Advice Needed Please

[laura1984]

Hi there

 

I have joined the forum as my Granddad recently passed away and the family have decided to put his concertinas up for sale.

 

Unfortunately none of the family are able to play them and thought that Granddad would prefer them to go to somebody who can appreciate them rather than just sitting and gathering dust.

 

My granddad taught himself how to play the concertina as a child, after his uncle left his concertina at the house. My granddad was born in 1921 so the concertinas are likely to be quite old.

 

The problem is that none of the family have any idea of how much they may be worth, or where to sell them. We don't know whether putting them on eBay is a good idea.

 

I was hoping that somebody on here may be able to advise me of the best course of action to take.

 

The concertinas are:

C. Jeffries Maker Concertina - we think this may be vintage. It is a dark wood and leather concertina. Each end has a silver button plate, with 19 buttons on one side and 20 on the other.

Bellows and leather handles are intact with original leather case, but leather handle has snapped off although this is inside the case.

On the side with 20 buttons, 3 buttons aren't working correctly.

 

Lachenal & Co Concertina - patent number 4752

Dark wood concertina, 25 buttons one side and 21 buttons on the other.

Leather handles need repair. Leather on concertina is scuffed, but bellows are intact. All buttons in working order.

In original wooden box, leather handle is missing, lined in purple velvet although lining is a bit tatty.

 

My Granddad also played the accordion and we have 4 of those to sell too. If anybody can help with the accordions too that would be great. I can provide photos and descriptions.

 

I also have photos of the concertinas but they are too big to load here. I would be happy to email them.

 

Thanks in advance, Laura

 

[Tradewinds Ted]

Chris Algar - Barleycorn Concertinas, will do valuations for a small fee, and also buys, sells and repairs concertinas. Located in near Stoke-on-Trent, and on the web at www.concertina.co.uk Chris is well known to many members here.

 

Theo Gibb - The Box Place - does repairs and deals in concertinas, and melodeons/accordions as well. Located in Gateshead, and on the web at www.theboxplace.co.uk Theo is well known here, and often participates in the discussions here.

 

The Music Room, in Cleckheaton is a music store that does a significant trade in new and used concertinas and melodeons/accordions. They have a nice music shop with many instruments, so plenty to look at if you get up there. Jon would be the guy to talk to there. On the web at www.themusicroom-online.co.uk

 

Just based on the number of buttons, I'm guessing that these are most likely English system (same note and out on the push & pull) and not Anglo system (different note on push vs pull) but maybe they could be a Duet system instead? It is a good idea to have an expert look these over to give you a good description of what what you have, and a good idea of the value, the condition, and what it would take to re-condition them, so you know what to expect when you sell them, and you know what to tell prospective buyers about the instruments. In any case good luck!

 

As for selling on eBay, i've seen instruments sell for a great deal of money, while others go for hardly anything. The condition matters a great deal, and information is very important as well. If the instrument is in poor condition, or if you can't answer people's questions well enough to reassure them of the condition, then don't expect to get much from eBay. But a good instrument that can be shown to good effect should do well. You might want to offer them in the buy-and-sell forum here first, or at least post a notice with a link to an eBay posting.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Tradewinds Ted

[JimLucas]

Hi Laura,

I've just sent you a PM requesting the photos, with an offer to make them available (visible) here, if you wish.

Lachenal & Co Concertina - patent number 4752
Dark wood concertina, 25 buttons one side and 21 buttons on the other.
Leather handles need repair. Leather on concertina is scuffed, but bellows are intact. All buttons in working order.
In original wooden box, leather handle is missing, lined in purple velvet although lining is a bit tatty.

The patent number identifies this as a Maccann-system duet. The button count identifies it as one of the lesser models, though dark wood (rosewood?) might indicate not the least. Others are more expert on current prices, but I'd guess it's probably worth at least a couple hundred pounds.

C. Jeffries Maker Concertina - we think this may be vintage. It is a dark wood and leather concertina. Each end has a silver button plate, with 19 buttons on one side and 20 on the other.
Bellows and leather handles are intact with original leather case, but leather handle has snapped off although this is inside the case.
On the side with 20 buttons, 3 buttons aren't working correctly.

The Jeffries name is a premium. If each button plays a different musical note when you push the bellows than when you pull, it's an "anglo". If the same note on push and pull, then it would be some kind of "duet" and probably wouldn't bring as high a price as an anglo, but still probably more than £1000.

I (among others) am looking forward to learning more... and seeing the photos.

When we know more, we can advise you on selling. You might get offers here, as well as recommendations regarding dealers and auctions.

[JimLucas]

Hi Laura,

 

I've just sent you a PM requesting the photos, with an offer to make them available (visible) here, if you wish.

Here are Laura's photos. They were large, and since I haven't found a way to zoom in or out with the display format here, I've reduced them by a factor of 6 in each dimension, so they can be viewed complete on most computers. Still plenty of detail, I think, but if anybody really wants the full size, just say so. (Except that I'll be away from my computer for a few days.)

 

First, the Lachenal, a Maccann duet.

 

 

 

 

Then the Jeffries, which is almost certainly an anglo. (I've only ever heard of one Jeffries-system duet -- the other "possibility" -- with that few buttons.)

 

 

 

 

Laura, I expect that others will want more photos, including full shots of both ends, and they'll probably want you to open them up (they'll tell you how) for internal shots of the reeds, etc. And they'll definitely want to know about the "keys" of the Jeffries, and whether the instruments are in concert pitch. But they'll do the telling.

 

One thing... can you confirm that the buttons on the Jeffries play different notes on push and pull? Or not?

 

Good luck.

[Rod]

With all respect to Laura , she should not be encouraged to strip these instruments down just for photography.

[celtictiger]

Chris Algar at Barleycorn Concertinas is your best bet.Nice bloke who will give you an honest opinion.

[hjcjones]

You are quite right that these instruments should go to someone who can play and enjoy them. They are old but will have plenty of life left in them. I'm sure your grandfather would have approved.

 

I agree that Chris is a good choice to get advice, and not too far away from you. He is a dealer, so he may be prepared to buy them from you, or to sell them on your behalf for a commission. There are also other specialist dealers and specialist music shops, some mentioned above. Most non-specialist music shops don't know much about concertinas and their usual customers probably aren't interested, so you're unlikely to get a good price through them. Go to a specialist.

 

Selling through this forum is an option (a donation is expected). Sadly, there have been so many scams involving concertinas that ebay is now viewed with considerable suspicion, especially where the instrument is a Jeffries and where the seller doesn't appear to know much about the instrument. With any internet sale there is the practical problem and cost of delivery, and the risk of being ripped off, but I venture that this forum is the safer choice, if only because many of its members are known to one another in the real world.

 

Real-world auctions are also a possibility and offer more security, but again unless you find an auction house which knows about concertinas and they are put in an appropriate catalogue which attracts knowledgeable buyers you may not achieve the best price. You'll have to pay a fairly sizeable commission and so will the buyer, so this also limits how much you might get.

 

This isn't the place to ask about the accordions. Are they piano accordions or do they have button keyboards? There are many different types. I believe old accordions usually aren't worth very much, unless they are of particular historic interest. Again, a specialist dealer is probably best placed to advise.. Accordions are far more common than concertinas so there are many more knowledgeable dealers.

[StuartEstell]

 

Then the Jeffries, which is almost certainly an anglo. (I've only ever heard of one Jeffries-system duet -- the other "possibility" -- with that few buttons.)

 

One thing... can you confirm that the buttons on the Jeffries play different notes on push and pull? Or not?

 

Good luck.

 

 

While we wait for Laura to reply, and given that a little bit of pointless speculation never hurt anyone, the button arrangement on the left hand of the Jeffries seems a little odd for an anglo to me - it doesn't have the core 15 buttons you might reasonably expect. But that button arrangement would work as a small Jeffries-system giving you everything chromatic from Bb above middle C down to the G below and then the F and C below that...

 

I will of course turn out to be completely wrong in this.

[sqzbxr]

That photo looks like the right hand side, but upside-down on the table. That gives the core 15 buttons, 2 more at the top, 1 more at the bottom, and 1 in the middle closer to the handrest.

[StuartEstell]

Quite so! Told you I was probably wrong

[Geoffrey Crabb]

Jeffries = Standard 38 button Anglo but what Keys G/D, Bb/F,C/G or ?/?.

 

Geoffrey.

[JimLucas]

Chris Algar at Barleycorn Concertinas is your best bet.Nice bloke who will give you an honest opinion.

 

Chris will give you an honest and informed/expert opinion.

 

I can give an honest opinion, but even if I could examine the instruments in person, I would have to say that I'm not informed or expert enough to reasonably estimate an appropriate current price. Chris is.

[laura1984]

Hi All

 

Sorry, not being familiar with the forum and having replied to a lot of private messages about the concertinas, I forgotten to check this original thread.

 

I have sold both concertinas to a young man from Ireland who saw my advert on a google search. He plays the concertina with a group of his friends and has a real passion for the instrument.

 

He has flown over to Liverpool this morning to pick them up and was very happy, particularly with the Jeffries.

 

I think my Grandad would have been happy to see them go to a young person with such a love for the instrument and for music, with many happy years of playing ahead.

 

Thanks for all of your help and advise and again sorry for not checking the thread.

 

Laura