I Bought a carved German "Trade" Bass, made in about 1850. Cost me £325, 20 years ago. It was solid but old, with little or no moisture left in the wood. Rule one, you must have insurance, because an old Bass will need serious work every couple of years... I kept mine hydrated as much as I could, but eventually had to retire it from live work, as it was just too fragile... Insurance with Allianz was about £70 a year (£36 with New Moon...). It's worth about £5000 now, so owes me absolutely nothing. As long as you're prepared for the ongoing maintenance, you'll be fine.