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[quote=Anonymous]
$5K for a full-size violin or a fractional?
What pieces is the student currently playing and what is their age?

You are correct that for that price, you should stick to general luthiers like Fox, Potter and Brobst. Go to all 3 to try their violins and bows, there may be one the student prefers above all the others.

It will be a question of fit "student/violin/bow": some bows go better with some violins, and some players prefer the feel of certain bows and certain violins. The student should try several violins and several bows.

Resale value only matters if the luthier does not have a guaranteed consignment for the instruments it sells. You should be able to return it after a few years, and they will take it off your hands on consignment, sell it to someone else (this may take 6 months to a year), and take a commission from you. It will be a hefty one. It's a good idea because it's usually not easy to find buyers yourself.

Don't be offended, but a halfway decent-sounding violin for a beginning professional starts in the 20K range, and goes up to millions for the Stradivarius/Guarneri makers. So at 5K, you're not getting quality. At all. In that context, it doesn't matter whether it's a copy of something, an unknown maker, a violin that looks totally beaten up, etc. Your assessment that you're doubting the shop because you can't recognize the maker is off-base for that price range. A lot are going to be Chinese instruments who are creative with names. And that's fine, because it's what you can afford.

What you're looking for in a violin is decent sound: as full and resonant as possible. No whistles/muffles/choking point anywhere. What you're looking for in a bow is good balance, not too heavy, ability to do staccato and other techniques. If you don't know how to identify all that, take the violins on loan and have the student's teacher try them and give pointers. 
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