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Where can I sell my violin?  is a question I am often asked. So you have a violin sitting in your closet that you no longer use, and you’re thinking about selling it. Maybe you’ve upgraded to a better instrument, or perhaps life has taken you in a different direction. Whatever the reason, selling a violin can feel overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. Below are some steps and things to think about to get a fair price for it and fiind a buyer. Or watch the video

1. DETERMINING YOUR VIOLIN’S WORTH

The first question everyone asks is: “What’s my violin actually worth?” The answer depends largely on what type of instrument you have.

For Student Instruments: If you bought your violin as a beginner or for a student, it’s likely a factory-made instrument. These are wonderful for learning, but they typically have modest resale values. The best place to start is by checking the label inside your violin through the f-holes. Look for the brand or  maker’s name and any model information.

Once you’ve found the label, do some detective work. Google the maker’s name and model number along with terms like “violin price” or “violin value.” Check current listings on platforms like eBay, Reverb, or Facebook Marketplace to see what similar instruments are selling for – not just what people are asking, but what they’re actually sold for. This gives you a realistic baseline for your instrument’s market value. A note of caution if its sold by a supermarket chain its not really a violin  but a VSO

For Older Instruments: If you have an older violin – perhaps one that’s been in your family for generations or one you acquired from an estate – things get more complex. Age alone doesn’t guarantee value, but older instruments sometimes have characteristics that make them more desirable. Labels in older violins can be deceiving, as many factory instruments copied the labels of famous makers. If you suspect your violin might be valuable, it’s worth getting a professional appraisal from a luthier or violin dealer before you sell.

I have done a video earlier on determining the value of you violin so have a look at the link up above

2. UNDERSTANDING RESALE VALUE

Here’s the reality check that many sellers need: your violin isn’t worth what you paid for it, especially if it was purchased new.

The general rule of thumb is that once a violin walks out of the shop, it’s immediately worth about two-thirds of what you paid. Think of it like buying a new car – there’s instant depreciation.

But that’s assuming your violin is in excellent condition. Be honest about its current state:

• Are there scratches, chips, or cracks in the varnish?
• Are the strings old, worn, or false (meaning they produce a fuzzy or unclear tone)?
• Are the pegs sticky or slipping, making it difficult to tune?
• Is the bridge warping, leaning, or in the wrong position?
• What’s the condition of the bow? Is the hair fresh, or is it worn and discolored?
• What about the case? Is it sturdy and protective, or scruffy and falling apart?

Each of these issues reduces your asking price. Buyers will factor in the cost and hassle of making these repairs or replacements when they make you an offer. See my article How much is my violin worth?

Selling to a Shop or Reseller: If you’re considering selling to a violin shop or a reseller, you need to understand the economics from their perspective. Wholesale pricing for instruments typically runs between 50% to 67% of retail value. That means if your violin would sell in a shop for $1,000, the shop would pay wholesale somewhere between $500 and $670 for it and do some work on it as well. So if they want to buy secondhand the offer is substantially lower again.

Why such a big difference? Shops have real costs:

• They/we need to refit components – new strings, bridge adjustments, soundpost setting, peg work to maintain the shops quality and brand reputation
• They provide warranties and guarantees to their customers and pay taxes like GST/VAT
• They have holding costs – rent, utilities, insurance while your violin sits in inventory
• They’re taking the risk that your instrument is in the condition it appears to be , will sell and also can only sell it for a secondhand price

Understanding these economics helps you set realistic expectations and decide whether selling privately or to a shop makes more sense for your situation.

3. HOW TO SELL PRIVATELY

If you’ve decided to sell privately to get a better return, here’s how to maximise your chances of success:

Leverage Your Networks: Start close to home. If your violin came from a school music program, check if the school has a Facebook group or parent community page where you can list it. Many families are looking for affordable instruments for their children, and you’re reaching people who already understand the value of what you’re offering and buying from someone in their tribe also has a higher trust factor.

Use Local Community Platforms: Post your violin on local selling platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree (if you’re in Australia or the UK), Craigslist, or Nextdoor. These platforms connect you with buyers in your area who can see and try the instrument before purchasing. Local sales also eliminate shipping costs, which can be significant for a delicate instrument like a violin.

Build Trust as a Seller: Your reputation matters enormously when selling a musical instrument. Here are ways to establish trust with potential buyers:

• Can you play the violin? Even a simple tune demonstrates that the instrument works and sounds good. Consider recording a short video of you (or someone) playing it.
• Do you have receipts or documentation from the original purchase? This proves provenance and gives buyers confidence about what they’re getting.
• Be transparent about the instrument’s condition – both its strengths and its flaws. Honesty builds trust and prevents disappointed buyers or returns (you don’t have to offer a return of course, but it builds trust).

Consider Professional Preparation: Here’s a pro tip that can significantly increase your sale price and speed: consider getting your violin serviced and valued by a professional luthier before listing it for sale. Yes, this costs money upfront, but it pays dividends:

• A fresh setup with new strings, proper bridge adjustment, and well-fitted pegs makes your violin play beautifully during trials
• A written valuation or even a recent receipt from a professional gives buyers confidence in your asking price
• You can document the instrument’s condition, which protects both you and the buyer
• Buyers feel more at ease purchasing an instrument that’s been recently checked by a professional

The cost of a basic setup (usually $80-$150) can often be more than recouped in a quicker sale and a higher selling price.

CONCLUSION

Selling your violin doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require realistic expectations and honest presentation. Whether you sell privately for a better return or to a shop for convenience, understanding your instrument’s true value and condition is the key to a successful sale.

Happy selling, and may your violin find a new home where it will be loved and played!

As Brisbanes population has continued to grow , so have the numbers of its  bowed string players and ecosystem as well, we continue to have a short fall of luthiers (see becoming a luthier). I suspect this is a combination of various barriers to entry, attractiveness and opportunity.

1. Finding a path to gain skills

Traditionally luthier-ing has been something of a closed trade (much like electricians) where you have to be born into i,  taught father to son (mother to son, mother to daughter etc) . An unkind interpretation is a luthier may not want to give away their trade secrets to a future competitor. I suspect though the truth is more mundane than that  – it takes a while to gain the necessary skills to be useful, and not many people want to sit around in a workshop acquiring skills with little to no financial return on their time for extended periods of time. 

2. Orientation

Next up is the orientation to become a luthier, it’s mostly an intersect of someone that likes music and has the mechanical affinity to work with wood. Apparently not a common intersection, let alone time to gain reasonable competence in both areas.

3. Attractiveness

In todays society, it’s not particularly high status, nor particularly financially rewarding. Although the intrinsic satisfaction is often high, and it beats driving a cash register hands down 😉 Further with many instruments being made in China, competing with that cost of labour to make and sell instruments is very difficult for all but the most skilled…who have spent years invested in developing and honing their skills. more accessible is Luthier setup and repair work,  which is more of a grind with less attractiveness perhaps. 

4. Having a workshop

Luthiers need a workshop, initially one bench can get you going but before long you need more. To be cost effective and efficient specialty tools and workshop power tools (bandsaw, drill press, sanding stations, dust extraction) help with operational efficiency. While you will find these embedded in the larger music and specialty string stores, setting this up yourself requires space and financial resources. Almost certainly you need to be a home owner so you don’t need to move. (Shout out to Ilya though whose built his workshop into a truck..very cool)

5. Instruments to work on (customer acquisition).

If you find work in a music shop this isn’t such an issue there are customers on tap. Stringers (string players) can tend to be a parochial bunch and hyper competitive, and it washes into many areas of the strings community.  Building a reputation as a luthier takes time, where it’s not just the customer to be won over (even when they won’t balk to spend hundreds on sports shoes), but also critical stakeholders like teachers who control what brands are acceptable and whom to see.  Adding then the orientation and ability to be able to promote ones self (as well as the mechanical and musical skills) is a further barrier entry.

Opportunities for entry

Luthier setup and repair work though is chiefly where the new entrant opportunities lie, particularly at the student end of the market with there is a large volume of work and the path to competency is much shorter. From here skills can grow over time, whilst earning an income and usher in a deeper dive opportunity. 

So where is this leaving Brisbane in 2025?

Speciality string and some music shops have a regular cycling through of luthiers, sometimes apprenticed to a head luthier thats been there a long time. Aside from our independent makers, currently in Brisbanes shops we have a mix of traditionally trained and others that have moved into the profession, after careers in working with wood. Here informal apprenticeship opportunities await on the path to becoming a violin luthier, after the grind of setting up student instruments is mastered. 

From this point more than a few have dipped into a European apprenticeship/ higher learning institutions, sought out Australian makers to learn specific skills or toiled in their evenings. 

The interweb here also has a role to play with online learning, through courses and there are plenty of how to youtube videos. Online learning though has its pitfalls and is no substitute for face to face learning (this is certainly what I found teaching in mixed modes as engineering academic), an youtube is certainly highly variable in content. Im certainly fortunate to have a teacher and a network of luthiers to draw on as i progress in my journey

Bow rehairing a case in point

Rehairing a bow is an example of a specialty luthier  task which while a specialist can command up to $300 to rehair a bow , its out of reach of many string player budgets and a skill in growing demand as more experienced luthiers slip away to retirement. Given rehairing takes significant instruction and something like 100 rehairs to gain reasonable competence, it’s a significant barrier to entry for anyone that might like to learn it. Learning involves finding a teacher to learn from  and then to do lots of rehairs before you are ready to take on a customers bow.

It’s a significant investment of time, around $10, 000 in lost wages is the opportunity cost I reckon . For my own part this is something I’ve invested the time in, though a teacher and working on discarded student bows that grow like weeds in my workshop  in my spare time. These I was able to on sell to recoup some of the investment of my time too. With the kindness of many in the strings community to “give me a go” I’m well on the path to competence …but that just my story. Where will Brisbane’s next bow rehairer come from? And its somewhat desperate times with 2 of our big strings shops outsourcing their rehairing and our resident makers flat out with extended wait times just working on their own instruments..

For my own part I am grateful to my teacher David Brown, the invitation by Dietrich to spend time in his workshop under the supervision of David Clark,  the Sydney Strings Centre for guidance and supply of materials needed along the way. Thankyou also to Australia’s wholesalers and the informal luthier community of Brisbane and beyond as well.

Occasionally, I’m asked about left-handed violins. Yes, you can get them—but no, I don’t recommend it unless you absolutely have to.

A left-handed violin is much more than simply tucking the instrument under the other chin and swapping the chinrest. The entire geometry of the violin is set up for right-handed playing. At a surface level, the string order needs to be reversed, the bridge reshaped with the lower side on the opposite end, and the slight fingerboard tilt adjusted as well. This also means the pegs in the pegbox must be rearranged. Strings are manufactured with lengths designed for the peg order G, D, A, E (from closest to furthest away from the fingerboard). For example, a D string usually won’t reach the A peg, so they must be swapped around. Since pegs are tapered, there’s a good chance some peg holes will need to be bushed and re-drilled to fit properly.

Inside the violin, under the G-string side of the bridge foot, is the bass bar—a fitted, carved piece of spruce about 15 cm long that supports the top. To convert to a left-handed setup, this would need to be removed and a new one fitted on the opposite side. In other words, converting a standard violin to left-handed requires a lot of work, which is why so few are made.

There are also practical reasons against it. The violin is an orchestral instrument, and in an orchestra, your violin faces the audience with bows moving in the same direction. A left-handed player moving their bow the opposite way simply doesn’t work—it’s a bit like asking a ballerina to perform the reverse choreography in Swan Lake just because they’re left-handed.

Then there’s the health and safety challenge (and where “One-Eyed Bob” got his nickname): seating left- and right-handed violinists side by side could mean someone loses an eye midway through a Brandenburg Concerto if you’re not careful.

Being somewhat ambidextrous myself, I actually think playing the violin the conventional way puts your best hand in charge of intonation—which can’t be a bad thing, even if bowing feels a bit awkward at first.

My advice: stick with it for six months. If you still want to switch (and you’re not aiming to play in a big symphony orchestra), then maybe a left-handed violin is an option. Just bear in mind it’s likely to be a special order wherever you go(yes I can source them), and your selection will be quite limited.

Good friend — and guitar luthier to the stars — Dwight of DRW Guitars, once said, “Come by my workshop, I’ve got something interesting to show you.” And boy, he wasn’t kidding. Sitting there was a guitar bowed like a cello, unfortunately with a cracked top. It turned out to be an early prototype of a GuitarViol made by TogaMan, who has since become a legendary maker of this instrument.

The instrument is strung like a low guitar but had a neck projection reminiscent of a cello, clearly influenced by arpeggione and other classical bowed instruments, which carried lower tension strings, and a reduced neck projection.

Inside , and inside the body were Baroque-style images and a dedication from the maker: “To God be the Glory.” Beautifully made, it was both striking to look at and modern in some design aspects — strung with Helicore cello strings.

This early version had been gifted to Brian from a film director. Brian is a film score composer and performer extraordinaire (check out his filmography). Despite its beauty, the instrument bore the structural DNA of a guitar. It had a mostly flat top, though with a bass bar and soundpost beneath. Over time, the tension of six strings across a raised bridge caused the bass bar to crack and the top to deform badly.

The first repair — beefing up the bass bar and reinforcing the soundpost area with a patch — lasted about a year. It worked reasonably well, but the stresses were immense. Though the reinforcements held, the top plate began to splinter and separate. Conversations with TogaMan himself confirmed that this was a known challenge with the early models. After much trial and error, he had moved on to hybrid laminated tops made of balsa, spruce, and hemp.

Unfortunately, with his workshop located across the Pacific and his schedule packed, sending the instrument back for a replacement top wasn’t realistic. That’s when it landed back in my workshop. My task: to build a new top that honored the spirit of the original while standing the test of time — and, crucially, sounding good.

The challenges were many. A high neck projection exerts tremendous static force through the bridge, but the top still needs to vibrate freely to produce tone. On top of that, the original bridge had dug deeply into the top. My first stop was research: arpeggiones and six-string cellos. I studied their top plate construction and thicknesses, then developed arching and plate templates strong enough to handle six steel-core strings. To spread the load, I widened the bridge feet for more surface contact and less chance of indenting.

Work began with a carving table. I quickly made an MDF prototype top to check proportions, visual aesthetics, and bridge placement. Should the edges echo the roll-off of an arpeggione? A guitar edge? Or perhaps the S-shaped curves of bowed strings? The design had to balance tone, structure, and Brian’s preferences. From there, I refined the arching templates and plate thickness profiles before carving, tuning, and finishing the new top.

The instrument eventually came together — admittedly taking a little longer than Brian had hoped. But I wanted to get it right. After finishing it, he  took it away for a few months to let the new top settle, play it in and to get acquainted with its voice. At first, it didn’t speak loudly, but after some fine-tuning back in the workshop (and a colour change), it began to open up beautifully. Along the way we also explored bow choice, rosin, and pickup placement, all part of shaping its character – and a colour change.

I’m deeply grateful to Brian for trusting me with this project. It was equal parts challenge and joy. The sound samples are promising, and I’m looking forward to hearing this instrument in some upcoming A-list films.

Feedback from Brian

At first I was super apprehensive to go down the road of replacing the top, Dan was always transparent with me, giving me no guarantees of the final result.

The instrument holds incredible sentimental value and I was worried I’d end up with a trophy hanging on my studio wall rather than a powerful composition tool. 

When I first took it home I was gutted, it was such a change and not for the better, I became obsessed in making sure it was still useful through my guitar FX board with a pickup. 

After a couple of months of constantly playing it to help it settle in, something happened, It came to life acoustically. I think it just needed time for Dan’s craftsmanship to settle in. 

It’s now back in full action and has made its way onto my current  film score, The Beast In Me starring Russle Crow, couldn’t be happier! 

Brian Cachia

A big thank you also to my teacher, David Brown and other luthier friends, for his guidance, and to the Sydney Strings Centre for consulting on/supplying the timber that made this build possible.