Erik Murray

found a link that worked with Concertina Connection, straps ordered

Good leads there, thank you. I forgot about that information or where it was

I'm in Florida, USA. The instrument has no straps on it. I'll make some from alligator if necessary but I hoped something more or less standard that works with the known makers typical arrangement would be available. I can modify as necessary.

Where can I buy a set of hand straps appropriate for an old Lachenal anglo? I have not been involved in concertina world for a while. Button Box doesn't seem to show any. Concertina Connection has some but click on buy is a dead end. Ebay is dubious. Can someone recommend a quality source? I'm used to what I had on a Dipper restored Jeffries.

no longer available

I don't think making a take it or leave it offer should be considered a tactic, in a negative sense. Conducting an auction here is as much a tactic and I have no real problem with any of it. That said, I participate in a woodworking machine forum where auctions are not allowed in the buy and sell. You have to give a price. If it doesn't sell you can lower the price. It seems to work and in general those forums have the least bickering about nonsense and misunderstanding that I've seen anywhere in such forums. Nice concertina, good luck with the sale. E

I wouldn't know about the desire on anyone's part to shift concertinas to desirable locations but it makes perfect sense for well known dealers to pay top dollar for rare items. Maybe there won't be much actual profit on any given thing but the dealer remains the known source and price levels remain high. If the money isn't tied up too long it all looks good to me and who could resist a chance to have something new pass through his hands? We potential buyers are stuck with the consolation that the instrument will be treated right but it sure is no fun to know that the big guys are always going to get everything that comes up. I wonder if anyone has a program that sets off alarms or a cell phone if a Jeffries with "Buy it Now" shows up on Ebay. EM

I'll second the luggage make up case idea. My wife came up with one of those somewhere and I recognized it immediately as a concertina case, if a bit extra long. Try thrift stores, which is where my favorite alternate case came from. Some camera "gadget bags" will nicely accomodate a concertina and my wife brought this one home also. She paid under a dollar for it and it had a flash unit in it that I sold on Ebay for $75. This was ridiculously lucky, of course, but I'll tell you why I would pay full price for one of these. It can be crushed but it is fairly rigid with foam padding built into it and there are additional padded dividers inside that can be arranged in different ways and I use those to protect the instrument further. The other important thing is the shoulder strap. I go out carrying several instrument cases and that hard little cube with a handle on top is pretty awkward. This camera bag offers enough protection from the usual bumping around against other cases in the car or whatever. Who would load valuable instruments with unstable heavy crushing objects anyway? Also, there are other handy pockets on it. That being said, if you carry your concertina into bad neighborhoods maybe a plywood cube that can be used as a weapon is, after all, a better idea. EM

No, no! That's under the top! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Right! I should have thought of that. E

It's beautiful. I'm amused by the idea of it seeming over the top or weird in any way. I mean, I get it that Wheatstone etc. didn't do sunbursts but it seems pretty conservative. When a friend put a clear head on his banjo I suggested he then install a flashing neon shamrock inside. That's what I call over the top. He didn't go for it. E

This particular "seller" has identified himself as the same who has sent email offers of similar instruments to bidders on other auctions. I got that same picture and description when I asked about one of those bogus offers. E

Here is where we've read the listing text: http://www.sosyourmom.com/devellis/jef.html There is a picture right there too. I guess that was too much trouble to bother with. E

That description seems familiar. I think it may have been lifted from a website describing a concertina that wasn't even for sale. I'd bet on it being a bogus listing. E

I was looking for this record a while back and was just notified of it's availability here: http://www.musicstack.com/item.cgi?item=67...find=John+Kelly I got someone to copy the music for me and I'm not in the mood to pay that much for a record right now. There seems to be a couple of versions of the cover and one has a cool picture of him with a concertina. I could almost talk myself into getting it for that, if it is that one, but I'm passing it on here. E

No Jim, you got it wrong. I just find the idea of someone saying "you don't deserve it" obnoxious. I have no idea who this person is. It's all very simple. If she was selling something I wanted I would probably get over it even if I found I didn't like her. What's with all the analysis? It's just an opinion about the idea of someone not deserving an instrument. Henk is pleased with the concertina he got but I'd hate to think that passing up the Wheatstone was influenced by that remark. I certainly never meant to imply that anyone doesn't have a right to an opinion. It's just that it's sometimes rude or inappropriate to express opinions. E

Henk had the expression "you don't deserve it" in bold letters and quotes. I think I understand that that was not exactly what was said. What are we being accused of for reacting negatively to a salesperson saying that? No one called for the woman's execution, that I noticed. Have we betrayed feelings of inadequacy, imagining various things about this woman and our instruments!

I'd like to think I would conclude that I would buy nothing from someone who said such a thing. I can't think of a context to take that as anything but obnoxious. Who does she think she is? The profit taking guardian of precious objects? E

I'll bet those strap screws aren't in there for long. The instrument certainly deserves better. The bellows looks new but the worn wood under the straps shows it has been well loved. I'm curious as to how a restored instrument came to be sold by someone who doesn't seem to know much about it. Well, it is said to sound lovely so I guess it isn't 30 buttons of bird whistles and baby cries. E

I also watched the end of this auction with the thought that it might be possible to buy the thing for half of what it went for or slightly more. Oh well, everyone's got to make a living. If I become a billionaire anytime soon maybe I'll buy all the good concertinas on Ebay and give them to a low bidder. I'll let you know. As long as Ebay is going to just be entertainment for most of us, as far as good concertinas go, I wish the dealers would list their high end instruments. It would be nice to know what's out there and what it costs without feeling like you are wasting someone's time by not being ready to buy. We won't consider it undignified if prices are listed online. Hooray Button Box, if only you had more used anglos. Now, let's see who buys the Jeffries! Can discussion list chat influence the market? E

Topic/Free Reed (London) as: 12TFRS502 - Clare Concertinas - Bernard O'Sullivan and Tommy MacMahon. 12TFRS503 - The Flowing Tide - Chris Droney 12TFRS504 - Fiddle and Concertina Player - John Kelly 12TFRS505 - Irish Traditional Music of County Clare - Bernard O'Sullivan and Tommy MacMahon. 12TFRS506 - Irish Traditional Concertina Styles - Various players. E

I didn't take it that way. I understand the potential for variation in original quality and current condition. I have a Jeffries. Photographs are the only way I know some of the others. I'm still at the stage of learning the more general things. I'm interested in things like who made Anglos when and which were and are considered best and why. I'll buy the book if you write it. E

Thanks Paul, for confirming what I suspected about Crabb, Ball Beavon etc. From the pictures they look to be the same sort of quality. I have a Jeffries I'm pleased with but I'd like to try some different things as time goes on. I hope our worldwide discussion doesn't raise the price of everything too quickly. E

Yes, following on from that thread I'd say it must be a "very special" concertina and might change hands for a large sum. I was hoping there were things like that out there from that period that might be as good as a Jeffries but less costly. E

I have asked, under another topic, what is a "Very Special Jeffries". Maybe I've found the answer here. It's one that pulls and doesn't suck? E

What makes a "very special Jeffries"? That seems to suggest something more than just one person's opinion of the sound and feel of the action. E