The most important thing I would say to anybody buying and old (antique) fiddle or bow is that the price shouldn't influence your opinion of the instrument. I've just got a new bow for £100, even though I was prepared to pay up to £700. I played with twenty bows worth from £60 to £900, but I made sure I wasn't aware of the prices until I'd made up my mind - I knew that I would otherwise have thought more highly of the more expensive bows. I ended up going for the second cheapest bow because it played and handled best for me. Just a word of advice!

Ruthie.