if I buy an old concertina

[Nisse]

from France or UK, can I have it sendt directly for restauration and where? Can a restaurator help to estimate the cost of a restauration from the ad on ebay before bidding?

[Dirge]

from France or UK, can I have it sendt directly for restauration and where? Can a restaurator help to estimate the cost of a restauration from the ad on ebay before bidding?

I often do exactly that; buy an instrument from NZ and get it sent straight to my trusted expert in England where I collect it some months later. Works for me and by carrying it home hand luggage, ready to swear I've owned it for years, I save various taxes too.

 

Paul and Ken, should we have a Tax Evasion forum as well, do you think?

[Nisse]

I often do exactly that; buy an instrument from NZ and get it sent straight to my trusted expert in England where I collect it some months later. Works for me and by carrying it home hand luggage, ready to swear I've owned it for years, I save various taxes too.

 

Paul and Ken, should we have a Tax Evasion forum as well, do you think?

 

Mmm... A member of my family is going to UK next month, and me to France ... That's why I ask... But even if it is not possible to collect it myself, I do not have much use of an instrument needing restauration, so better send it to an expert who can fix it and send it over...

Edited November 14, 2011 by Nisse

[hielandman]

from France or UK, can I have it sendt directly for restauration and where? Can a restaurator help to estimate the cost of a restauration from the ad on ebay before bidding?

I often do exactly that; buy an instrument from NZ and get it sent straight to my trusted expert in England where I collect it some months later. Works for me and by carrying it home hand luggage, ready to swear I've owned it for years, I save various taxes too.

 

Paul and Ken, should we have a Tax Evasion forum as well, do you think?

 

That is funny!

[malcolmbebb]

If you have a restorer in mind, I guess you could ask them about their end. And maybe give an estimate of weight, if you have an idea of what you might buy.

 

The previously recommended Lachenal beginners' instruments are quite light, at least Anglos, and you will be able to honestly say it's being returned from repair.

 

As for the seller - you'll just have to ask but if it's a UK seller they may prefer sending to a UK destination anyway.

 

I guess you could ask the restorer to return it for you if they deemed it unrepairable. You might have to ask very nicely, though.

 

I personally bought a 20b Lachenal from Ebay and got it restored. It cost less that way than buying from a dealer, and it worked for me. It has a few more quirks than the Rochelle but it's light, small and portable. It's the first box I pick up, but then I don't presently have much requirement for the extra keys.

Edited November 15, 2011 by malcolmbebb

[Nisse]

I do not yet have a restaurator in mind, but just to know if someone's done that before... I would ask very very nicely of course

I see that there is more boxes to sell in UK than in France, and some sellers won't sell international, so that is why I think it convenient to get it restored in UK before sending it further to me. As far as I know there is no one to do the job in my town and I do not want to ask someone who has never seen such an instrument before...

Edited November 15, 2011 by Nisse

[spindizzy]

I do not yet have a restaurator in mind, but just to know if someone's done that before... I would ask very very nicely of course

I see that there is more boxes to sell in UK than in France, and some sellers won't sell international, so that is why I think it convenient to get it restored in UK before sending it further to me. As far as I know there is no one to do the job in my town and I do not want to ask someone who has never seen such an instrument before...

 

You might do better if visiting the Uk, to make a trip to someone like Chris Algar (Barleycorn concertinas) who has many, many concertinas in playing order to sell. You may save money buying on ebay and sending for restoration. but you are also risking buying something that be in much poorer condition than the seller says and find that it costs a lot more to repair than you think. (or of course, you could be lucky :-) ). The chain of Hobgoblin shops around the UK usually also have a few concertinas for sale, and some of the restorers like Theo at the Box Place http://www.theboxplace.co.uk/ (Bother I should have gone looked at Theo's website - a very nice Edeophone there!)

It probably depends where you can most easily get to.

 

Chris

[Nisse]

Hi Chris,

that would of course be the best solution, but if I had to travel to UK, then the price of the concertina would be at least doubled with the plane ticket... One of my relatives is travelling there for work next month, but he would have no time to travel inland, and anyway he is not the one I would trust to choose a musical instrument... On the other hand, he could perhaps pick it up at Chris

Edited November 15, 2011 by Nisse

[JimLucas]

I do not yet have a restaurator in mind, but just to know if someone's done that before... I would ask very very nicely of course

I see that there is more boxes to sell in UK than in France, and some sellers won't sell international, so that is why I think it convenient to get it restored in UK before sending it further to me. As far as I know there is no one to do the job in my town and I do not want to ask someone who has never seen such an instrument before...

Although I don't see any really inexpensive anglos listed on Theo Gibb's web site right now, but I think it could be worthwhile to contact him. Ryanair prices between Oslo Rygge and Newcastle can be pretty cheap (less than 600 NOK return), although they don't fly that route every day.

[Nisse]

Although I don't see any really inexpensive anglos listed on Theo Gibb's web site right now, but I think it could be worthwhile to contact him. Ryanair prices between Oslo Rygge and Newcastle can be pretty cheap (less than 600 NOK return), although they don't fly that route every day.

Hi Jim and thanks for checking I think I will have to wait for my children to be older and me being a more engaged boxplayer before I take that option, but it is certainly a possibility one day

[saguaro_squeezer]

Biying from Theo or Chris is a better idea if you are uncertain. You have the advantage of their experience and abilities to find the right concertina, not just the cheapest. I haven't bought an instrument from Theo, yet, but I know that Chris sends insturments on a week's approval. So you don't have to travel, get one restored, have someone else carry it for you OR even keep it if you don't like how ti plays! Far less effort and risk, at least in my opinion. I've received my two boxes from Chris in about 3 days from the UK to the US.

 

It's a fun adventure, which ever way you choose!

Edited November 17, 2011 by saguaro_squeezer

[Nisse]

Biying from Theo or Chris is a better idea if you are uncertain. You have the advantage of their experience and abilities to find the right concertina, not just the cheapest. I haven't bought an instrument from Theo, yet, but I know that Chris sends insturments on a week's approval. So you don't have to travel, get one restored, have someone else carry it for you OR even keep it if you don't like how ti plays! Far less effort and risk, at least in my opinion. I've received my two boxes from Chris in about 3 days from the UK to the US.

 

It's a fun adventure, which ever way you choose!

and probably the best guarantee But I saw on Chris's netside that a good box starts at £600. Then I have to think it over...

[saguaro_squeezer]

Biying from Theo or Chris is a better idea if you are uncertain. You have the advantage of their experience and abilities to find the right concertina, not just the cheapest. I haven't bought an instrument from Theo, yet, but I know that Chris sends insturments on a week's approval. So you don't have to travel, get one restored, have someone else carry it for you OR even keep it if you don't like how ti plays! Far less effort and risk, at least in my opinion. I've received my two boxes from Chris in about 3 days from the UK to the US.

 

It's a fun adventure, which ever way you choose!

and probably the best guarantee But I saw on Chris's netside that a good box starts at £600. Then I have to think it over...

 

Send an email or give a call to Theo or Chris directly. I've done both (well, I haven't called Theo yet but have emailed him!) and always had a good response. Then you're able to describe your needs and ask questions.

Edited November 17, 2011 by saguaro_squeezer

[Nisse]

Send an email or give a call to Theo or Chris directly. I've done both (well, I haven't called Theo yet but have emailed him!) and always had a good response. Then you're able to describe your needs and ask questions.

Yes, I will do that when I have come so far

[Andy Holder]

Hi Nisse. I have been restoring instruments for a little while now. I have by no means got as much experience with reeds as Chris but I have been a woodworker and cabinet maker for 25 years. I would be happy to talk about a refurb of an eBay box. The problem, as with any historic item is how much to conserve and how much to restore. Do you preserve the patina or do you make it look like new? Only the owner can decide.

Andy.

[Nisse]

Hi Andy, thanks for your proposal, but I just bought a new concertina, so it will take some months or years before I am back on this subject now. But perhaps someone else would be interested

[malcolmbebb]

So what did you end up with?

[cjmiller]

Not to hijack this thread, but on the subject of restoration or repair, what sort timeline are we talking about?

 

Let's say I fall in love with an old English Wheatstone on ebay, one that's complete, and basically in one piece, but probably needs tuning, pads, some bellow patching--the usual stuff a concertina that's been in the attic for 60 years will probably need. I buy it and send it off to Theo, or Greg, or The Buttonbox, or whoever. At that point are we talking 6 months, 3 months, one month? What's a realistic period of time to have a playable instrument in my hands again after I send it off?