINK about my two posts. Go talk to your local musical instrument repair shop about the unfixable rubbish they see on a regular basis that people bought off of ebay hoping to save a buck. All I am doing is trying to discourage people without sophistication from loosing their money to some con artist or antique picker selling on ebay, when they could make a safe purchase at a fair price from a music store that helps them continue their study and enjoyment of music.

eBay can be a double edged sword. On one hand you can get an incredible bargain and on the other hand you can be taken badly. I saw what appeared to be an authentic Genaro Gagliano, one of the lesser Gaglianos from the 19th century offered for sale on eBay. The pictures were excellent and the scroll right on the mark. It sold for 8000 US$. Then I have also had people come into my shop with the 49.00 violin outfit to be put into playing order. One hates to burst the bubble of a buyer who thinks that they have snagged a bargain, but if the instrument is for a youngster to learn on , you must be blunt about what they purchased and advise them not to spend any more money on a loosing proposition.

[Mark Neukirchen]

Not angry--merely exasperated. Please reread and then THINK about my two posts. Go talk to your local musical instrument repair shop about the unfixable rubbish they see on a regular basis that people bought off of ebay hoping to save a buck. All I am doing is trying to discourage people without sophistication from loosing their money to some con artist or antique picker selling on ebay, when they could make a safe purchase at a fair price from a music store that helps them continue their study and enjoyment of music.

In my opinion, the potential for corruption exists almost everywhere in the violin market, no matter if that is eBay or a less than ethical violin shop.

[willie-or-not]

Well, a few years ago I bought a violin on ebay, described by the seller as a possible bluegrass player's name on the label. The name was James Reynold Carlisle for my son, Elman Feb. 1, 1914. The violin has a high arch, beautiful varnish, and wonderful dark sound. I did some research, and wrote to a relative of Carlisle's in California. They put me in touch with the Carlisle family. I wrote to them, and found out the violin was indeed made for Elman Carlisle, who never learned to play it. I corresponded with J.R. Carlisle's granddaughter and niece. A nicer family you could never meet.

The niece came East once and we met. She brought me some personal pictures of the Carlisle family, one of which was J. R. (Uncle "Ren") with my violin! She remembered the violin, she knew it the minute she saw it, and how much J. R. wanted Elman to play, but he wasn't interested. Elman went on to a career in the Army and worked in the Pentagon. She also remembered J. R. playing When You and I Were Young, Maggie, on this very violin, for his parents on their anniversay. He played by ear. Someday soon I'm going to give this violin to his granddaughter, Elman's daughter, where it rightfully belongs. I am very lucky to have met these nice people, thanks to ebay.

Willie-or-not

[IBK]

Well, a few years ago I bought a violin on ebay, described by the seller as a possible bluegrass player's name on the label. The name was James Reynold Carlisle for my son, Elman Feb. 1, 1914. The violin has a high arch, beautiful varnish, and wonderful dark sound. I did some research, and wrote to a relative of Carlisle's in California. They put me in touch with the Carlisle family. I wrote to them, and found out the violin was indeed made for Elman Carlisle, who never learned to play it. I corresponded with J.R. Carlisle's granddaughter and niece. A nicer family you could never meet.

The niece came East once and we met. She brought me some personal pictures of the Carlisle family, one of which was J. R. (Uncle "Ren") with my violin! She remembered the violin, she knew it the minute she saw it, and how much J. R. wanted Elman to play, but he wasn't interested. Elman went on to a career in the Army and worked in the Pentagon. She also remembered J. R. playing When You and I Were Young, Maggie, on this very violin, for his parents on their anniversay. He played by ear. Someday soon I'm going to give this violin to his granddaughter, Elman's daughter, where it rightfully belongs. I am very lucky to have met these nice people, thanks to ebay.

Willie-or-not

What a great story. It is always nice to hear about maker's families who are able to pass along information on the makers as ordinary people. I had a similar experience with the niece of William Wilkanowski, although not related to eBay. When she retired and was moving from New Jersey to Arizona, I had the opportunity to purchase several instruments which she inherited from Mr. Wilkanowski. One of those was a very rare acoustic guitar of which only about 30 exist. She related to me how Wilkanowski employed many family members during the great depression and the war years as his shop was a very busy one in Brooklyn,N.Y.

[brokenbow]

Very nice stories, I enjoyed reading about the Carlisle and Wilkanowski violins. Sounds like everyone enjoyed sharing about the violins. So much nicer than these "I got rich off of ebay violins and you can too" posts.

[cjstuff]

My best eBay violin buy happened in 2007, when by chance, I stumbled onto the listing for my old violin that had been stolen 17 years earlier. Still in its case with the two bows that had been with it when it was taken in a smash'n'grab, the violin had apparently spent the entire time in suspended animation in the back room of a Fair Haven, CT pawn shop about 5 miles from where it was stolen. I had spent over a year combing through flea markets and pawn shops in the area trying to find my violin, and I had long written off this instrument as lost--or worse, smashed by some crack addict who didn't understand or didn't care what it was.

I was reunited with my violin (late 19th century Boston School, unsigned but likely from the White workshop) on October 8, 2007. I've played better violins over the years, but I don't think I'll ever have the same connection to an instrument as I do to this one. It was an amazing experience to tighten up the bow (no bow bugs!) and hear the violin speak again.

And yes, the pawn shop owner clearly knew that there was something squirrelly about this violin. I paid my bucks (about half of the 1990 insurance settlement, by the way) and made sure the violin was in transit to me before I started asking questions. The statute of limitations had long run out, so he was in no danger from the New Haven police (I called them to check). Mysteriously, though, he claimed that he had ripped up the pawn ticket before listing the violin for auction and had no records anywhere as to who brought it in or when it was brought in. Riiiiiight..... He did say that it had been in the back of the shop for "a very, very long time," possibly dating as far back as 1991, but it had never been brought up to the front of the shop for sale. I also found that just a touch odd.

I've bought my share of eBay VSOs over the years, but this pretty much balances everything out.