There is, in the National Archives of the French Republic, a document of exceptional interest for the history of the violin trade: the inventory of musical instruments seized by the revolutionaries in Paris in 1792. 1792 was the apex of the French Revolution, the year of its desperate fight to survive on a path to […]
Great Expectations in the String Instrument Trade? A Matter of Margins and Guarantees
SpringConsumers are frequently shocked by gross profit margins that are normal for retailers. A downtown department store buys a pair of socks from an overseas factory for 15% of the eventual full retail sales price. Your local specialty coffee shop pays less than 25% of the retail price for its coffee and the big chains […]
Anatomy of an Appraisal
WinterConsumers want answers. They want them fast and they want the answers to be clear and simple. The string instrument business, and particularly the authentication and inextricably linked appraisal process are often difficult to understand. Many would-be retail buyers and sellers of fine string instruments find the issues around the appraisal process opaque and frustrating. […]
A Violin by George Gemunder With Original Bill of Sale
Fall
The Arensberg Gemunder violin, complete with receipt from the firm of George Kappel, Pittsburgh, June 2, 1890 is a rare example of unbroken provenance for a fine art object. We can presume that the 1890 sale of this Gemunder in Pittsburgh was the first retail sale of this violin with a label dated 1889. How […]
How to Sell a Violin
Fall
Much has been written in Soundpost Online about the realities of shopping for fine string instruments. One of the main problems with buying a valuable string instrument is the difficulty one faces in reselling them. Obviously anyone in possession of a fine string instrument for sale needs to develop a de-acquisition strategy, but would-be buyers […]
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