Alan Mead

All dealt with via PMs. Said instrument is now in my possession at a price I'm happy with - and I love it already. Thanks Concertina.net.

I'm afraid it's the normal sort of thing - I need some advice. A mate is girding himself to sell an A.C. Norman "standard" Anglo - G/D, steel reeds, 30 key, 6.25 inch diameter, stainless steel ends and buttons, Lachenal accidentals. I'm not really a concertina player - although can get a few tunes out of one - but would like to improve. I'm a regular melodeon player. But what to pay him? I know the price he paid eight years ago and it has barely been played so is 'as new'. I'm assuming that it may well have appreciated. I want to be fair to him but don't want to go way over the odds. I've emailed the Norman site to get a quote on a new one but need to act fairly quickly. Any views? 2% appreciation per year on original price? Thanks for reading.

Sold! ... And donation made to Concertina.net

Think you'll find the wording is "SCREWED NOTES" ,"DEFIANCE" , "LONDON" and "MAKER" DEFIANCE was a Jones trade mark used from the late 1880s, so presumably your concertina would have been made no earlier than that. Many thanks Malcolm. Yes that is indeed the wording. DEFI | ANCE is split by the GJ motif. A sale now pending ... I'll post an update in due course.

I have a George Jones 30 button anglo concertina in G/C and after years of thinking about it, have now decided I should sell. Trouble is I haven't got a clue what it's worth! I bought it from Hobgoblin about 25 years ago and although I have occasionally attempted to get down to learning to play it, I'm very much more at home with a melodeon so it really should go to someone who will use it more often. All this is depending on it's value and if I can't get back something commensurate with what I paid then I might keep it - although I bet a modern one would be easier to play. I bought it as a 'Jones' but there is no label to indicate that it is.It does have a diamond shaped stamp on the right hand end, on the wooden cross piece below the strap. I can't make out all of it but it appears to read ....ED [CERTIFIED?] NOTES | DEFI .... | LONDON ....ER. In the centre in another diamond after DEFI are the overlaid initials GJ (presumably for George Jones) The buttons appear to be ivory (could be bone?). Each end has chrome metal 'fretwork'. It's not rusty but could do with a decent clean. Each of the sides of the hexagon measure 9cm (3.6 inches) The notes all sound fine to me. The pads have all been replaced and are clean and in good condition so it was obviously refurbished before I got it. Stamped in several places on either end is 'JW English' presumably the name of the original owner? The leather work at either end is quite scuffed in places but it is only superficial. The photographs show the worst of it. It's quite airtight but there are several black patches that have been applied at either end to repair old leaks. It's got a wooden hexagonal box lined in green felt. I'd be interested to know what you think.