Craigslist ad - no mandolin content

[Northwest Steve]

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/msg/4884843957.html

It is amazing some of the asking prices some people post for things on craigslist. They must be a P. T Barnum subscriber or watching to much Antique Roadshow, but this one takes the cake. I think somebody is going to be slightly disappointed.

[barney 59]

If it was from 1710 it could still be a fine violin and worth a goodly sum, Strad knock off or not. Somehow I don't think this is one of those. You should get in touch with them and ask for the appraisal that they received just before insuring it. If you have a $100,000 violin you most likely have it insured,right?

[F-2 Dave]

Three pictures? The guy wants 100K and all we get to go on is three pictures? I'd expect at least five or six.

[Charles E.]

You could take three zero's off the asking price and still pay too much. Some people have no clue.....

[MikeEdgerton]

I'm more than sure it has a label inside that says it's a strad. I had one just like it years ago. I knew it wasn't a strad.

[Jeff Mando]

Nice setup, too....

[Petrus]

Poorly written, lousy photos ... not even convincing. Heck, just using CL for something like that is ridiculous. I've seen six-figure items on eBay, but if this instrument were legitimate I would a) have it authenticated by a legitimate appraisal service and b) consign it to Christie's, Sotheby's, or whatever other legitimate house would be interested in it. (IIRC, there are several others that specialize more in instruments, but I forget their names.)

Fake labels have been an issue with old violins since the 18th century, at least. The owner may honestly think it's real, but you'd have to be pretty dumb not to have something like that checked out. And also obtain a chain of provenance -- who was the previous owner? Etc.

Sometimes old Strad labels are not even meant to be deceptive; they only mean that the instrument is based upon the template of Stradivarius, not that he actually made it himself.

[zedmando]

If he wants only a text if you're serious, he should get serious about spelling and/or proof-reading.

[journeybear]

You could take three zero's off the asking price and still pay too much.
Actually, if it were a real Strad, shouldn't it have another 0? :confused:

[F-2 Dave]

Actually, if it were a real Strad, shouldn't it have another 0? :confused:

A bargain at 90% off. If it doesn't sell soon, he might take less. Try low balling him with a 75k offer in a couple of weeks. I bet he'll take it.

[Jeff Mando]

A bargain at 90% off. If it doesn't sell soon, he might take less. Try low balling him with a 75k offer in a couple of weeks. I bet he'll take it.

Now, you could have some real fun, tell him you've got $75K in cash, you'll meet him in the parking lot of Walmart, and choose a locatation about 100 miles away....and never show up! Tee hee hee....

[Jeff Mando]

Fake labels have been an issue with old violins since the 18th century, at least. The owner may honestly think it's real, but you'd have to be pretty dumb not to have something like that checked out. And also obtain a chain of provenance -- who was the previous owner? Etc.

Sometimes old Strad labels are not even meant to be deceptive; they only mean that the instrument is based upon the template of Stradivarius, not that he actually made it himself.

These were common copies, usually German made, that were sold by Sears and other catalogs, about 100 years ago. Most have a printed label and a date. When professionally setup, they can bring $250-500, based on the sound. Trouble is, you can't evaluate the sound unless you spend $150 on a setup--strings, bridge placement, sound post, etc...

When I worked at a vintage guitar store, we got a call about once a week on these--"Found an old Stradivarius in the attic. I heard it was worth a bunch of money..." Of course, they never were a real Strad. You think finding a signed Loar in the attic is difficult? How about something worth millions....

[Terry Sebastian]

When I purchased my wife's violin, and gave it to her, she looked at the label inside and nearly flipped out! At first she didn't notice the tiny print above the Strad name that says "copy of".

[mrmando]

I can see enough of the label to determine that (a) it does say Stradivarius; (b) it doesn't look anything like a real Strad label.

[barney 59]

I knew a guy years ago in Virginia that would take old Sears and other violins and regraduate the tops and spiff them out. The materials in some of those instruments from the 20's and 30's was really nice, the problem was the execution. He had a whole little business doing that. They came out good enough that Jesse McReynolds bought one of them. As he said to me --"if I started out from scratch how many could I make?"
Doesn't that labeling actually mean ---"In the style of Stradivarius"--? That how I look at it--no one was being fooled!

[Jim Garber]

I can see enough of the label to determine that (a) it does say Stradivarius; (b) it doesn't look anything like a real Strad label.

Not only that but it doesn't even look like any real Strad -- even I can tell that. If he (or she) is lucky maybe they could get $50 for it.

Here is an article I half-thought to send to the seller: So You Think You Have a Stradivarius (http://www.ifshinviolins.com/Articles/tabid/145/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/29/So-you-think-you-have-a-Stradivarius.aspx)

130546

[Petrus]

BTW, Stradivari's Genius is a fun little book about the man and his work. Anyone interested in luthiery would enjoy it.

http://www.amazon.com/Stradivaris-Genius-Centuries-Enduring-Perfection/dp/0375760857

I don't know how widely known this is (probably well known here, but not in the general public) but Stradivari also made mandolins and guitars. Only two of his mandolins survive as far as is known; one is in a museum in South Dakota, the other is in private hands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Stradivarius_instruments

[mrmando]

Only two of his mandolins survive as far as is known; one is in a museum in South Dakota, the other is in private hands.
Well, the third one is in my Aunt Agatha's garage. It's been passed down through the family.

[Jim Garber]

Here's the at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, SD (http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/PluckedStrings/Mandolins/StradMandolin/StradMandolin.html).

[Petrus]

Here's the at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, SD (http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/PluckedStrings/Mandolins/StradMandolin/StradMandolin.html).

That's where the at is at, all right! :cool:

[zedmando]

It might be a Stradivarius, Moe Stradivarius!

[mrmando]

It might be a Stradivarius, Moe Stradivarius!
Larry was the violin player!

Jim, I sent that article to the seller, who replied, "So are you interested?" I suggested he (she? it? they?) could get 20 times the asking price by taking the trouble to have it authenticated.