Sell Your Violin in Canada

Used violins in Canada typically sell for C$85 to C$565 (about $61 to $405). Violin values run from student instruments worth very little to fine older instruments worth a great deal, and telling them apart needs care.

What violins are worth in Canada

Guide ranges converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not quotes — sellers set their own price. Grades are seller-declared; WishThrift does not inspect or verify them.

What lifts the price

• Solid carved tops rather than laminate
• A sound post and bridge correctly fitted

What pulls it down

• Laminated student instruments, which sell for very little
• Open seams and cracks in the top

Selling a violin in Canada

Interac e-Transfer is the norm and is instant and traceable, which suits a private sale well. It is what most buyers will suggest before anything else.

Canada’s resale market is concentrated in a handful of metro areas separated by very long distances, which makes it unusually collection-led — most buyers are looking for something they can pick up the same week.

Shipping cost is the single commonest reason a Canadian listing stalls. Decide collection versus courier before you price it, and say which you are offering.

Winter clothing and sports equipment move from October, and the spring thaw brings the strongest few weeks for furniture, bikes and garden items.

Working out what yours is worth

• Look through the f-hole for a maker’s label and note what it says
• Check the seams around the edge for openings

Getting it ready

• Confirm the size: full, three-quarter, half or smaller, measured by body length.
• Inspect the top and back for cracks and open seams, and check the bow hair and stick.

Photograph

• The violin front on, whole, in its case if included
• The bridge and f-holes, showing the soundpost through the hole
• The bow, case, and any crack, open seam or repair

Put in the description

• Whether it is ready to play, and when it was last set up
• Any crack, open seam or previous repair
• Whether a bow, case, shoulder rest and rosin are included

Size, contents and condition: “Full Size 4/4 Violin with Bow and Case, Ready to Play”. Size is the first filter, especially for children. “Ready to play” means bridge up, soundpost in, strings on — only say it if true.

Post only in a hard case with the bridge protected and the bow hair slackened. Collection lets a buyer or their teacher try it, which suits both sides.

It costs nothing to list

There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the C$566 a buyer pays is the C$566 you keep. You and the buyer settle up and arrange the handover between yourselves; WishThrift does not hold the money or ship the item.

Where in Canada

Canada is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of Canada with their own page for violins.

• Toronto
• Montreal
• Calgary
• Ottawa
• Edmonton
• Winnipeg
• Vancouver
• Brampton
• Hamilton
• Surrey
• Quebec City
• Halifax
• Laval
• London

Common questions

Where can I sell a violin in Canada?

List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Interac e-Transfer is the norm and is instant and traceable, which suits a private sale well. It is what most buyers will suggest before anything else.

Are there any cracks?

Examine the top, back and ribs in raking light. Cracks and open seams are repairable but must be shown.

How can I tell if a violin is valuable?

Look through the f-hole for a label, and check whether the top is carved or laminated. Genuinely old instruments should be assessed by a specialist.

Is the bow worth much?

It can be worth more than a student violin. Good bows are valued separately, so mention what you have.

More: how to sell a violin, what violins are worth, or Music & Instruments across Canada.