Anglogeezer

Now, for the past few weeks I have been posting messages about concertinas that I have discovered are coming up for auction. It might be easier for you and less work for me if I just gave you all the links to the sites that I'm using!! The first is https://www.ukauctioneers.com/ a site that brings together the catalogues of many auction houses in the UK. Go to LOT SEARCH put in concertinas and away you go. You'll also get hits on "concertina doors", "concertina cards" etc ignore those!! The second is http://www.invaluable.com/ . This is an international site so you'll need to filter the results appropriately. I used this site to review past auctions and discovered that 17 Wheatstones and 21 Lachenals had been througth the various auction houses since January 2013, and 17 Rock Chidleys since 2000. (In the UK alone) Here are some past Wheatstone prices for you to ponder - 48 English metal ends, No 28089 = £1000 48 English rosewood ends, No 21155 = £650 10 button Anglo??No 28204 (minature) = £650 56 English Ebonised ends, No 34690 = £450 48 English Ebonised ends, No 32828 = £460 48 English Rosewood ends, No 19654 = £850 48 English metal ends, No 30899 = £950 Tricky image - 37/38 button Anglo No 54785 = £1500: Here are some past Lachenal prices - 48 English wooden ends No 47770 = £180 20 Anglo wooden ends = £220 56 Edeophone No 39291 = £ 0 (failed to sell/make reserve) 48 English wooden ends = £40 - missing one button & thumb straps 24 Anglo wooden ends No 109517 = £160 33 Anglo? wooden ends = £800 Many of the others listed failed to sell. Of course the true condition of the concertins is unkown as the descriptions are very brief. Soo, they are out there and they are coming up at auction. regards Jake

At auction by FIELDINGS AUCTIONEERS, on 06th September. Viewing on Thursday 04th & Friday 05th Sept'r http://fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk/lot/113335 Lot 614. Estimate = £80 - £120 A 19th Century 21-key concertina by Louis Lachenal London serial no 81587, pierced mahogany end boards in leather covered octagonal case, width 18cm. Jake

At auction by FIELDINGS AUCTIONEERS, on 06th September. Viewing on Thursday 04th & Friday 05th Sept'r http://fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk/lot/113333 Lot 612 : Estimate £100 - £150 A 19th Century 20-key rosewood cased concertina by Louis Lachenal London, serial no 24787, pierced ends green bellows in mahogany octagonal case, width 18cm. Jake Edited to add link.

The hammer price for this was £190. Jake

Here are three pictures from the auctioneer. He says there is a leak towards one end of the bellows - but it still plays!! I noticed :- The thumb-strap plates are marked WHEATSTONE. Each end has holes as if a neck strap has been attatched at some time. Jake

You've obviously got enough space to swing a hammer!! So how about this??? http://www.axminster.co.uk/ram-pin-or-push-pin?gclid=CPyAv47Lp8ACFW3JtAodwhoAAA It's a spring loaded punch inside a hollow barrel. Load the pin inside the barrel, hold in position and push - hand power only?? Jake

Just came across the following :- Michael Bowman - Antiques and Collectors' Items Date: 14:00, Saturday 23 August 2014. Chudleigh Town Hall, Market Way, Chudleigh, Devon, TQ13 0HL. Lot 67 A rosewood stained 48 button concertina by Lachenal & Co. in Wheatstone case Estimate: £200.00 - £300.00 See here :- https://www.ukauctioneers.com/auction_houses/9/sales/7494?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=&lot_number=67&show=&per_page=25 There isn't a picture though I have requested one. Jake

Keeping my eye on the auction rooms - PAUL BEIGHTON, auctioneers of ROTHERHAM, UK has the following ..... Lot 442 A nineteenth century rosewood concertina squeeze box in mahogany case by makers Rock Chidley, London. Model 1192. Good condition. No holes to the centre section. All keys present. Estimate: £100.00 - £200.00 See here :- http://www.pbauctioneers.co.uk/sales/49/catalogues/47?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q[keywords]=concertina&q[from]=&q[to]= Viewing Thrursday 21st - Friday 22nd August. Sale Saturday 22nd August. regards Jake

Check E-bay ..... sale ended 26th ...... £3700 Jake

On his website CHRIS FLINT has the following CONCERTINA TIMELINE which lists the significant dates for the following makers - Wheatstone, Scates, Lachenal, Jones, Nickolds, Austin, Case, Crabb & Chidley and the various links/crossovers between them. http://www.scatesconcertinas.com/pdf/Concertina%20Timeline%20open%20office.pdf If you go to The LONDON GAZETTE here http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/ there are about 10 official notices regarding his bancrupcy. Edit: this link should take you straight to the results ; https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?sort-by=oldest-date&text=Rock%20Chidley&location-distance-1=1&categorycode-all=all&numberOfLocationSearches=1&results-page-size=50 He was discharged from his bankrupcy on 25 July 1867. Jake

According to the Auctioneer's website this had a pre-sale estimate of £300 - £400. It failed to sell. (Web site shows HAMMER PRICE = £0) Jake

This went for £190 " hammer price ", with buyers premium and VAT that's £263 to the purchaser. Jake

A 20 button anglo for auction at TRING MARKET AUCTIONS on 25 July. See here Lot 47 :- http://www.tringmarketauctions.co.uk/fineart_sale/195#results Description :- "An early 20c twenty key Anglo system concertina by Burton of Westminster Bridge, London and numbered 37081. It has five fold leather bellows and fretted rosewood ends and twenty ivory keys as well as an ivory air button. It is contained in it's original hexagonal leather covered wooden case, the concertina is 6.5" across the flats." regards Jake

Yes, I was also wondering how to get a six side concertina into an eight sided box!! Jake

My brother advises me that a Lachenal, 30 button, Anglo, with wooden case is in an auction at PETER FRANCIS, Camarthen, Wales, UK. see here : http://www.peterfrancis.co.uk/BidCat/detail.asp?SaleRef=AO40&LotRef=149 Edit : Ooops!! Just had another look at the pictures. 31 buttons, there are 16 on the right hand. NEXT Tuesday, 22nd July. The catalogue picture doesn't give away much, but he has been to look at it for me!! Now, he's not concertina literate!! but I did explain what he should try to look for!! Here's what he says : - "Case: did have carrying strap in lid, now broken off flush with lid. Lock broken, no key. Quite heavily marked / indented Concertina: not airtight, bellows leaking on top corners - see pic. Steel reeds, trademarks as you described - see pic. No grommets for keys thro frets. Most keys seem to work OK but leak prevented proper check on reeds, could get some to sound OK. 1 key each end stuck - one in down posn, one twisted (can just see in picture). Fretwork seems OK if a little worse for wear, no obvious breaks, cracks etc. leather straps 'tired', missing ?buckles? to adjust. one end of clamping strap missing, looks as tho pulled out of wood work. Paper label on end beginning to peel off. Overall looks 'tired' - has seen better days!" For grommets = bushing Looking at previous sales, here : - http://www.peterfrancis.co.uk/BidCat/SearchResults.asp?category=C6&keywords=concertina&status=A&Submit+now2.x=28&Submit+now2.y=11 Lots 206 & 207 were a steal at £600 & £620!!!!! Presuming they were as good inside as out??? regards Jake

Absolutely brilliant detective work!!!!! A thousand thanks for sharing with us!! Jake

The hammer price for this anglo was £2,400.

Noticed this in the catalogue of TENNANTS of HARROGATE, N Yorks. Auction on 14th June "Lot 1112 A Thirty Key Anglo System 'Salvation Army' Concertina by Ball Beavan & Co., London, with pierced chrome ends, bone buttons, inscribed 'Salvation Army 150 Corp', leather hand straps, six fold paper covered leather bellows, cased Estimate: £300-500" http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Lots/236849.aspx One button missing from the side on view. Either the image is reversed or that's a drone button on the left hand side?? Jake

Mmmmm!! Interesting!! Lets see now!! I live in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK. Population 30,000. From that number I know of, 3 Anglo players (includes myself), 4 English players, and 1 Duet player. The UK population stands at about 64,000,000. Sooo? 3 Anglos in 30,000 gives 6,400 for the whole UK and 8533 English and 2133 Duet. Yes?? Not exact, I know and takes no account of players I have no knowledge of; but then they would always be under the radar, wouldn't they?? regards Jake

Hi Marien, Well, a GOOGLE for ISPED gives this ... www.isped.u-bordeaux2.fr/ ... not much there about transport. Soooo?? Perhaps the professors operate a delivery service in their spare time??? regards Jake

Hi LoiS-sez, Perhaps a previous owner, in order to ensure an air tight seal, has used silicone sealant??? Jake

Hi Badok88, welcome to the wide, wide world of concertinas!! Here's a link to Hobgoblin Music's page of secondhand Anglos. Most are above your budget but two caught my eye towards the bottom, a Gremlin Stagi 30 button and a Rochelle 30 button. http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/secondhand-musical-instruments#Filter=470&SecondhandPage=1 I still have a Gremlin, it was my second concertina and I learnt a lot with it. I've since moved on to a Marcus. The Rochelle I have no knowledge of. They also have a Lachenal 20 button for £495 Good hunting. regards Jake

As I examine the pictures on E-bay I get the impression that the strings do not sound. They operate the pads over the holes to allow the reeds to sound. Note:- no tuning pegs for strings. With one hand operating the bellows, leaving only one hand to work the keys and with the pads operated by dingly, dangly, stretchy strings/wires and a large double thickness guitar shaped body, it's not hard to see why it was never popular. By comparision the concertina was streets ahead - small, compact, light weight, two-handed bellows operation and each hand operating the buttons!! Jake

Hi Queenieweenie78 and welcome to the most weird and wonderful world of concertinas. (or is it the people??) Rather than try to explain how one of these little beasties work with mere words a short demonstration would be the equivalent of the Encyclopaedia Britannica!! If you are willing to reveal your general location a forum member may be willing to arrange a meeting, that way you get the lowdown from the very beginning and a useful leg-up the ladder of learning. Jake Beverley East Yorkshire.

The following link leads to a Mudcat thread - http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=149830&messages=2 This reports on a bio-diversity conferance in Bangkok at where the U.S. delagate put forward the proposal that musical instruments "that legally contain endangered wildlife products like exotic hardwoods, ivory or tortoise shell." should have a passport to make international travel easier, reducing the need for import/export permits. Not something that troubles me, though how you establish that the exotic content is legal may be difficult and as always in these matters the cost is never mentioned!! Jake