Doublestop Magazine

“500 times its weight in gold”

Spiegel Online has an interesting, if standard-issue, article about the high-end violin trade, “Fiddling the Stradivarius Market.” While a good chunk of the article is an overview of why the Cremonese masters are so highly sought after, the beginning and end of the piece covers the slightly shady world of the dealers who play in this realm.

The violin trade, says Hargrave, has over the years “become an absolute jungle,” he says. “It stinks from top to bottom.” The only consolation, he adds, is that it’s “no dirtier than the trade in carpets or antiques.”

(via the Corner Violin Shop)