Crazy price for broken violin

[Stavanger]

So, I followed an auction on ebay, thinking I might pay tops 50-100$ to have a new "resurrection" project.
However, someone paid 850$  for what is essentially a broken body!? Is there something Im missing here? It is most certainly not italian from 1589! Am I right guessing german 1900 +/- 15yrs?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Giovan-Paolo-Maggini-Brescia-1589-4-4-Flame-Tiger-Curly-Back-Violin-RARE-/262351467455?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=bigefYq%252FXHg%252BiGJ6m8fPiGIlTcE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

(uploaded some of the pictures here, in case advert disaperars)

Edit: Maybe this is the way to go. Disassemble and loosing parts instead of repairing before selling! 

[Dani Tsui]

Perhaps shill bidding??

[luthier]

I saw this one, and couldn't believe the price...a couple of total (how do you say idiot in a kind way?)...bidders. There are always a number of nice German or Czech Maggini's that need little or nothing at all that never get close to this price, mostly going for less than half.

[Ben Hebbert]

The Lewis & Son stock number probably gave the buyer confidence that it was something good, even if Maggini is well off the cards. 

 

Looks to me like one of those awful fiddles from the 1920s, made by an accordion repair man or whatever, who wanted to look like he was upholding ancient Italian traditions so Il Duce would smile benevolently over him, so got his screwdrivers out to carve a fiddle or few... Tarasconi, Carlo Bosi, Mario Giradi, Quentin Tarantino something like that. (... yawn). If you can sell it, $850 was a steal, even with all that work.

[Tess1]

This may not be related to your chat but I have an old violin that was given to my mother as a child she said it was old then, it has" giovan paolo maggini  brefcia16" printed on the wood inside, it is not in good repair missing most of the bits, I am unsure as to the value and if I want to keep it at all, I do not play the violin and it could not be played anyway without the bridge strings etc. What I want to know is if I have something worth restoring/selling. 

 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Tess1
to check files

[Herman West]

there are tens of thousands of these, and a lot are in much better shape. Repairing would cost more than you'd get for it.

[Jack Devereux]

On 4/8/2016 at 7:32 AM, Ben Hebbert said:

Looks to me like one of those awful fiddles from the 1920s, made by an accordion repair man or whatever, who wanted to look like he was upholding ancient Italian traditions so Il Duce would smile benevolently over him, so got his screwdrivers out to carve a fiddle or few... Tarasconi, Carlo Bosi, Mario Giradi, Quentin Tarantino something like that. (... yawn). If you can sell it, $850 was a steal, even with all that work.

I laughed loudly in public at this. It’s funny cuz it’s true..

[Tess1]

Thank you your replies, looks as though I will just throw it in the bin, but best to have been sure,

[Guido]

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 7:34 AM, Tess1 said:

Thank you your replies, looks as though I will just throw it in the bin, but best to have been sure,

Don't throw it in the bin; throw it on ebay as everybody else does with violins not worth repairing.

[Rue]

You can paint it and hang it up as part of a Thanksgiving/Christmas door wreath...something along the lines of:

 

[Anthony Violin]

Sometimes when old damaged violins are either disassembled cleaned and  have minor adjustments and new parts added by an  excellent Luthier they end up sounding absolutely amazing. I bought an 1850’s Hopf for $600 (AUS) that needed some minor repair and setup by a first class Luthier and now sounds like a $10,000 instrument that I wouldn’t part with 

Edited May 1 by Anthony Violin

[GeorgeH]

@Anthony Violin

Welcome to MN. Nice to read your story about your $600 Hopf sounding so pleasing to you.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that there is no correlation between the price of a violin and the sound. Tone is subjective and malleable.

[John Alexander]

3 hours ago, GeorgeH said:

@Anthony Violin

Welcome to MN. Nice to read your story about your $600 Hopf sounding so pleasing to you.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that there is no correlation between the price of a violin and the sound. Tone is subjective and malleable.

Would you not agree there are sound characteristics that are universally desirable such as clarity, power, evenness, projection, and richness?  Surely a good sounding instrument possessing such characteristics would fetch more if compared to a mediocre sounding one.

[GeorgeH]

1 hour ago, John Alexander said:

Would you not agree there are sound characteristics that are universally desirable such as clarity, power, evenness, projection, and richness?  Surely a good sounding instrument possessing such characteristics would fetch more if compared to a mediocre sounding one.

Yes, they are universally desired, but the evaluation of those characteristics is subjective and their achievement is malleable. 

So, no, that is not how violins are priced. There is no such thing as "the sound of a $10,000 violin." What determines pricing are a combination of:

- Maker or workshop
- Condition
- Appearance
- Model
- Size and specifications
- Geographic origin
- Age
- Provenance

[John Alexander]

That is interesting and a bit counterintuitive as ultimately the violin and bow are instruments for music making.  I’ve been given some criticism for buying items from Tarisio without having played them. But at the end of the day I agree with your premise.  Sound and playability are not as important in determining collectibility or price.  
 

However, I have found generally that more expensive instruments tend to sound better to my ear.  I imagine the good sound is a likely byproduct of good making.

[Brumcello]

14 hours ago, John Alexander said:

That is interesting and a bit counterintuitive as ultimately the violin and bow are instruments for music making.  I’ve been given some criticism for buying items from Tarisio without having played them. But at the end of the day I agree with your premise.  Sound and playability are not as important in determining collectibility or price.  
 

However, I have found generally that more expensive instruments tend to sound better to my ear.  I imagine the good sound is a likely byproduct of good making.

To a certain extent I agree with you. The very cheapest instruments have been made with poor materials utilising poor craftsmanship; they universally sound bad. Once you get to instruments made well out of fine materials there is the possibility that they will sound good if properly set up (but there are many lemons). 

The most expensive instruments are valued on antique value (provenance, quality of work and materials,  history and status of the maker). Some of them sound terrible.

 

[Violadamore]

That's not a broken violin.  This is a broken violin. 

[Mystic]

And it’s been on there at least a year! This is beyond even a bottom feeder like me...

[Rue]

37 minutes ago, Violadamore said:

That's not a broken violin.  This is a broken violin. 

...luv the description...

PLEASE  SEE  PICTURES I'M NOT SURE  WHAT THIS IS ANY FEED BACK IS GREATLY ACCEPTED  IT ALSO HAS A CANVAS  CASE

[John Alexander]

16 hours ago, Violadamore said:

That's not a broken violin.  This is a broken violin. 

Lucky it comes with instructions on how to fit the bridge.  Not sure how one would mange that after putting everything else back together.