Pawn Stars' Stradivarius Violin Was A Cheap Copy - But Is A Fake Worth Anything?

"Pawn Stars" has featured many high-value vintage items in its day, from a $5,000 samurai sword to a rare basketball card collection worth $25,000. However, there are also plenty of wares that don't turn out to be nearly as valuable as initially expected. Such was the case with a Stradivarius violin that was poised to become one of the rarest items ever seen on "Pawn Stars" before a certain revelation about the piece's true nature caused the deal to crumble.

As featured on "Pawn Stars" Season 17, Episode 8, titled "Pawning for Treble," a man named Edgar made quite the splash when he approached Chumlee Russell with what seemed to be an authentic Stradivarius violin. Edgar noted that the antique item was a family heirloom that had been passed down through generations, and despite its poor physical condition, he was seeking $700,000 for it — an asking price not too far removed from the general valuation of Stradivarius violins in the modern day.

Unfortunately, it all came crashing down when Chumlee called in an expert, who identified from telltale markings and rough craftsmanship on the violin's body that it was likely one of the mass-produced fakes that have flooded the market since the early 1800s. Between its lack of authenticity and poor condition, the Pawn Stars ended up passing on the violin entirely. However, should the owner seek a second opinion, he might still be able to make some money off of the replica. 

The Stradivarius violin seen on "Pawn Stars" Season 17 turned out to be bogus. However, if it had been the genuine article, its asking price of $700,000 actually might have been considered to fall on the more conservative side of the market.

For reference, the value and rarity of Stradivarius violins stems from the fact that they are incredibly high-quality instruments handcrafted by the legendary Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari himself. Over the course of his career as a craftsman, he constructed just over 1,000 Stradivarius instruments — an intense level of scarcity for a product that consequently made the high demand for them all the more fervent. As the centuries have gone on, the number of surviving violins made by Stradivari has dwindled even further, driving their value up drastically.

All of this context is to say that the Stradivarius violins that are still in acceptable quality have eye-popping valuations as some of the most expensive instruments ever. The 1716 Messiah – Salabue Stradivarius is generally considered to be the rarest of them all, with an estimated value of $20 million — though it is currently on display as a historical relic at Oxford, England's Ashmolean Museum. The vast majority of the other Stradivarius violins out there have either been valued or sold for several million dollars apiece.

With Stradivarius violin replicas having been produced by numerous manufacturers for centuries on end, the value of any two given copies is bound to differ wildly. Nonetheless, all fake Stradivarius violins are invariably worth far, far less than the real thing.

The cheaper Stradivarius replicas in the modern market generally retail for a few hundred dollars at most, while the higher-quality copies are usually sold for several thousand dollars. Replicas with historical value, such as those that were produced in the 1800s, also have the potential to reach into the four-figure range — provided that they're in good condition.

Suffice it to say, owners of fake Stradivarius violins won't fetch nearly as much money for their item as those lucky few who possess the real thing. For anyone in a similar situation to Edgar's at the "Pawn Stars" shop, it's probably best to let the instrument's sentimental value win out over what little monetary value it might have.