I got my Mayfair Wheatstone concertina when I was 7 years old. I was a complete beginner, and the concertina cost about £700. I'm now 18 and still playing the same instrument, however I'm now on Suttner's list. I teach 2 young boys, and they've been playing about a year. They're quite good, but after a year on a Stagi, they need to move on. The ornamantation is harder to play, and the instrument is quite big, they still struggle a bit to reach the air button. Although a Stagi may be fine to start with, if you're serious you may need to move on fairly quickly.
Good luck with your concertina search!!
