Myrtle's cook

If it's a concertina then this is a good place to advertise with only a modest voluntary donation requested to cover running of the site. Many of those interested in the instrument look at this site and share what they see with others which increases your potential 'shop window'. I'd second Mike S's advice in terms of transactions. An alternative is to collect payment by bank transfer (BACS) and only ship once payment is safely received (I have found this has been troubled free for a couple of concertina and dulcimer sales/purchases I have made). (rcr27 and I posted at the same moment, so excuse the lack of flow!)

In addition to Wolf's helpful suggestion of Chris Algar, you might also consider contacting Theo Gibb who is both restorer and dealer (he's a frequent and generous contributor to this forum). He also sells on a commission basis, potentially giving a seller a little more control over price. It might be that he could restore your concertina and then sell on a commission basis. His website is called 'The Box Place' - all details there. I haven't sold via Theo, but he did restore a concertina for me and I was pleased with his work (by coincidence that was also a Wheatstone Baritone, although some decades earlier than yours) and enjoyed 'dealing' with him.

My initial reaction from the photograph of the later concertina was similar to Wolf's. However, according to the Wheatstone ledgers 25278 is a model '10 Baritone rosewood polished 48 [key]' http://www.horniman.info/DKNSARC/SD01/PAGES/D1P0120S.HTM It would indeed be sought after

I thought this might be of interest (the sale has nothing to do with me): https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/gardiner-houlgate/catalogue-id-srgard10135/lot-a0a96f76-501d-4578-9d34-ab0c00fa115d Quoted from auctioneers description: Fine and rare C. Wheatstone & Co specially commissioned large concertina with Jeffries fingering, circa 1951, stamped C. Wheatstone & Co, Inventors, Patentees & Manufacturers, Concertinas & Aeolas, London to one side and bearing the serial number 30740 to the other, with sixty-four metal buttons on pierced foliate ends, eight-fold bellows, original leather case *This concertina has remained in the same family by descent since it was specially commissioned from J.A. Travers, Concertina & Accordion Specialists at Castle House, Enmore, Near Bridgwater, Somerset by James Henry Harvey who was a lifetime member and secretary of the I.C.A. The instrument is sold with two letters of provenance to this effect

And a slightly different route to the same thing... http://concertinamuseum.com/ And for a Crabb concertina, specifically: http://concertinamuseum.com/SiteS4m.htm

I saw the original broadcast and wondered who had made the concertina. It looks great! Whilst the sound quality isn't recording studio standard, it sounds pretty good too - particularly the balance. Thanks for sharing the attribution and clip.

The third pinned post in the Buy & Sell folder includes a Paypal link, not sure the button made it onto the new site now you point it out(?)

Thanks Geoff - that had been my first thought, but I had clearly confused myself with an over-literal reading of the later part of the description. Yes - very, very useful...

That is a helpful clarification - thanks Wolf

The description appears on the site appears taken from what is perhaps the maker's description or a bill of sale (or similar), my italics: 'Colin Dipper forty-eight button 'English' system concertina tenor (viola range) with top note F and the top notes of the normal 48 keys are located at the bottom. Ten-sided amboyna wood on hardwood core with hand cut fret and ebony edges. Aircraft aluminium action levers, naval brass capped lightweight buttons, best handmade steel reeds in brass frames, ebony finger plates. It has dark green Scottish hand finished goatskin bellows and was made in the 1980s. It comes with a hard carrying case.' If I understand this correctly, then this is a custom layout - and a little unusual - I am taking this as the bottom 4 buttons on each side playing the four notes usually found at the top of each keyboard. Am I missing something here, not seen this before, but can see it has some utility??

That, kind sir, is the very definition of a tease! :-) Mouth salivating in anticipation, wallet trembling....

Your instrument appears to be a 'flutina' and a member of the wider family to which concertinas belong. The letters/numbers in the photos are unlikely to be makers' initials and are more likely to be batch or component numbers, aiding the assembly/reassembly of the instrument. I wonder if those on the first photo stand for something along the lines of 'type 2 reed pan with notes range G - e'??? Flutina's do not appear to be as regularly signed/labelled by their makers as concertinas. I have a rather larger version, with lots of inlay and use of mother of pearl, but which is completely unsigned, with only a retailer's label in its original wooden box. I understand the majority were made in Frmance and exported widely, with Busson the primary manufacturer. Others here will be far more knowledgeable on this subject, but I hope this helps start things off. I recall there are a couple of recordings of flutinas on Youtube - which are worth checking out in terms of background.

The owner says it is stamped with the number 147189 inside which would be consistent with the numbering for Lachenal Anglos - albeit an exceptionally large custom example.

Hi Fusty There's a wealth of information on another site, dediated to Crane/Triumph system instruments. http://www.craneconcertina.com/index.html You'll see in the gallery section a brigade of Lachenal instruments, the latest numbered 4934 - suggesting your instrument is nearer to the end of Lachenal's production (and existence). If I recall correctly, Lachenal Crane and Maccann duets have their own numbering system, separate from the sequences for their Anglos and English concertinas. One forumula for dating the duets is as follows: For the Duet system: (serial number divided by 111 ) + 1873 (from Concertina.info website; there may be more recent improvements to this numbering formula(?). Happy squeezing!

Rikki Many thanks, that's appreciated.