A 17th-century Stradivarius cello fell off a table while being photographed in Madrid last month. A piece that was between the cello's neck and body broke. The piece that broke was a 19th-century replacement, and the cello will be repaired. The estimated value of the cello is $26 million. Some Stradivarius violins are considered better than others and some have been repaired, but prices of Strads have been going up for years. Stradivarius violins sold for five digits in the early 1900s, but in 1971 one sold for over $200,000, and in 2006 one of the best brought $8 million. In June 2011 another top-notch Strad auctioned for $15.9 million. The 18th-century Baron von der Leyen Stradivarius violin sold for six figures in 1969, then sold in New York on April 26, 2012, for $2,592,000.

Photo: Stradivarius violin from the April 2012 Tarisio auction