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Oct 4, 2024 - 2:50:44 PM
1 posts since 10/4/2024

I found this old instrument in my stuff from my grandfather’s estate. It has a bergonzi tag in it. Normally I wouldn’t think this sort of thing was authentic, but he was an insurer of “priceless” items when he was alive. Also there are some articles in the case with it that make me think it could be.. how do you tell on this sort of thing if it is authentic and not just a knockoff?

Oct 4, 2024 - 5:01:21 PM
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1595 posts since 3/1/2020

quote:
Originally posted by carlos74
...how do you tell on this sort of thing if it is authentic and not just a knockoff?

If you think the violin may be authentic, first gather any documentation that you can about it (insurance appraisals, certificates, letters about it, etc.). You could take some good pictures of it and post them on Maestronet to get some guesses at its origins--just make sure you read up on how to photograph a violin on the site first.

To really find out its value, send good pictures to a violin expert. From those they will be able to tell you if it's worth their looking at the violin in person. Anyone who offers to write a certificate or appraisal for it without having it in hand should be avoided like the plague.

If lightning strikes and you end up with the genuine article (the chances are staggeringly slim), it will be advisable to get the best certificate you can for it. Keep in mind that you may need to pay a substantial sum for a certificate, given that a Carlo Bergonzi I is a million dollar fiddle. Some experts charge flat fees, but typically for the high end instruments, the fee is determined by a percentage of the value. If the violin is valued at $1,000,000, with a 5% fee, you'll need to pay $50,000. If the violin needs restoration, you may need to budget for tens of thousands to possibly a hundred thousand to get the best results.

I wouldn't assume that the violin is genuine just because it was owned by a collector of valuables. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's just not very likely. If you're up to posting photos, it would be interesting to see them as a start. 

Oct 5, 2024 - 8:03:53 PM
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336 posts since 11/26/2013

Like most of us, almost every festival someone comes up to tell me about the Stradivari they have from some old relative. Usually I burst their bubble, but occasionally (if they are being obnoxious) I'll offer to buy it or tell them they are sitting on a $12 million dollar violin.

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