Cello bidding war brings in Goodwill donation to the tune of $15,000

Apr 17, 2024

It comes with cracks, a bent bow and missing strings — but a used cello donated to Goodwill triggered a bidding war with potential to bring in about $15,000 to the London-based non-profit.

The unassuming cello, donated anonymously to a Goodwill somewhere in Ontario, caught the eye of buyers on Goodwill's online auction, despite its description warning of significant cracks, scratches, scuffs, and loose and missing parts.

"It's a real special occasion when we can see this kind of value coming from a donation," said Michelle Quintyn, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes.

"When it happens, it has a huge impact," she said.

When it was donated, the cello was flagged as a vintage instrument, which are typically sent to Goodwill's online market so collectors worldwide can have a look, said Scott Louch, chief operating officer of Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes.

"We knew it was a fairly old instrument, and there's a great market for vintage instruments," he said.

After four days being listed on their site, last Wednesday marked the final day of bids for the cello. Bids started at about $400 US, spiking to about $11,000 US, or about $15,000 Cdn in the final minutes. It was sold to a buyer after 52 bids, according to its listing.

The buyer from California is still trying to arrange shipping, and has ten days from the purchase to pay for the item, which was finalized March 23. The average sale price online is about $90, Louch said.

Their team tried to do a considerable amount of research on the cello, but came up somewhat empty-handed, said Louch.

While the cello came with no maker's mark, it has a decal that reads it was repaired by T.O. Dionne, a luthier in Montreal, probably dating it back to the late 1800s, he said.

The bow however, is marked with the words Vidoudez Geneve.

Sibylle Ruppert, a modern cello maker from Paisley, Ont., said the stamp is a signal that it's an antique bow of special value.

"Usually people don't buy instruments unheard and unseen... unless they're a well-known brand or maker," said Ruppert. "Then they would look at the repair costs and see whether it's still worth it."

Vidoudez is the company name, while Geneve, a city in French Switzerland, is where it was made, she said.

"The modern violin and cello bow was developed by the French in the 18th in the early 19th century," Ruppert said, calling them "pioneers of the bows."

The sought-after cello and bow aren't the only items that have raised a stir on Goodwill's online auction. In around 10 years of running the site, they've had a few other high dollar items.

A Super Mario Bros. Nintendo game from the 1980s went for about $12,000 and an industrial microscope, almost mistaken for scrap metal, sold for about $4,000. Goodwill ships out hundreds and hundreds of items monthly, Louch said.

The revenue goes to Goodwill's mission of providing opportunities to stabilize lives and build prosperity through job creation, training and skills development, Quintyn said.

"I think a lot of people think donating to Goodwill is giving your clothes and your old shoes. But you actually can donate goods of high value, get a tax receipt to get some of that value back, and at the same time have a really big impact on an organization with a really important mission and charitable purpose," she said.

Reporter

Michelle Both is a reporter for CBC London. She holds a master's degree in journalism and communication from Western University. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @michellelboth.