Why are colored violins bad?

The color means you can match your violin to your bedroom furnishings, because it will make a better room decoration than an actual instrument you can play. Poorly made, but pretty, violins are often frustrating for a student to learn on because structural problems may make them harder to finger or bow (and I noticed the bow also comes in colors!), in addition to mediocre or even bad sound. I wouldn't recommend buying anything like a violin sight unseen--or rather, unheard. Even among traditional violins made by skilled luthiers, individual violins possess unique qualities and you actually may like one instrument better by its feel or sound than another by the same maker. You can rent violins from music shops and often schools will also have student violins you can borrow if you are in the school orchestra. This is a good, economic option to consider if you are just starting to learn to play and aren't sure how long you will stick with it.