We can buy violins from China wholesale for $25 and label them with any name we like, set a random MSRP price of say $999 then set a sale price at say $100.... but keep the sale price stable at $100 forever.
This is what Cecilio does with all their violins except that I have no idea what their costs are for producing these instruments. Mendini is a cheaper version of their instruments and also made by Cecilio.
You can get lucky and get a great one but you can also get unlucky and get a piece of junk. I've seen both. Contact kk and make sure you can return it simply if you are not satisfied with the sound is my best advice.

Good luck in any case. Welcome to the site.

We do have the Apprentice for $299 which includes a great bow. The bow alone usually costs $67.79
Better quality than bows that cost many times it's price.
I do however recommend spending an extra $100 for the Concert. Use the coupon code fiddler5 upon check-out for an additional 5%. I know it's not much but every little bit helps right?
Just to ease any concerns, I want you to know that you have a satisfaction guarantee. All you have to pay for is the return shipping if ever you were to not be satisfied.