help pricing a 20 button Lachenal

[mcdoogla]

Hi All,

 

Writers write and concertina players play the concertina. I bought a 20 button Lachenal (serial 141635) from Ebay back in 2001, when, coincidentally, I was trying to write a novel. I sent it off to The Button Box for a complete overhaul and tuning. It's a 20 button C/G. I started teaching myself to play and to read music and was really pleased with myself and the nice little box. In the next year I got married, bought a car, and had a daughter, and I've barely had a moment to play since then. I didn't save this thing from slowly dissolving in some antique store to not see it played, so I'm thinking of selling it. I have no idea what it is worth. I saw one on the classifieds for ~$500 or so. What do you think? It has rosewood ends, not the really fancy ones either. What more would you need to know?

 

The novel is half-finished in my desk, too, but I know what that's worth!

 

Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

cheers

doug reilly

[TomB-R]

Prob just my ignorance but I'm not sure what a Rosewood without the "fancy ends" would look like.

 

An Ebay "completed listings" search can be very helpful as to what things actually went for, (I think you have to be signed in.)

 

Recollection says that on Ebay UK Mahogany ended 20s seem to go for something in the region of £200-250 when in playing order and the fancier rosewood ones for a bit more, say £250-£300.

 

As an example of a dealer price, Hobgoblin are asking £399 for this mahogany 20.

http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/shbigpic.php?Code=47MA021

 

 

I think these little chaps are great value as there's lots of music in them, and even more learning, but neraly everyone demands 30 buttons.

Best of luck

Tom

[mcdoogla]

Tom,

Thanks so much. I believe I'm mistaken and ignorant, not you. My concertina looks just like the one you linked to from Hobgoblin, so I guess that's Mahogany ends and not rosewood.

Cheers

doug

[Greg Jowaisas]

Btw a rosewood (veneer) 30b Lachenal with simple fretwork is pictured on the Hobgoblin site: 47MA116 for 1250GBP.

 

The 20b Lachenals might be graded as plain frets mahogany; plain frets dark wood (which is usually a top veneer of rosewood); 20b rosewood with ornate fretwork. Steel reeds generally trumping brass reeds, although I've come across some "lower end" Lachenals that had excellent brass reeds.

 

I have not dealt with Hobgoblin but IMHO their prices seem optimistically high perhaps? leaving room for negotiations.

 

Doug, it seems to me the strong suit of your instrument is that it was reconditioned by a reputable dealer that knows concertinas. That and the fact it is in tune and playing well should be a big part of your sales pitch to justify whatever your asking price might be.

 

I share Tom's enthusiasm for a good playing 20b. They can be marvelous instruments often neglected in the race to have more buttons.

 

Greg

[Geoff Wooff]

.

 

An Ebay "completed listings" search can be very helpful as to what things actually went for, (I think you have to be signed in.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom,

can you explain how to do an Ebay "complete listings" search, please?

 

Geoff.

[mcdoogla]

First, run a normal search on ebay for "Lachenal". Now, on the left hand panel of the results page, down a bit, there's a box that says completed listings. Click that and it will show you only the completed ones. You do have to be signed in to ebay to access this.

 

There are no 20 button refurbished lachenal concertinas in the recent (searchable) history....

[mcdoogla]

I remember Mario, who did the work on it, spoke pretty highly of it's sound. There was one bad reed, which he replaced with a steel one. I always tried to listen for a different volume on the steel-reeded note, and could not find any difference. It's a lovely instrument, I hate to part with it! I'll post it here on the Buy Sell first. Thanks everyone.