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Our path…
It was a very normal day… A day that changed my life… And this is how it started…
I played violin for many years pursuing it as something representing music, beauty and art. All the costs involved in buying a violin, visits to violin doctors and parts for the violin were a part of my expenses, which I took in a very dogmatic way. However, everyone did the same so I followed. Why should I doubt things around me if all the people around believe in them? I remained “blind” and “enjoyed” my life in a very normal way, which….
suited me.
Northern Germany. Hannover. March 10th 1998. On this photo you can see the music store, which has shaken my understanding of the violin world to its core.
I entered the store carrying a black violin case in my hand and explained to a gentleman, who was supposed to be the owner or manager of the shop, that I would like to sell a violin belonging to a student of mine. It was an unlabelled master violin from the early 19th century made in the south of Germany.
This guy inspected this beautiful violin and after two minutes he hilariously announced: “I can give you 50 DM for this violin”.
Maybe this number was related to his age or he was just joking, but the fact is that 50 DM is the same as 25 Euros! For a second I felt offended and confused, since I don’t like people taking me for a fool. Then I realized, putting my emotions to one side, that I shouldn’t expect 3000 DM from this dealer as I planned and there is no reason for me to be upset. I forgot about the “business” and full of curiosity – why this ridiculous amount?!! – I started to ask this guy lots of “whys”???
Why are you offering me 50 DM when the strings alone on this violin cost more than that? Why are you offering me 50 DM when you are selling very similar violins for 5000 DM each in your shop? The only one explanation I got was: “I have 300 instruments like this in stock and I don’t really need more”.
For about one month I was very angry about this situation. People buy for nothing and sell for a fortune. Of course I was blind… blind again… This opinion was based on my emotions with some spices from my real world, but was to limited to understand this business from all its sides.
I wanted to do the same. Similar margins exist in the pharmaceutical industry, I heard. I was blindly seduced by my fantasies and started to look around.
That is the story of how I started working with violins and other bowed instruments.
Today, after a private education giving me some very interesting experience with over 6000 old bowed instruments from private collections, musicians, exhibitions, private sellers, dealers, auctions in Germany, France, UK, USA, Italy, China and Hong Kong, we work with many clients from all around the world dealing the demands such as:
People want to buy an Italian Violin from the late 17th century for 500$.
People want to sell their A.Stradivarius (made in Germany) for 8000$.
People want to buy a TOURTE bow for 300$.
People want to buy a H.Fagnola violin for 1000$.
These and many other requests are unrealistic. Modern luthiers in Germany can ask for 20000 Euro for their instrument and they can find a client for this. Is that true? Yes and no at the same time. Indeed that happens, but sellers sometimes wait for clients for many years.
We are very happy to be a part of this violin industry; though we don’t deal with high-class bowed instruments, we work in the lower segment of the market up to 100000$/instrument. Our focus is based on three branches:
Instruments for restoration
Instruments ready to play
Instruments for resale
The amounts don’t come to more than 100000 $.
Our first branch attracts many clients from Europe, USA and especially from Asia. The typical process of these clients is normally to buy an instrument for 1000$, then to restore it and finally to resell it for more than 10000$.
The second branch deals directly with musicians offering different types of sound according to budget and requests for instruments from a certain century and with a certain origin. Normally these clients save 50-90% on the price they would spend in a conventional store/luthier/etc.
The third branch is a very interesting branch. Great instruments, everything is perfect…but… we can’t find the right customer for them. Other people, normally dealers, find the right buyers and bring them to the end customers. Based on our experience they earn double the price or less, but in a very short time (around two weeks).
On this website we are trying to find some good hands for the listed items. We would be very pleased to hear your feedback and requests. It doesn’t matter where you are located – if you are on our planet, your instrument could be delivered to your door by tomorrow. You are about to play it, restore it, add to your collection, resell it for more money or just hang it on the wall in your room and enjoy it as a beautiful piece. Whatever your reasons, we are here to supply you with the right instrument for your purpose.