Buying and selling string instruments – what many musicians don’t know
At first glance, buying or selling a violin, viola, or cello may seem simple. In reality, the market is much more complicated. There are many large online shops, as well as countless small local stores. Most of them are connected in some way with local violin makers.
In Germany, the profession of violin maker is legally protected. This means that people without the official qualification are not allowed to repair or restore string instruments professionally.
Education of violin makers
Training usually takes place in specialized schools such as those in Mittenwald or Markneukirchen. The program focuses mainly on traditional craftsmanship:
- basic woodworking
- instrument construction
- varnishing techniques
However, topics such as acoustics, historical violin-making schools, stylistic differences, and detailed historical knowledge are often covered only briefly.
Another important point is that many violin makers do not actively play string instruments themselves, or only at a basic level. This can make it more difficult to fully evaluate aspects such as sound quality or playing comfort from a musician’s perspective.
After completing their education, young violin makers typically spend several years working in other workshops before opening their own studio or shop.
The challenge of expert evaluation
Because of this structure, many shops focus primarily on repair work and sales rather than deep historical research or expert authentication.
Only a relatively small number of specialists are widely recognized for providing authoritative evaluations and certificates. Interestingly, some of these experts do not have formal violin-making training and do not run their own shops.
Restoration costs
Restoration work can often be expensive. At the same time, even costly repairs do not always guarantee that the original sound quality of an instrument will be preserved.
Owners are frequently advised to perform repairs such as:
- replacing the neck
- adjusting the neck angle
- installing new pegs
- replacing the bridge
- adjusting or replacing the soundpost
- repairing cracks
- reinforcing the instrument internally
Each of these procedures can cost hundreds of euros. In some cases, the owner is told that the instrument may not justify the cost of the repair.
As a result, many musicians eventually look for alternative ways to sell their instruments, sometimes accepting significant financial losses.
Local shop or luthier
Buying from a local shop or luthier often costs more than the broader market value. This is usually because the price factors in expertize, inspection, setup, and the shop’s reputation. Even if a violin is not of the highest quality, the shop may price it higher because it was purchased at an online auction with substantial fees, professionally evaluated, repaired, and guaranteed to be playable. Such instruments are also hard to resell if the musician finds a better option.
Selling an overpriced instrument could take years.
Online platforms for selling instruments
eBay
eBay offers access to millions of potential buyers. However, it also comes with several risks for sellers.
While registration is very easy, this unfortunately increases the likelihood of unpaid purchases. In some cases, buyers may win an auction but never complete the payment.
Another challenge is that payments are usually held by the platform until the buyer confirms that the item has arrived and that everything is satisfactory. The platform could freeze all payments for up to 180 days, without providing a reason, if it determines that the seller poses a risk to the eBay community.
If the buyer is not satisfied for any reason, they can open a case and return the instrument—even if the listing stated that it was a private sale without returns.
In such situations, the seller has to cover the return shipping costs, which can be very expensive for international shipments. There is also a risk of damage during transport. If the seller declines to cover the shipping costs, he would lose the item, the full amount from the sale, and also have to pay the eBay case fee.
Fees
eBay is no longer the inexpensive platform it once was.
Today, the total fees can reach approximately:
- around 18–20% for commercial sellers
- additional international transaction fees
- charges from shipping costs
Once certain sales thresholds are reached, private sellers may be required to switch to a business account. In Germany, for example, the limit for being considered a private seller is generally around 30 items or €2,000 in sales per year. So, sellers will be required to move from about 2% fees (yes, sales on eBay are not completely free even for private sellers when the buyer is from another country) to approximately 18–20% in business seller fees.
A business seller would not be able to downgrade their account later, even if they do not plan to make any sales in the future.
Another major problem is the eBay feedback system. Sellers are not able to leave negative feedback for buyers, even if the buyer has not paid. Sellers are also often unable to have negative feedback removed, even when it is clearly unfair or incorrect. After receiving several negative feedback ratings, eBay may impose various sanctions, such as reduced visibility of the seller’s listings on the platform. In addition, since around 2020, many sellers report that eBay items have had no visibility in Google search results.
Catawiki
Another platform is Catawiki, where each item must first be approved by an expert in Amsterdam.
The expert may:
- decline the instrument
- request changes to the description
- request an expensive certificate
- suggest a lower estimate
- set a different reserve price
- choose the auction date
While the platform works well for some categories, the number of potential buyers is smaller than on eBay, which may result in lower final prices. The platform is also not available in many countries and has limited visibility in Google search results.
Payments are held by the platform until the item is delivered, verified by the buyer, and no claim has been opened.
Once certain sales thresholds are reached, private sellers may be required to switch to a business account and comply with the platform’s policies, including accepting returns without requiring a reason.
Typical fees are:
- about 12.5% for the seller
- about 9% for the buyer
Free classified platforms
Websites such as:
- eBay Kleinanzeigen
- Willhaben
- Gumtree
allows free listings.
However, selling valuable instruments on these platforms can be difficult.
Limited visibility: listings quickly get buried, often by newer posts, so your item appears on page 3–4 within hours.
Low-quality inquiries: some buyers make unrealistic offers or fail to follow through, wasting the seller’s time.
Paid promotions: platforms often push sellers to pay for “featured” or “bumped” listings to regain visibility.
This creates a cycle where selling becomes both time-consuming and potentially costly.
The platforms are nor responsible for secure registration and verification. When stolen, damaged, or counterfeit instruments circulate, and hackers or scammers exploit accounts (which is unfortunately very common situation), it creates a trust problem for everyone.
Buyer risk: serious buyers hesitate because they might receive a stolen, damaged, or fake item. Even secure payment systems can’t always prevent losses, when the account was hacked.
Seller risk: legitimate sellers may be associated with “risky” platforms just by listing there, which reduces interest from serious buyers.
Platform reputation: repeated incidents of scams or poor-quality items erode trust in the platform, discouraging high-quality listings and driving away reputable users.
Professional auction houses
Many well-known auction houses specialize in high-end instruments and may accept only items that meet certain criteria.
Often, the response after submitting photos is something like:
“Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately, your instrument does not meet the requirements for our upcoming auction.”
Even when an instrument is accepted, it may be listed with descriptions such as “attributed to” or “school of”, often with a conservative estimate.
Attribution uncertainty
- When an instrument is listed as “attributed to” or “school of,” it means experts are not fully confident about the maker.
- This conservative phrasing reduces perceived value because buyers fear they might be paying for something less authentic.
Low-quality or restorable items
- Instruments labeled “restorable” or “affordable” often signal to buyers that the item is in poor condition or requires repair.
- Listings may have low visibility, minimal photos, or vague descriptions, which discourages buyers from bidding or purchasing.
Lack of condition reports
- High-end auctions usually include detailed condition reports; cheap instruments rarely do.
- Without clear information, buyers either bid lower to offset risk or skip the item entirely.
Market consequence
- As a result, such instruments sell for low prices or don’t sell at all.
- Even if an item is genuine, poor presentation, unclear attribution, or insufficient information heavily affects market performance.
Typical commissions can reach:
- 10–20% for the seller
- around 30% buyer’s premium
This means that the final price paid by the buyer may be significantly higher than the amount received by the seller.
High fees (or poor quality) do not attract buyers and sellers.
Complicate and expensive shipping
Mostly action houses operate by using third-party shipping companies. This makes it harder to manage, pack, and ship efficiently.
Third-party shipping costs – when items must be shipped from the seller’s location to the buyer, especially across borders in the EU, logistics can get very expensive. Customs paperwork, insurance, and courier fees can easily add thousands of euros for just a few items.
Practical implications:
Often, buyers pay more in shipping than the actual item’s value.
It can take weeks or even months for the items to arrive.
Some buyers choose to only bid on items they can pick up locally or from nearby sellers.
Our approach
We aim to make the process simpler and more transparent.
Our goal is to provide musicians and collectors with a fair and practical alternative.
What we offer
- We accept a wide range of instruments for sale.
- Estimates and reserve prices are discussed together with the seller.
- If we believe that small adjustments can increase the value of the instrument, we may perform basic preparation work at no additional cost.
For example, installing a standard setup such as:
- new pegs
- chinrest
- tailpiece
- bridge
does not require expensive materials and can often be completed quickly. Nevertheless, such work can sometimes be surprisingly costly in traditional workshops.
We also offer efficient and reasonably priced international shipping, which is not always available through other auction services.
Our fees
Our structure is simple:
- No commission for the seller.
- A 10% buyer’s premium.
This structure allows sellers to receive the full hammer price while maintaining competitive pricing for buyers.
Why our commission model is different
The market for fine string instruments has traditionally relied on commission structures developed many decades ago. In most established auction houses and sales platforms, both sellers and buyers pay significant fees as part of each transaction.
Institutions such as Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and specialist violin auction houses like Tarisio or Brompton’s typically apply commissions to both sides of the sale.
While this model has long been standard in the art and instrument market, it also creates a situation in which the final cost of an instrument may differ substantially from the amount received by the seller.
Our commission structure was designed to address this imbalance in a clear and transparent way.
A simpler and more transparent structure
Our approach is straightforward:
- Sellers pay no commission.
- Buyers pay a 10% buyer’s premium.
This structure allows sellers to receive the full hammer price of their instrument while maintaining a competitive total cost for buyers.
The result is a marketplace that aligns the interests of both parties more closely and simplifies the overall transaction process.
Why this matters for sellers
Our approach is straightforward:
- Sellers pay no commission.
- Buyers pay a 10% buyer’s premium.
This structure allows sellers to receive the full hammer price of their instrument while maintaining a competitive total cost for buyers.
The result is a marketplace that aligns the interests of both parties more closely and simplifies the overall transaction process.
Benefits for buyers
Buyers also benefit from a simplified fee structure.
In many auction environments, buyer’s premiums can exceed 25–30%, which substantially increases the final purchase price.
Our 10% buyer’s premium keeps the total cost more accessible while maintaining the professional standards expected in the international instrument market.
This encourages wider participation from musicians and collectors and helps create a more dynamic marketplace.
A balanced marketplace
By removing the seller’s commission and maintaining a modest buyer’s premium, we aim to create a structure that is balanced, transparent, and sustainable.
Our focus is not only on completing transactions, but on building long-term relationships with musicians, collectors, and instrument owners around the world.
Supporting the global instrument community
Fine string instruments circulate within a global community of performers, collectors, and institutions. A clear and fair commission model helps ensure that this market remains accessible and efficient for everyone involved.
Our goal is simple:
to provide a professional marketplace where instruments can be sold and acquired under conditions that are both transparent and fair.