How It Works

Seller Section

As an owner of a valuable part, register yourself on Violin Parts Trader and list the instruments and/or parts that you have available. Depending on the item/part, you may need to provide its associated history as well as any documentation proving its heritage/value. In the case of a piece from a renowned maker or valuable instrument, you may need to have the item examined and verified by a reputable violin shop.

Once posted on Violin Parts Trader network, interested parties will be alerted to the availability of the part and may contact you for more information leading to a new “home” for the item.

Buyer Section

As a buyer, register yourself on Violin Parts Trader and put a request for a particular part that you are looking for. If you add yourself to the RSS feed of the part category that you are interested in, alerts will be sent to you once any parts are posted in that particular category. If you are a luthier or a violin shop, we recommend visiting the Violin Parts Trader website regularly to familiarize yourself with items getting posted. You may find just the part that you’ve been looking for and may be able to restore a valuable piece.

Membership Types

There are three types of membership in the Violin Parts Trader community.

Public Membership

This is a free membership that allows access to all the instrument parts (available and wanted)posted by registered temporary members. It may also include some items that have been made available by Trade Members. A Public Membership does not permit the posting of notices or ads on the Violin Parts Trader network.

Temporary Membership

This is a 90 day membership with unlimited posting privileges (Available and Wanted) for anyone who has parts or is looking for parts. The Temporary Membership gives the member access to most of the instrument parts that have been posted or requested (excluding the Trade Members area).

Trade Membership

This is an annual membership primarily for those in the instrument-making/repairing industry and is normally by invitation only. The Trade members include luthiers, violin shops, instrument collectors, auction houses etc. The Trade Membership gives the member access to all the instrument parts that have been posted or requested including the “Trade Members” area where reputable violin shops and luthiers can share knowledge and post items targeting other shops/luthiers (B2B).