Books › The reminiscences of a fiddle dealer, 1925 › scan 57
Scan 57
The reminiscences of a fiddle dealer, 1925
10 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 33. See the scan on archive.org.
1Purchase and Sale of a Strad. 'Cello
3my hotel and when I got there I found Dealer No. 1 waiting and fuming at my tardiness. I shewed him the instrument and could see from his fault-findings with various petty details that he was in reality highly pleased with it; and well he might be for I knew there was not a better instrument of its class extant. He offered me a hundred pounds below my price, I declined; then fifty, I still refused, and away he went. Dealer No. 2 turned up late in the evening and we played the same comedy over again. Before departing he asked if No. 1 had seen it and I said "Yes"; he hesitated no longer, but concluded the purchase, and took the instrument away.
5The next morning No. 1 returned and immediately offered my price. He would hardly believe me when I said the instrument was not only sold but delivered to its purchaser. He found this to be only too true as it turned out they were both after it for the same customer; a gentleman who had mentioned to both of them that if they came across a fine Strad. 'cello they might let him know.
7So they were both in the swim, but as generally happens, luck favoured the boldest.
9I was very sorry to part with it so soon as I would have liked time to study it more thoroughly in its details, as was my custom with all fine instruments, in order to increase my knowledge. Like all collectors too, I had much pleasure in shewing my treasures to men of like calibre, and
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