
Occasionally we see inventory from other shops, often trial instruments or bows that customers bring in for comparison. We want to help call attention to things for you (as the shopper) to consider to ensure these often expensive instruments and bows are legitimate and worth the price tag.
The bow pictured above is an entry-level brazilwood violin bow stamped “Nurnberger” that would correctly retail for around $300. Whether it’s from a lack of knowledge or purely unscrupulous behavior, it was being sold as a legitimate Nurnberger, and for $5,000 by another shop.
Things are not always as they seem: there are very few name brands in fine violins/bows, and some things can be intentionally or unintentionally misrepresented, so it’s very important for buyers to vet their purchases.
With the prevalence of situations like this, we feel that we should take a minute to talk about how to know if a shop is trustworthy or not. How can you know if your shop has the appropriate level of expertise and experience? If you’re new to a town and don’t have your trusted luthier friend around, what can you do to vet the local shops?
This is why it’s nice to have a peer-reviewed organization like the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers (AFVBM) to search for reputable shops and makers that have gone through a very thorough vetting process to be accepted in to the Federation.
Their website has a great search function that you can find HERE.
Denver Violins is proud to say that both Evan and Eddy are vetted members of the AFVBM.
There are, of course, excellent makers who are either not yet eligible for membership in the AFVBM (as they have been making for less than nine years, or are under the age of 30), or who for some reason or another have not applied to be a part of this organization, so for folks like this, it’s always nice to ask a trusted friend or colleague.

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