Hi,
Any opinions on why Stelling Virginian and Carolinian banjos are seldom up for sale?
Edited by - Bill Rogers on 03/21/2023 19:42:14
Were many made of those two brands? If not, and if people like them, there might not be many to get back on the market.
I have a Virginian Banjo AND Mandolin. My mandolin is the only Virginian made. Probably won't sell them, but if the right offer came for the set, I might consider it. My profile pic is of the Stelling Virginian banjo and the S-5 mandolin. I custom ordered an S-5 with a Cardinal on the headstock as well as a Dogwood blossom on the 5th fret and Dogwood leaves on the 12th and drove to Geoff's shop to pick it up.
Lance
Edited by - BluegrassWarehouse on 03/21/2023 18:40:46
My guess: low production numbers and high $$
If i had either i wouldnt sell them. Especially now that Stelling has closed shop.
Those two banjos were pretty much Stellings top of the line models. More expensive and probably not as many made. I always thought it is one of the most tasteful looking banjos ive ever seen. If you do see one for sale you can be sure the price will have shot up
Edited by - stanleytone on 03/22/2023 04:51:56
Yeah those were top of the line banjos decades ago. Expensive and not plentiful. Unlike almost any other top quality banjo offered at that time. I believe most of the folks who bought them, love them.
The original Carolinian was cherry which is an unusual choice. It had a short run and high cost relative to other models.
The later Virginian/Carolinian model was more expensive than most of the Stelling lineup and most folks went ahead and bought the Staghorn instead.
The maple Virginian and Carolinian are just like the maple Sunflower, but fancy cosmetics. It's kind of like the Staghorn next to the Bellflower.
The fact that many more buyers opted for "fancy" when it involved images of hunting trophies with chunks of skull attached, versus the birds and flowers of the Virginian and Carolinian (IMHO the most beautiful "fancy" Stellings along with the Swallowtail and Master Flower, further configs not often up for sale) is quite informative as to the cultural profile of the BG banjo market. Whether you find that information heart-warming is another matter, but we won't go there.
