A professional needs an old violin because of the sound quality. New violins do not have the sound quality that old violins have. Cheap violins are just what the beginning violinist needs. It takes a great deal of time to have a good sound quality and you should not worry about sound quality at the beginning stages.
Cheap professional cello price are better for the beginning student for many reasons. You do not know if the child will continue practicing after you spent money for the violin. He or she may lose interest and you will lose money. This is a great reason to choose an inexpensive violin.
The most important aspect is to know the precise size for your child. A violin that is too big or small can hurt the child. When deciding which size to buy you should first contact a violin teacher. Once the size is determined you can move on and start looking for a violin.
When parents ask what violin do you recommend for a child or anyone else for that matter I say if the student is just starting out look for cheap violins. Yes that is a very broad answer but what I mean is find something that is new and costs less than a few hundred dollars. At the beginning stages there is no other quality to look for.
Make sure there is a return policy. Whatever I buy I make sure there is some type of return policy. Violins are no different. Make sure you get what you wanted. If the advertisement said it includes a bow, accessories, and a case make sure these are all there.