There are probably thousands of perfectly good violins sitting in wardrobes around Australia right now.

Some were bought for children who eventually gave up lessons. Some belonged to players who upgraded years ago and never quite got around to selling the old instrument. Others have been passed down through families, where nobody really knows much about them beyond, "Grandad used to play this."

And then there are the violins we keep because we think we might play them again one day. The case stays under the bed or on top of the wardrobe for five years, and every now and then you open it and tell yourself you'll get back into playing when life settles down.

Sometimes you do. Often you don't.

Eventually, selling the violin starts to make more sense than keeping it.

That should be simple enough, shouldn't it?

Take a few photos. Put it on Facebook Marketplace. Add a price. Done.

Unfortunately, anyone who has actually tried selling a violin online knows it can become a bit of a saga.

A violin isn't a toaster or an old desk. There are details that matter to us musicians which mean very little to the average person scrolling through a general marketplace. Size matters. Condition matters. The maker or workshop may matter. The setup can matter enormously. So before putting your violin online, it's worth spending half an hour working out what you actually have.

First, have a proper look at the violin.

I'd start with the obvious things.

Is it a full-sized violin? Most adults use a 4/4 instrument, while younger students may play smaller sizes such as 3/4, 1/2 or 1/4.

If it was originally purchased from a violin shop, see if you still have the receipt. Check the case pockets too. Old certificates, valuations and repair invoices have an amazing habit of disappearing into those little compartments and staying there for a decade.

Have a look through the sound hole for a label.

A word of caution here: don't get too excited if you see the name of a famous violin maker printed inside.

Labels in violins can be complicated. Plenty of instruments were made as copies or workshop instruments and carry labels referring to much older makers. Unless somebody qualified has authenticated the violin, it is usually better to write that it is "labelled" with a particular name. If you genuinely don't know who made it, just say so.

"I bought this from a Melbourne violin shop in 2018, but I no longer have the paperwork" is actually useful information.

Have a proper look at the condition too.

Take the violin somewhere with decent natural light.

I'd check along the edges for open seams, chips or cracks. Check the bridge, pegs and strings, then check the fingerboard, varnish, bow and case.

A violin that has actually been played will usually have a few marks. A little cosmetic wear isn't the same as serious structural damage.

If you have an older violin, something unusual, or an instrument you suspect may have some value, taking it to a luthier before selling it can save a lot of guesswork.

They may tell you it only needs a straightforward adjustment. Or they may discover a repair that should be disclosed before somebody buys it.

You don't necessarily have to fix everything.

Sometimes the sensible option is to sell the violin in its current condition and price it accordingly.

What I definitely wouldn't do is hide a crack, take strategically angled photos and hope nobody notices. Apart from not being fair to the buyer, it usually comes back to bite you later.

Pricing is where things get interesting. "How much is my violin worth?"

As a violinist, I've heard some version of that question plenty of times, and unfortunately there isn't a neat answer.

Two violins can look almost identical in a photograph and be completely different instruments once you pick them up.

Age alone doesn't make a violin valuable either.

I'd start with whatever information is available.

If you know what you originally paid, that helps. If you can find the same brand and model being sold, that gives you another reference point. Previous valuations can be useful too.

Looking at second-hand listings can help, but take asking prices with a grain of salt.

Someone advertising a violin for $4,000 doesn't mean the violin is worth $4,000. It only tells you what that particular seller hopes to receive.

For an ordinary student instrument, comparing the same model with similar used examples may be enough.

If the violin seems older or potentially valuable, I'd speak to somebody who deals with string instruments professionally rather than taking a guess.

Your photos matter more than fancy wording.

You don't need to turn your lounge room into a photography studio.

A decent phone camera and a bright room will do the job.

Take a clear photograph of the whole front of the violin, then the back. Show the scroll, pegbox, bridge and sides. If the label can be photographed clearly through the sound hole, include it.

Take separate photos of the bow and case.

If there is damage, photograph that too.

Don't use filters that change the colour of the varnish and don't hide scratches in dark shadows. A serious buyer wants to see what they are considering.

The same goes for your description.

Write it like you are explaining the violin to somebody standing beside you.

For example:

Full-sized student violin purchased in Melbourne in 2021. It was used regularly for lessons for around three years but is no longer being played. Comes with bow and lightweight case. There is some cosmetic wear near the lower edge, shown in the photos. Inspection and trial welcome by arrangement.

Nothing dramatic. Nothing exaggerated.

Just useful information.

If you have a sound recording, that can be a nice extra. A short scale or piece is enough to give someone a general idea before they arrange an inspection.

Why Facebook Marketplace can be a strange place to sell a violin Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are brilliant for plenty of things.

A violin is different.

Your listing might appear beside a lawnmower, an iPhone, a couch and somebody's leftover building materials.

You could have hundreds of people see it without reaching one person who is actually looking for a violin.

Then come the messages.

"Still available?"

"Yes."

Silence.

Or the classic:

"What's your lowest?"

No questions about the violin. No questions about the condition. Straight to the lowest possible price.

It isn't necessarily anyone's fault. General marketplaces are built for general products.

Musical instruments have a much more specific audience.

That's where a dedicated violin marketplace or musical instrument marketplace starts to make sense.

Listing your violin on ORCHESTRATED

ORCHESTRATED is an online marketplace created specifically for orchestral instruments, world instruments and musical accessories.

Instead of advertising your violin amongst televisions, furniture and used cars, you can put it somewhere intended for people looking to buy and sell musical instruments online.

That doesn't magically guarantee an instant sale. Nothing does.

What it gives you is a more relevant place to advertise.

ORCHESTRATED doesn't process payments, organise shipping or act as a broker. It also doesn't take a commission from the final selling price.

A buyer contacts the seller directly. From there, both parties can discuss a trial, inspection, payment, collection or shipping and work out what suits them.

Listing an instrument or accessory costs a flat $29.95 AUD per listing for individual sellers with your listing staying live until it sells. Businesses or high-volume sellers can get unlimited listings for $29.95 AUD/month instead. Either way, there's still no commission on the sale itself.

It really comes down to finding the next owner.

For me, this is probably the nicest way to look at selling an old violin.

You're not simply getting rid of something you no longer use.

Your violin could end up with a child moving onto their first full-sized instrument. It might be bought by somebody returning to music after twenty years away.

As a violinist, I've always believed instruments are meant to be played.

If yours has spent the past few years sitting quietly inside its case, selling it gives somebody else the chance to put a bow across the strings again.

Find out what you have. Be upfront about the condition. Take decent photos. Ask a sensible price.

And, most importantly, put it somewhere us musicians can actually find it.

If you have a violin sitting unused at home, you can list it on ORCHESTRATED for a small one-time fee and give it the chance to find its next owner.