http://www.fiddlerwoman.com/id99.htm

The general theme I am sensing (and my own experience is no exception) is that you are in for a no-frills experience if you decide to buy one of these instruments.  You should have no illusions that you are getting something that will be ready to play out-of-the-box, and as Beverley Conrad states in her post, you may wind up paying a lot more in setup and accessories (new bow, shoulder rest, etc.) than you might have anticipated.

I'm optimistic, though; I'm fully aware of the potential shortcomings of my cheapo devil's box, and I've played enough music on enough different instruments that I think I'll be able to tell if the wall I hit is due to being a newbie, or to having an unplayable instrument.

So what kind of fiddle can $25 buy?

http://www.garstang.us/violin/Cheap_eBay_Violin.html

Last week Jason tipped me off to an eBay seller offering a bunch of impossibly cheap violins; $25 for the instrument, bow, case, and a hunk of rosin. Against my better judgement, I broke down and ordered one; at $25, what is there to lose?

The instrument arrived yesterday, and for $25 I'm pretty impressed. No one will ever mistake it for a fine instrument, but I think it will actually be playable.