Entry-level priced cellos are about 3 to 4 times more expensive than entry-level priced violins. It is not a surprise that many parents look for second-hand cellos to reduce the cost. This is perfectly fine, as long as the second-hand instrument was originally purchased from a string instrument specialist store.

Some people are tempted to buy very inexpensive cellos from auction sites to get away with a smaller expense. Regrettably, in most cases, such inexpensive cellos become a 'work of art' that is fine to be looked at but not suitable to be played on.