How to Buy a Violin
Reuter's Consumer Report on Stringed Instruments and Bows
Copyright© Fritz Reuter and Sons, Inc. 1971, 1996-2000, 2006 All rights reserved

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Chapter 9. Certificates of Condition

To repeat, a certificate is written testimony to the truth of a fact or facts. Since the price of a violin or bow is determined by two basic components -- authenticity and condition -- certificates witnessing to both are essential for insurance and re-sale purposes, especially when we are dealing with high priced items. The general value of a certificate of condition derives from both the professional and ethical standing of a violin maker and restorer, on the one hand, and, on the other, from the signer's authority. Together, these determine the force and value of a given certificate of condition.
It is, therefore, important -- if a certificate of condition is to be taken seriously -- that it be signed by:

1. A member of an establishment representing generations of violin makers / dealers, and of high international repute; certificates bearing the signature of such a person are accorded the highest authoritative value.

2. A member of the International Society of Master Violin and Bow Makers, or a member of a national association of Master Violin and Bow Makers; certificates from such individuals have authoritative value.

Certificates issued by others carry little authoritative value, if any.
Specific points of value:

1. Age of the certificate. The older the certificate, the greater the probability that the description of an instrument's general physical condition demands review. Any depreciating factors -- whether caused by unethical alterations (e.g., re-graduation), accidents, or normal wear and tear -- must be newly assessed. Terms common in certificates ("mint," "in functional condition," and so on) may have been accurate at the time of certification. But that does not tell us much about the particular violin as it is, today.

2. Wording of the certificate. Being a document, a certificate of condition should be read with care. What the certificate does not say may be even more important than what it does attest to.

Most importantly, depreciations should be assessed and described in accord with established depreciation schedules and methods.

3. Photos and drawings attached to the certificate. The more valuable the violin or bow, the greater the need for attached photos or drawings which show repair and/or restoration details.

Advice to the buyer: Unlike a certificate of authenticity, a certificate of condition -- for either a violin or bow -- is comparable to a health certificate for an individual. But like a certificate of authenticity, a certificate of condition does not provide a monetary valuation or state a price.
What neither certificate alone can do, the two -- when combined and used by a knowledgeable maker-restorer -- can in fact accomplish. In his role as appraiser, he will use them together -- in conjunction with his direct examination of the violin in question -- to create a Certificate of Appraisal. The Certificate of Appraisal will assign a monetary value to the instrument or bow.

For instruments (bows, too) with high artistic and/or collector's value, an honorable violin maker and dealer will issue all three certificates to the buyer.

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