Monday, November 29, 2010

Stradivarius Violin - How Do I Know If This Label is Real?

Introduction
Working at a prestigious stringed instrument shop for over three years I definitely got my share of questions about people wondering if they actually own a Stradivarius violin. If you didn't already know, Stradivarius violins are the most valuable violins in the World that were made by the Stradivari violin family in the 1700's. Under a thousand of these instruments were actually made and there are only a few hundred that are actually claimed to exist in the World today. These violins are valued at anywhere from 1-4 million dollars depending on a variety of variables.

Why is this a Common Question?
So why do so many people believe they own one of these rare collectibles that are worth so much money? Back in the late 1800's, a German factory decided to mass produce violins by the thousands. These violins which are now called "Strad Copies" are great sounding instruments now because of their age and were made to portray an actual Stradivarius violin by having an exact replica of a Strad Label. These particular violins look very aged and can easily be mistaken by anybody to be an original Stradivarius violin. Without having the proper training of violin appraiser, it is very common for people to look at this label and believe they actually own one of these million dollar violins.

So how do I know for Sure?
To know for sure if you actually own a Stradivarius is to visit a violin shop that specializes in appraising violins. These people have the experience at looking at many different variables to see if a violin is an original or not and how much they believe the violin is worth. Even if your violin is not an original Stradivarius does not mean that the violin isn't worth a good amount of money. Some of these Strad Copies can range anywhere from $1,500-$3,000 depending on its year of origin, wood quality and condition.

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