Buying a violin off eBay was the obvious choice. I asked the local music store if they had any broken old wrecks to sell for next to nothing, and he said oh yes, very many, but they are definitely not for sale because he palms them off to the local luthiers and sells them restored for $400; and he seemed annoyed that I asked.
So, to eBay I went, with the help of the sniping website Gixen to get the best price -- it submits your highest bid in the last 3 seconds of the auction, to avoid bidding wars. I used group bidding to avoid emotional attachments; I made a group of 6 auctions and the program canceled its scheduled bids on the others once it won one.
Before you start bidding, it may be educational for you to watch a test group of about 20 promising violins that you think you could get in your price range. Then watch the auctions end and note what they ended up selling for to get a realistic idea of what is attainable in your price range.
In the under-$100-vintage violin category, there is little to say about quality. They are almost a fungible commodity at this price range -- all interchangeable based on the limited information available on eBay. Make very sure that you are bidding on a full 4/4 violin; be willing to make repairs.
My one tip for winning is -- don't be afraid to bid on an auction with bad pictures and little information; you are more likely to get a deal there. If you count on doing repairs anyway, there's little to lose (if it is an antique made with proper wood, not a Chinese plywood thing). I think I got a great deal by doing this, since I paid less than $100 for a violin with all the parts, with appearances of being even in playable condition; but we'll see when it comes in the mail!
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