Trade-in policies
Trade-in policy for full-sized instruments
We will accept any one instrument in trade at the original sales price* minus a reconditioning fee if the instrument was originally purchased from The Potter Violin Company provided that:
2 - The trade is for another instrument of greater value.
3 - The trade instrument has been reasonably well-maintained and has not suffered any significant damage.
4 - Receipts from the original sale are provided by the customer.
5 - We cannot guarantee trade-in value towards the purchase of consignment instruments.
6 - Any certificate (other than The Potter Violin Company shop appraisal) sold with an instrument must also be returned to receive full trade-in value; otherwise the cost of replacing the certificate will be deducted.
Instruments will incur reconditioning fees in order to bring them up to our standards for resale and warranty. If your trade is in excellent condition you can expect the following reconditioning fees: Violin $200.00, Viola $250.00, Cello $300.00, Bass $350.00. Any exceptions to these policies are at the sole discretion of The Potter Violin Company.
Please note that: The Trade-in instrument is due back to the store at the time of purchasing your new instrument. If you are a mail order client, you will have two weeks to return the trade-in instrument to our store. If we do not receive the trade-in instrument within two weeks, we will charge your credit card for the value of the trade-in instrument and will assume you are keeping it. If at the time we receive your trade-in instrument, and additional damage or depreciation is assessed, we will charge your credit card or account accordingly. Please contact the store if you have further concerns about this policy.
Trade-in policy for fractional-sized Violins & Violas
A child usually changes instrument size about every two years. When you trade your fractional (1/8 through 3/4) violin or viola toward the next size, you can expect a $ 200 depreciation from your original instrument purchase price. This amount includes costs associated with restoring trade-in instruments to saleable condition. For example, if you paid $ 850 for your fractional Doetsch violin and you took good care of it (no cracks or scratches, etc.) you could expect to receive $ 650 as your trade-in allowance towards your next instrument. Cases and bows are purchased separately and do not retain any trade-in value.
Viola Resizing: Trade-in exceptions
If you are trading your viola (15" to 16-1/2") toward a more expensive viola, see the full-sized instrument policy above. If you trade your viola (15" to 16-1/2") towards another adult-size viola of the same brand, there is a $400 flat fee (this charge is for instrument only - you keep your original case and bow).
Trading Fractional Cello Outfits
When you trade your fractional (1/8 through 3/4) cello outfit toward the next size there will be $300 depreciation from your original instrument purchase price. For instance: if you paid $2,000 for your fractional cello, you could expect $1,700 as your trade-value allowance. Cases, bags and bows are purchased separately and do not retain trade-in value. Instruments which have been damaged or require maintenance or repairs would naturally incur a larger depreciation. A “soundpost crack” for instance, can cost up to $800.00 to repair, and those costs do not cover depreciation of the instrument.
Please refer to our maintenance guide to learn how take care of your instrument and reduce the likelihood of unexpected repair charges.
7/8 to 4/4 Cello exchanges
When trading back and forth between 7/8 and 4/4 size cellos of the same brand or price range, there is a $500 flat fee. This fee applies whether you are trading up or down in size and applies only to the instrument. In most instances, you would keep your same case and bow, thereby avoiding any additional costs associated with exchanging those items.
