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jonathan inspecting violin

Valuations & Appraisals

Certified Appraisal, Trustworthy Valuation

Appraisers Association Logo

Appraisers Association of America

Jonathan is a Certified Member of the Appraisers Association of America, the highest level of accreditation. This certification requires:

  • A minimum 10 years of significant appraisal

  • Related connoisseurship

  • Marketplace experience.  

Written appraisals conform to USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice).

 

He is one of only three Certified Appraisers in this field globally and has the added benefit of direct marketplace experience.

Find Your Perfect Instrument

Start your journey towards the instrument that best suit you and your needs.

Appraisal Process

Written appraisals require a direct, physical examination of the articles being valued.  Fee based appraisal work shall be discussed and agreed upon before any work is performed.  There is a $100 fee per item for photographing the articles included in the report(s).


If you are curious as to whether your instrument warrants further investigation, we encourage you to submit your photographs, which we would be happy to have a look at free of charge.
 

Submit Your Instrument for Appraisal

Step 1: Photos of the Instrument

Take color photographs of the item you wish to have appraised, preferably in natural light and against a plain white or grey background.


Photographs of instruments should show:

  • The back of the instrument (excluding the neck and head)

  • The front of the instrument (excluding the neck and head)

  • The instrument’s scroll from the side

  • Please ensure photographs are sent the correct way up


See examples below (scroll down).


Photographs of bows should show:

  • The frog of the bow from the side

  • The tip of the bow from the side


See examples below (scroll down).

How to Take Photos of Instrument

Photographs of instruments should show:

  • The back of the instrument (excluding the neck and head)

  • The front of the instrument (excluding the neck and head)

  • The instrument’s scroll from the side

  • Please ensure photographs are sent the correct way up

SErvices & Pricing

Retail Replacement Value

The most commonly requested type of appraisal, often referred to as an “Insurance Appraisal”, this summary valuation takes into account the retail replacement value of the instrument and/or bow in the current retail marketplace and are good for a three to five-year term.

Cost

  • $350/first item

  • $100/every subsequent item up to three items total

  • Any additional items will be billed at $175/hr. thereafter.

Fair Market Value – Estate/Charitable Donation

Appraisals for this purpose are highly specialized documents required for use by the Internal Revenue Service, requiring specialized forms to be completed in addition to the USPAP compliant Appraisal Report.  The IRS will not accept a non-USPAP compliant report from an appraiser that isn’t USPAP certified for this purpose.

Cost

  • $1,000/per item up to three items total

  • Any additional items will be billed at $175/hr. thereafter.

Featured instruments

Scroll right for more 

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Violin by Giovanni & Carlo Tononi

ex. 'Mussolini'

Bologna

c. 1700-10

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Violin by Nicola Bergonzi

Cremona

c. 1790

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Violin by Giovanni Battista Grancino

Milan

c. 1700-05

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Violin by Luiz Amorim

copy of Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu ‘Ole Bull’

Curitiba

2017

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Violin Bow by Nikolai Kittel

St. Petersburg

c. 1860-68

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Cello Bow by Nicolas Remy Maire, Paris c. 1850

Paris

c. 1850

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Violin Bow attributed to Pierre Sirjean

ex. “Paganini”

Paris

c. 1820

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Matched Quartet of Bows by Howard Green

Fife

2024

A Violin by Leandro Bisiach

A Viola Bow by Brian Alvey for W. E. Hill & Sons

London

c.1975

How to Take Photos of Bows

Photographs of bows should show:

  • The frog of the bow from the side

  • The tip of the bow from the side

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