Missed out again (fortunately)

[derbex]

I was just following a couple of internet auctions on the saleroom (https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb), a Vinaccia and a Calace valued at £30 each.

The Vinaccia, 1890s, went for £300 and the Calace, 1975 on, for £650.

Just as well really.

[Ray(T)]

Instruments in some UK auction rooms fetch significantly higher prices than in others. There seems to be little logic involved. I sat next to a beat-up and cracked cello at Adam Partridge's sale-room a couple of years ago. It was valued at £80-£100 and went for £5000.

[derbex]

The valuations were well out on the mandolins, Bromptons have similar mandolins in an auction valued at the sort of prices the ones above sold for. I was hoping that the Vinaccia at least would be overlooked, but there must be a few other people on the internet doing the same thing.

I was a bit surprised at the price of the Calace, by the time you add in the commission it was pretty much the same price as one of a similar age that I saw on a dealer's website last year. Maybe the one at auction was a different model.

[Tavy]

300 for a Vinaccia is actually on the cheap side... but I suspect getting it posted to you might well break the bank?

[derbex]

It's more the risk of buying one in unknown condition, £300 for a good one is a decent deal, but if it's not so good, then you'd be richer and I'd be poorer :)