Hmmmmm, which would you pick?

So, my 3rd grader wants to take violin lessons at school and he needs a 1/2 size violin asap. Started looking around on ebay and found this one...
http://cgi.ebay.com/NICE-BEGINNER-1...9823562QQihZ016QQcategoryZ38110QQcmdZViewItem
... which comes to $120 after shipping. Very reputable seller (1259 feedback, 100% positive).

I also found this one...
http://store.musicbasics.com/vln-10.html
... which comes to $87.40 after shipping. The problem is that I know nothing about this company or it's reputation.

Is knowing the seller's reputation worth the extra $32.60, or should I give the other store a try (with a credit card, of course)? Decisions, decisions. What you you do? :?

 

Are you sure you want to buy a half-sized one? Can you rent one, to make sure your child stays interested ... and then buy a regular sized violin if they do?

 

I would be more wary of an eBay seller with 100% positive score. Look around, can you find 1500 people who agree on anything?

 

Ready, talk to Cleo, i believe she just went through this recently.

 

No, I'd rather buy one. My middle schooler rented his trumpet last year and we wound up paying WAY more in rent than the cost of a new one because we had to rent the stupid thing through the summer too. I'm cheap, so that made me a little :x !

:lol:

 

Ah, ack! Had no idea it was so expensive to rent. I played violin for 10 years back in my school days (2nd grade thru senior year). Back then, I used the school's violins for the first year or two before I inherited my great grandmother's.

I guess if it stays in good condition, you can always turn around and sell it again if your son stays interested and moves up to a full sized violin ...

Which would be a better investment, would be easier to turn around and sell for more money? :wink:

 

Well, I just bought the cheaper one, because after looking at the ebay one again it looks like the auction doesn't include the bow or case, just the violin.

If my son sticks with it I'll get him a nicer one when he needs to move up in size, but for an 8 year old beginner, I think the one I got should be just fine.

 

Ready...check out the pawn shops. I've gotten great deals on instruments there.

 

Front page of yesterday's N&O Business section talked about an instrument store in Raleigh that was liquidating.

Sorry I already tossed it.

 

Looks like she already bought one. Good luck, R2CMK. I personally would not buy an instrument online, sight-unseen. Let me know. I could have had a bass for 150, instead of ten times that!

 

Thanks Cleo, I see that I missed that post. :?