Vichy Auctions

For a number of years, I have been attending the string instrument auctions held in Vichy, France by Vichy Encheres. I’ve written elsewhere on this blog about auctions – how they work, their benefits and dangers, and their role in the economy of the violin business. What I want to do in this post is point out something interesting and unique about the Vichy auctions.

Over the last three years, Vichy has held auctions dedicated to the sale of the collection of the late, great bow expert Bernard Millant. The auction of his personal collection is always sandwiched between two other auctions, one of lower priced instruments and one of “quality” instruments and bows. The result is a three-day auction extravaganza, filled with dealers from around the world crowding around long tables filled with bows and examining walls and walls of instruments. The experience can be exhausting. The sheer volume is overwhelming – the room filled with people with back to back days of auctions running four or more hours. One thing is clear: this has been a very successful enterprise. The popularity of the auction is extraordinary and must be extremely profitable.

The auction is very friendly and well run while the town of Vichy is charming. I have mentioned before that the listing descriptions, especially for bows are the best I’ve seen in the business in their accuracy and technical descriptions. The auction is run by the competent and professional Vichy Encheres staff and by a group of the acknowledged foremost French experts on instruments and bows.

Most auction houses have in-house managers who run the auction. They do the hard work of taking in consignments, creating estimates and damage reports, and crafting lot descriptions. The interesting thing is that these fine people are usually NOT the world’s leading experts in the field, as knowledgeable as they may be. They are usually not craftsmen or makers. They do not write certificates of authenticity. This fact is one of the attractions for dealers – perhaps they see something that the auctioneer missed, maybe they can find a hidden gem or a great deal. This same reality presents one of the greatest dangers for uniformed buyers or players. Most auctions are a buyer beware environment. Read the fine print. The listings are never presented as concrete fact, but are presented as non-binding opinions.

Tarisio, with offices in London and New York, really pioneered the effort to bring auctions directly to musicians, doing an end-run around dealers and shops. They have done so with great success. Many instruments and bows in their auctions sell at high or low retail prices. Because most dealers and shops usually offer certificates (usually written by others) or at least stand behind the instruments they sell, Tarisio offered something unique in the auction field: if you bought an item that subsequently came into question as to its authenticity, Tarisio would have independent experts who write certificates look at the item. If these experts decide not to certify the bow or instrument, Tarisio would take it back. At least one of my clients went through this procedure with several bows. I have also written about this in other posts.

So, what is unique about Vichy? Although I can find no official mention of this policy on their website or other promotional literature, and I don’t have the “fine print” of the policy, they offer certificates on every bow they sell. The certificates come from none other than Raffin and his associates – who, after the passing of Millant, are now considered the world’s foremost experts on French bows. They also oversee the bow portion of the auctions. They are available to answer questions during the viewings and actually take part in the auctions themselves, reading the item descriptions as the auctioneer manages the bids. The last astounding fact is that the certificates are free of charge – included in the purchase price of the bow. Simply send them your receipt and they will send you the certificate.

In a market where questions of authenticity play a central role in pricing and where most shop owners and dealers are not necessarily experts at identification, there is heavy demand for and a reliance on certificates of authenticity. This is the brilliance of the Vichy Encheres economic model. They supply mountains of vintage French violins and bows of every quality and description to a global market that craves their industry certified product. It is unique and unprecedented.

So, why don’t more musicians take advantage of this opportunity? The prices at Vichy are wholesale and represent a great deal compared to shops and fancy dealers. There are excellent French instruments and bows available at every auction. There are several problems for musicians, however. First, you must travel to France. Secondly, as with every auction, you may not win the item you want – one must always be prepared for this fact at an auction and maintain bidding discipline. Thirdly, Vichy Encheres, while it treats musicians superbly, is not really set up as a player’s auction. Many of the instruments and bows are not set up to play and you only have a short time to test and play them if they are playable. The number of items on display can be too much to handle. The conditions for testing the bow or instrument you might be interested in are not ideal – in the middle of a cavernous rooms filled with middle aged men jostling for access.

So, there you have it. Vichy Encheres in Vichy France represents one of the most unique auctions in the world. I hope this article has given you some insight to the world of violin auctions and will help you, whether shop owner or musician.

NOTE:  Regarding instruments, the auction is overseen by Rampal, but I do not at the time of this writing, have confirmation that he supplies certificates free of charge as well, although I can only assume that this is the fact.

UPDATE: I understand that free certification for violins and bows is available only at the auctions where the experts actually attend – in other words, the sales of “quality” instruments and bows.

If you want more information on auctions, please read some of my older posts on the auctions, expertise and certificates:

https://swansonbows.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/on-auctions/

https://swansonbows.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/on-experts-and-expertise/

https://swansonbows.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/on-certificates/

https://swansonbows.wordpress.com/2014/08/20/j-a-beare-starting-online-auction/

https://swansonbows.wordpress.com/2016/09/22/the-craft-of-the-connoisseur/

https://swansonbows.wordpress.com/2016/11/04/state-of-the-market-preview/

https://swansonbows.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/vichy-auction-report-2017/

Buying an Expensive Violin that Needs Work and the Challenges of the Violin Market

 

 

Please listen to this warning.  If you are exhausted from playing an instrument that doesn’t suit you or that you feel is holding you back, don’t buy something that will only cause you more problems.   The potentially long-lasting consequences will impact your music making and finances, not to mention your self-esteem and ability to trust others.

Sometimes musicians, after a long and exhausting search, find an instrument that somehow just fits and feels right.  Oftentimes, players deal exclusively with a shop, expert or teacher they have known and trusted for years.  Finding something that speaks to the artist within you is an amazing experience and working closely with someone that you trust is extraordinarily smart.  However, this doesn’t mean there won’t be problems.   In this article I will describe the general roots of some of these problems and then focus in on one specific issue, that of expensive instruments that need repair.

Please understand that there is a difference between being a craftsman or teacher and a businessman.   There is a distinction between technical ability and market knowledge.  One can be knowledgeable at their craft, but not so steady when it comes to the tricky business of buying and selling instruments.

For self-employed luthiers working on their own, especially in major cities, the amount of income a single worker can generate from repairs, adjustments and restorations is limited to the number of hours in the day.   A lone shop owner can only get so much work done.  When a luthier becomes so successful that he or she can’t take on any more work, they have reached a kind of glass ceiling of income production.  Their only options are to hire employees and expand the business or raise prices to keep up with the cost of living.

Sales of instruments and bows is where most of the money is to be made in this field.  Some luthiers manage to keep a low overhead even in expensive urban areas and get by on high-volume work like rehairs or do upper end restorations and adjustments for big prices.  These are the rare exceptions unfortunately. Nothing is more profitable than sales.  Many shop owners have made the transition from craftsman to salesman, for better or for worse.

The financial pressure for small businesses, especially those in big American cities has continued to increase wildly.  Where there is financial pressure, there are sure to be those who succumb and cut corners when they could easily be more careful.  This includes trusted luthiers, especially those who were never great at the business side of our field.

All this can also be said of professors and players who get involved in finding instruments for students.  Its one thing to be an amazing violinist with a leading orchestra or a leading pedagogue at a major music school and another being an expert on violins and bows.  The violin market is complex and difficult to comprehend, and technical issues related to these music making tools are often unknown to even the most accomplished musicians.  Professional musicians and teachers are subject to the same financial pressures as the rest of us and are open to the same temptations.  Many have not adequately considered their important role in helping students find instruments. On the two extreme sides of the spectrum are those who use their power to corruptly make money from commissions, pushing students to buy expensive items, and those who regard the entire thing as dirty and just refuse to participate, leaving students and families in a very vulnerable position.  Both do a serious disservice to their students.  A teacher’s guidance in finding the right violin or bow is indispensable and valuable.

This brings to me the main practical point of this article.  Sometimes you find the perfect thing in a shop, either on your own or with the help of a teacher, but it costs more than you initially wanted to pay AND it needs a repair done to it.  How to best handle this situation?  First, assure yourself as much as possible as to the correctness of attribution (see my other essays) and do serious research into pricing.  Yes, take advice from those you trust and get second opinions, but be independent and rely on your own judgement in the end.  Once you’ve decided that the price is in a reasonable range and that the instrument has a good certificate, you must assess the condition.  When you buy a house, an inspection is made.  After seeing the results of the inspection one can lower their offer or ask that certain repairs be made prior to a re-inspection and a sale.  Many violins cost the equivalent of a home, so why not follow the same procedure?

Buying a high-priced instrument from someone you have come to trust over the years with a promise to fix whatever pre-existing technical problem sounds reasonable.  In fact, this can work out just fine.  However, what if it doesn’t?  Let me say here that its ok to sell instruments that haven’t been fully restored if they are structurally solid, the condition issues fully revealed, AND the price adjusted downwards. This approach can work with less expensive examples and can represent a great deal for cash strapped players.  Later as they earn more money, they can fix whatever outstanding issues that may exist.  But what if the problem is not exactly one of condition but of technical correctness?  What if the neck is too long or too low for example?  These issues seriously affect playability and tone.   When a neck is too long or short it can be difficult to find the notes.  With a seriously incorrect neck angle the instrument and be sluggish or too nervous.  The problem here is that a neck-set is very expensive, costing multiple thousands of dollars.

I suggest that you do not buy an expensive instrument that needs something as important as a neck set.  There is a difference between cosmetic work or small repairs and major structural issues related to proper set up and playability.  If you are indeed paying top dollar, stipulate that you will buy the instrument on the condition that a competent repair is performed BEFORE you pay.  If you must have the instrument in your hands before the repair can be done, get the promised repair outlined in writing.  Make sure the exact nature of the repair is described, the fact that it will be done free of charge clearly stated, and that a definite timeline for the repair to be completed is included.

Trust is important, but so is your hard-earned money.  I know so many musicians that have had trust betrayed by shops, teachers, and colleagues.  This is life – sometimes the worst betrayals come from those we hold closest.  Don’t forget that buying the tools which you use to make your art is a spiritual, but also practical, journey.  Always protect yourself but keep an open heart.  Good luck out there.

 

PLAYERS: Don’t overpay for damaged goods and realize your money has power.  Use this power to protect your interests by making reasonable demands BEFORE you pay.  Resist the pressure to buy.  In order to properly judge an instrument, technical issues such as neck and stop length, projection, and proper set-up need to be within an acceptable range.  If you must have the instrument, get agreements in writing and do your research.   Don’t spend tons of your money on faulty goods, you will regret it and it will hurt in more ways than one.

DEALERS/LUTHIERS:  Consider NOT selling items that have not been fully restored or haven’t been properly set up and have don’t have good measurements.  This will protect you and your clients.  In cases where you are selling a compromised item be clear and adjust the price accordingly.  Don’t let financial need cloud your morals or judgment.   When you screw your clients, even unintentionally, you screw yourself too.

TEACHERS: You don’t know everything that a luthier or dealer might know, but you do know music and music making.  Your time is valuable because of your expertise.  Consider your role in instrument buying and how you want to interact with this service, financially and emotionally.  Whether you do it for free, charge students for your time or take a commission, just be involved honestly and earnestly – don’t let greed or disgust get in the way of the very sacred duty a teacher has to his or her student.  Don’t abuse that trust through indifference or exploitation.

When a Certificate of Authenticity is not Enough

Please see a previous article on the dangers of bow handle grafts at:

http://www.swansonbows.com/danger-grafts-on-bows/

An interesting case presented itself recently that holds some important lessons for musicians and shop owners. I’m sharing this information with you so it will help you when shopping for or selling a bow.

A violin bow was purchased by a player from a shop. This bow was purported to made by a famous French maker of the Nineteenth Century and came with a certificate of authenticity from a well-known bow expert. The cert stated that the bow was made by the maker and was completely original. The bow was purchased for a sizable sum.

At some point the bow is offered for sale again. Someone does the intelligent thing and removes the grip and wrap in order to fully inspect the health and authenticity of the stick. This is important because underneath the grip and wrap something called a graft might be hiding. Unfortunately, in this case a graft was revealed to exist. The authenticity and value as represented in the certificate was now in question – a worst-case scenario.

What exactly is a graft and why is it such a serious problem? Technically known as a handle graft, it is when the butt end of the bow is cut off and glued along a lap joint to the stick of another bow. This graft, which appears as a diagonal joint across the stick about 3 inches long, is concealed beneath the grip and wrap. The result is a newly created bow made from the old parts of two different sticks. It is important point out that this is rarely a legitimate repair. Think about it. It is highly unusual to find a bow with a handle so worn that it is absolutely unusable or not repairable. It’s not impossible, but you must understand that even if this were a legitimately needed repair, it would destroy the value of the bow and very possibly change its playing/tone characteristics. There are other types of grafts on bows as well, however they are in places that are visible to the naked eye.

Handle grafts are almost always done to deceive – to put an original handle from a damaged bow stamped by a famous maker with a stick that has a head that looks like the original maker’s work. It is always possible, however highly unlikely, that the head and stick are by the original maker, just from two different bows.

Once a dealer sent me four bows they were thinking of buying to check over for condition issues. All the bows were supposedly made by classic French makers and were stamped accordingly. I told the dealer that I needed to remove all the grips and wraps. After being given permission, I did so and found three of the four had been grafted. Please understand that these types of bows are in the market and in circulation.

Once the bow was revealed to have a graft, it looks like someone contacted the expert who originally certified it. I don’t know the details of this interaction, but eventually an insurance appraisal was issued saying the bow “has been repaired”, but still insuring it for a large sum. Does one say a Guadagnini viola with a soundpost crack on the back has simply had a repair? The precise nature of the repair needs to be spelled out and the damage to the overall value defined.

The appraisal implies that the original attribution of the certificate is still correct, the only caveat being that the bow has now been believed to have a repair. We can’t assume to know why the certificate was issued in the first place. The best we can say is that they might not have done their due diligence. The same can be said for the shop who originally sold the bow with aforementioned cert. They probably didn’t look under wrap either. The result, especially with the wording of the insurance appraisal, is that this certified Frankenstein’s monster might remain in circulation and another musician could be victimized.

Buyers: When considering the purchase of a very expensive bow, always ask for a good certificate while insisting that the grip and wrap be removed, and the bow be inspected as a condition of sale.

Sellers and Cert Writers: Fully inspect the bow in detail. ALWAYS look under the grip and wrap – it will protect you and your client, saving potential liability and erosion of reputation. If there turns out to be a problem with the bow’s identification and/or condition later, own up to it and try to make it right.

Note: Bows have value based mainly on who made them and condition. As long as provenance trumps playablity and tone, bows like this will continue to circulate through the market.