Does anyone know what an old magneto is worth? It is an Italian brand (can't remember name).

I would say not much if it is and old one. The insulation on the coil pack in them breaks down with age and the magnets need to be recharged. I just had mine done, cost over $600.
Is yours a Scintilla, made in switzerland?

Scintilla that's it!! Italy, Switzerland.....close!
What sort of dollar value?
How do you tell if they are ok?
How hard should they be to spin by hand, this one definately has more resistance than a dizzy. Cheers.

Grab hold of the mag and touch the kill switch terminal with one finger, then spinn the drive as hard as you can, if you can still hold onto it the spark is weak and it will need work, if it gives you a good kick, its probably OK.

There were 3 magnetos at Boris's picnic day today, the guy wanted $150.00 each, they were a bit rough

I'll give that a go, though I am a bit adverse to pain....Thanks for the info.

It dosn't hurt!!! honest, always makes me laugh, (when someone else does it)