Landolfi Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Forgive me if this is a dumb question. How do i find and buy a fiddle by Samuel Zygmuntowicz? Other than going through auction or wait 5 years on the list, what is the best way to buyin the secondary market? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quadibloc Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 My suspicion is that except for the few that have gone through auction, not very many have been offered for sale by their satisfied owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticpaw Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 56 minutes ago, Landolfi said: Forgive me if this is a dumb question. How do i find and buy a fiddle by Samuel Zygmuntowicz? Other than going through auction or wait 5 years on the list, what is the best way to buyin the secondary market? It seems you've been offered a Strad... now you want a Zygmuntowicz …. I'm feeling somewhat confused Landolfi !!! ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landolfi Posted August 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 @mysticpaw To be specific, i was offered an alleged copy of Strad by a crooked person who sent me photos of a real Strad, trying to deceive me into buying. From what i read, Zygmuntowicz’s violin is still affordable (price of a Mercedes SUV) and it will appreciate in value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Brown Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 If it is an instrument for you to play I would suggest that you do not look for an instrument by a particular maker. Go to reputable dealers and try out instruments in your price range and see what you like. "Investing" in instruments and bows, except for the very rich ,is a bit of a fools errand. I own a number of modern violins and violas by good and even great makers, I play them all and enjoy them but I really never plan on making any money from them, in fact I will give them all away some day. You may want to wait for the fall auctions with real auction houses with reputations and histories. Tarisio has one in New York and one in London coming up. I have found them to be trustworthy and easy to work with. Don't get in a big hurry, that is a formula for rather expensive mistakes. DLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 1 hour ago, Landolfi said: ... and it will appreciate in value. Predictions of future appreciation of investments I haven't noticed to be particularly reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Dorsey Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 You could contact a number of dealers, tell them you want a violin by this maker and ask them to contact you if one becomes available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gowan Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 I think it's a gamble investing in modern violins, especially those of living makers. Old instruments appreciate partly due to limited supply i.e. they aren't being made anymore. Contemporary instruments do not have absolute limits on availability because the living maker can always make more. For investments, prices of contemporary instruments are much more volatile than old instruments. Auction prices are generally much less than retail prices and if you want to cash in your investment you can easily get less than you paid. Prices are also affected by myths, e.g. the myth that old instruments are generally better than contemporary ones. Even if you are rich enough to own an excellent Strad or del Gesu or the like, there are serious carrying charges in maintenance, insurance, and keeping the instrument in front of the public so its value won't depreciate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mendicus Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 3 hours ago, Landolfi said: Forgive me if this is a dumb question. How do i find and buy a fiddle by Samuel Zygmuntowicz? Other than going through auction or wait 5 years on the list, what is the best way to buyin the secondary market? I don't think you can buy his violin for $25000 you mention in Strad thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeH Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Maybe you could find a violin by Oscar Steger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rue Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 How about this plan B? Buy a serviceable instrument to play on for now. Commission an instrument from a "top" maker. Save your $$$ for that event - and hope it will increase in value in the future. If you select well - odds are you might even do better than if you bought an antique at this price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Contact Sam Zygmuntowicz here . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Instead of buying one of Sam's, you could order 10 of mine, and since I will be close to death by the time I finish the order, the odds of appreciation are greatly enhanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rue Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 ...and if you ask nicely, you might even be able to talk Don into a baker's dozen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Merkel Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 How many people on waiting lists are dealers planning to make their profit from no waiting list? 5 hours ago, Landolfi said: To be specific, i was offered an alleged copy of Strad by a crooked person who sent me photos of a real Strad, trying to deceive me into buying. What's that story? What did the offer come through? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilipKT Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 (edited) I am reminded of a quote from Spock: ”I think you will find that having is not so sweet as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.” I get the feeling that you are more interested in searching than in finding. Edited August 31, 2018 by PhilipKT Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rue Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 The hunt is addictive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deans Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 With a 25K budget, a trip to some of the larger violin shops will leave you overwhelmed with fantastic choices. Including examples from very fine new makers. But something tells me that buying retail is something you are trying to avoid. But based on some of the things that you have tossed out here, it is probably your only hope of getting something with long term satisfaction and value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane88 Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Try this: http://www.ihleviolins.com/instruments/ As for Sam: No chance from him, and when it comes to purchasing violins for any other purpose than playing, it's a fool's journey. Without your crystal ball*, you might do just as well with gold,the gold being a bit more liquid. *I have one, it is in the shop, been waiting on a part for a number of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palousian Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 1 hour ago, deans said: With a 25K budget, a trip to some of the larger violin shops will leave you overwhelmed with fantastic choices. Including examples from very fine new makers. But something tells me that buying retail is something you are trying to avoid. But based on some of the things that you have tossed out here, it is probably your only hope of getting something with long term satisfaction and value. Landolfi has been told this. When they were posting several violins they had been offered, maybe a month ago, we were supposed to select the best one from looking at the mediocre images. It was some weird cross between a serious question and playing cribbage with a troll. They claimed that they were nowhere near a decent violin shop, and then we found out that, no, they weren't in Kyrgyzstan--they were in California. Something is not on the level with Landolfi, but for a moment I will ignore that, though--I mean, why not try to be straightforward and honest here? Whatever. Landolfi, you are obviously not knowledgeable enough to purchase a violin within your somewhat-mysterious budget by dealing with the open market. Just stop this nonsense and go to a professional violin dealer already! You have a decent budget to get a nice violin (it seems), if you don't shoot yourself in the foot by trying to make a score and getting less than your money's worth. One minute you want an old violin--the obvious path there would be north of Italy, where there are great 18th-c. violins--in appearance, playability, and sound--within your budget. Mittenwald, Vienna, Prague, etc. But now it's a living maker's work you're after. OK, whatever--lots of good advice in this thread already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torbjörn Zethelius Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Buy a fake Burgess on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deans Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Oh yeah, I forgot that was him. Some good shops here in CA, not as many as the East coast, but enough to find one good violin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Allen Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Or you could buy one of mine. It can ONLY appreciate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Burgess Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 1 hour ago, Torbjörn Zethelius said: Buy a fake Burgess on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danube Fiddler Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 6 hours ago, Don Noon said: Predictions of future appreciation of investments I haven't noticed to be particularly reliable. Predictions are always difficult, particularly for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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