Fraud Alert
Typical Scenario:
A family owning a violin, that once belonged to a beloved relative, decides to bring it to a shop to determine it's value and possibly get it playable again after years of neglect. The family figures a set of strings and a new bridge will do the trick. The unscrupulous appraiser/repair person, spotting a nice violin, begins to give the following spiel, "This is a nice/valuable instrument; but it needs a lot of work." He then inserts a flat knife into a dry seam and, demonstrating how dry the glue is, announces the entire instrument will have to come apart and be reglued. The expenses begin to add up quick: remove top $250.00, insert doubling $500.00, reglue top $250.00, reglue lining, reset neck, repair cracks, blah, blah, blah $$$$$$.
Before long the unnecessary repairs are close to $2500.00. The stunned family politely declines, uncertain of their next move. The repair person, seeing his prey dazed, announces, "But I can make it very playable for about $600.00." Still reeling; but wanting to do justice to Grandpa's violin, the family agrees to the $600.00 offer or asks,"What's it worth?" To which the unscrupulous appraiser replies, "In this condition, the best I can give you is $400.00."
If you agree to the $600.00 deal, you're probably paying $400.00 too much!
If you sell the violin for $400.00, you can rest assured it was probably worth four times as much-perhaps thousands!
This is a scenario that is played out hundreds of times a year!
Protect yourself!
* Be sure to use a reputable dealer.
* Verbal appraisals aren't always reliable.
* A licensed appraiser is bound by law to provide an accurate appraisal if it's in writing.
* Never take a violin you are contemplating buying to a violin shop expecting them to encourage you to buy "it" and not "their" instrument. Big car dealers and big violin shops usually have big bills to pay and endorsing other people's products is not in their interest. If you like the way it plays, the sound is right, and the price is right, it's probably worth it!
Before long the unnecessary repairs are close to $2500.00. The stunned family politely declines, uncertain of their next move. The repair person, seeing his prey dazed, announces, "But I can make it very playable for about $600.00." Still reeling; but wanting to do justice to Grandpa's violin, the family agrees to the $600.00 offer or asks,"What's it worth?" To which the unscrupulous appraiser replies, "In this condition, the best I can give you is $400.00."
If you agree to the $600.00 deal, you're probably paying $400.00 too much!
If you sell the violin for $400.00, you can rest assured it was probably worth four times as much-perhaps thousands!
This is a scenario that is played out hundreds of times a year!
Protect yourself!
* Be sure to use a reputable dealer.
* Verbal appraisals aren't always reliable.
* A licensed appraiser is bound by law to provide an accurate appraisal if it's in writing.
* Never take a violin you are contemplating buying to a violin shop expecting them to encourage you to buy "it" and not "their" instrument. Big car dealers and big violin shops usually have big bills to pay and endorsing other people's products is not in their interest. If you like the way it plays, the sound is right, and the price is right, it's probably worth it!