How Much is a Stradivarius Worth?Excerpt from the "Treasures In Your Attic" syndicated column by Joe Rosson and Helaine Fendelman. Rosson and Fendelman are the authors of the popular reference book Price It Yourself! The Definitive, Down-to-earth Guide to Appraising Antiques and Collectibles in your Home, at Auctions, Estate Sales, Shops, and Yard Sales .
Even though no one is sure of the exact month and day, Antonio Stradivari is said to have been born in 1644. Some believe he might have learned his craft from Nicolo Amanti, but again, no one is sure and this detail is hotly contested.In any event, Stradivari set up his own shop in 1680 in the town of Cremona, Italy, as a "luthier"—or maker of stringed instruments. We tend to think of Stradivari as being a maker of violins, but he also created cellos, violas, guitars, mandolins, and there is even one extant example of a small harp (he is said to have made three). His earlier instruments (made from 1680 to 1700) are thought to be inferior to his later pieces, and the so-called "Golden Age" of Stradivari-made stringed instruments is said to be from 1700 to 1720 (he died on Dec. 18, 1737). Stradivari used spruce, willow and maple to make his pieces and he treated the wood with a variety of minerals including "bianca," which is a varnish composed of egg white, gum Arabic and honey. Over the years since the master made them, these instruments have developed so that they produce a superior tone that many have tried to emulate. Because of this superior tone and workmanship, musicians want to own a Stradivarius and they are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for examples made before 1700 and millions for those made during the 1700 to 1720 Golden Age. [However, there are violins bearing the Stradivarius name inside the instrument that are worth much less. These Stradivarius models] were probably made in Germany at the turn of the 20th century or even a bit later. Violins such as [these] were largely made for students to learn on, and besides the models with Stradivarius labels there are other examples that are named after famous early violin makers and have spurious paper labels with those names inside the body. These instuments are very common. There was a time when all genuine Stradivarius instruments were accounted for, but now we see that a few of them have been stolen and their whereabouts are currently unknown. So care should be taken if offered a violin with a Stradivarius label—it is either a fake, or if it is genuine, it might very well have been stolen. The value of "Stradivarius model" violins is generally in the vicinity of $300 or less if they are in relatively poor condition. The value can approach and slightly exceed $1,000 if the violin in question is in tiptop shape and can be played in a serious orchestra. |
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