View Full Version : German mando bought at auction. Any info PLEASE!
Anne North
Jan-27-2016, 9:31am
Hello all, i have just picked up this lovely mandolin in an auction. I am relatively new, learning on a washburn. The auction house said that it was a 'Bellallica'. It has a metal label 'Made in German Democratic Republic'. I paid AUS $80, was i ripped off? :mandosmiley: Any info would be great. Cheers Anne.
Grrrrrr i cant seem to upload my images.:crying:
Without seeing the photos, I'm just guessing here. But it sounds suspiciously like they were telling you it was a Balalaika (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balalaika), not a mandolin. Of course, a Balalaika is a completely different instrument, so it should be pretty obvious.
Ray(T)
Jan-27-2016, 9:37am
Yes, I think we're going to need pictures!
In my experience, most auction houses don't have much of a clue about what they're selling. I assume you know what a mandolin is but does the auction house? Maybe they think it's a "balalaika". The number of strings could be a giveaway. If it has eight, its a mandolin, if it has three neither they nor you know what a mandolin is!
Ray(T)
Jan-27-2016, 9:39am
Snap - Tobin!
mrmando
Jan-27-2016, 10:16am
That would be EAST Germany, before reunification.