Can anyone help me put a value on this Antique Vega Mandolin?

[loglovr]

I am selling this for a consignor and am trying to find someone who can give me a fair appraisal . I know what they want to get from the sale, but I have no idea if it is reasonable or not. Is there anybody out there who has knowledge of antique musical instruments?  

Here is the description provided to me and 2 pictures:

Vintage Vega Mandolin 202 Model Rare Cylinder Back (ca. 1916)

This is a model 202 from Vega's "lute mandolin series" with the "patented arched back".

Serial No. 33736 indicates it was made somewhere between 1916 and 1918. It is in

excellent condition for an instrument of its age. All parts appear to be original on the

mandolin.

This style was known as a cylinder back and features a spruce top with mahogany

back, sides with cream binding and mahogany neck. It also features an ebony

fingerboard and bridge. The nut width is 1 1/8” and it is X-braced. The mandolin has a

rich and warm tone and plays beautifully. Condition-wise it shows some normal player

wear and aging. There is some checking on the top which is very normal, they are not

cracks through the wood. Otherwise some other light wear such as pick marking. The

neck is straight and the neck joint very solid.

Overall in outstanding condition for something that’s 100 years old. The wood has aged

to produce a tone that you just can't duplicate with something new. It also comes with a

soft shell case.

Thank you!!

[mountaingigi]

If you simply Google "vintage vega mandolin", you'll find a wealth of information. A search on ebay also brings up a few live and quite a few sold listings to get an idea of price.

[loglovr]

I have done that, but am finding the prices run the gamut from hundreds to thousands.  There must be some unique features on some that make them more valuable than others and was hoping to find someone who could point that out to me...

[md1919]

you are unlikely to find the person with the info you seek on this or any other ebay board.  try contacting a dealer in vintage guitars however they may wish payment for an appraisal.

[maxine*j]

If you want an appraisal, you have to pay me.

If you want some advice:

This is your mandolin --

https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/110535

It is obvious from the wear that it is the same instrument.  Identical.  Also, it's located in your geographical area.  There have been no takers since the ad was posted nearly three months ago.  Tell the consignor that the mandolin is worth less than $1,595 and ask him/her how much below that they were willing to go when they added "OBO" to the ad, and then list it at that price.

Although the BEST advice has already been given:  Take it to someone who can give you a proper appraisal and be willing to pay for it.

[argon38]

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@loglovr wrote:

I am selling this for a consignor and am trying to find someone who can give me a fair appraisal . I know what they want to get from the sale, but I have no idea if it is reasonable or not.

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Why not just offer it for the price they hope to get? If it isn't reasonable, it won't sell.

[mountaingigi]

Of course they run the gamut.

The point is to look at the high and low prices, find an example close to what you have, combine all that info and come up with a good average price and/or what might be a good place to start.

None of us here are appraisers, and that's not what these boards are for. As was suggested ... if you can't determine a price yourself, find a good appraiser of vintage musical instruments and pay to have it appraised.

[loglovr]

That's funny - that IS the same instrument! The person that listed it is the same one I am helping to sell it for.

[sonomabarn67]

If it was my "client", I would remove them from my active consignments list for not revealing this crucial info up front.  Looks like choppy waters ahead.

People buy these vintage instruments for one of two basic reasons, the first being that it has an appeal to a professional musician who will buy it to play and will pay that price because it sounds and plays great in their hands.. The second is for financial gain or long term investment. People also buy for both these reasons. Looks like both have been explored in your area (or world wide if on the internet) for months at the $1600 level and it did not find a buyer.

Also, I don't know how much I would trust their entire description esp since the Stradivarius tests put antique Strads vs. modern master violin constructions was undertaken.  "The wood has aged to produce a tone that you just can't duplicate with something new."  When people put incorrect spin on their descriptions it is a red flag to me.

JMHO

[sonomabarn67]

Also, "pick markings" is called pick wear.

[maxine*j]

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@sonomabarn67 wrote:

If it was my "client", I would remove them from my active consignments list for not revealing this crucial info up front.  Looks like choppy waters ahead.

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BINGO!

[all_fakes]

Maxine and some others had good advice.

I'd add that if you were searching the internet for comparables, your search string should be "Vega cylinder-back mandolin."

Your results with that search-string should be pretty specific for your style mandolin.

  Vega made a lot of mandolins, but few were cylinder-backs; that is an unusual design for a mandolin, and no other maker used it to my knowledge.

It is worth remembering that value to a collector depends on what an item could be sold for.

In the mandolin world, the current trend is to value f-hole mandolins much more highly than round-hole models like yours.   This is becasue nearly all professional players use an f-hole model, generally by Gibson.

  This means that even though your mando is likely "worth" $1500 or so, you are very unlikely to find a buyer at that price, because for $1500 one can find any number of nice older Gibson f-hole mandos avaliable.   And this fact will tend to reduce the value of your instrument to a collector also.

     You might possibly find a buyer at around the $1000 level, as a guess.

I'm a mandolin player myself, own three 1950s Gibson f-hole mandos, and would never pay $1500 for your instrument when I could get a good 1950s Gibson f-hole for $1200.   Most mandolin players would not consider your cylinder-back Vega at any price, unfortunately.