Reasonable prices for Lachenal anglos and EC's?

[jrintaha]

Well, it seems I'm getting deep enough in this concertina thing, that the two 20-key Lachenal anglos I have don't quite cut it any longer. Both were purchased in need of restoration, one is almost in complete playing order now, the other needs to be tuned to concert pitch and some bellows work when I have the time.

 

So I'm asking what would be a reasonable price to pay for a Lachenal 30-key anglo or 48-key English? (The duet, due to its peculiar button layout, doesn't seem that enticing to me - I feel I wouldn't have the time to learn it even remotely properly.) I guess I'd be more inclined to buy one in need of restoration, because I love working on these boxes, and am very interested in their inner workings. I don't think I'll be getting a Wheatstone worth several grand quite yet - the Department of Time and Money said I'll get one only after she gets her industrial sewing station and made-to-shape earplugs.

 

Also, what would be a fair price to ask for a fully restored (cleaned, woodwork + bellows repaired, pads replaced, levers bushed, reeds tuned etc.) 20-key Lachenal? I've already got a queue of people who want to borrow my other box when I get around to tuning it properly - seems that little box garnered quite a bit of attention when I showed it to a couple of friends. (Might be the only ones of their kind in this corner of the Earth.) One wanted to buy it right away, but as I couldn't say a fair price, I told him he could borrow it when I get it in working order.

 

Thanks in advance,

Jori

[Daniel Hersh]

Well, it seems I'm getting deep enough in this concertina thing, that the two 20-key Lachenal anglos I have don't quite cut it any longer. Both were purchased in need of restoration, one is almost in complete playing order now, the other needs to be tuned to concert pitch and some bellows work when I have the time.

 

So I'm asking what would be a reasonable price to pay for a Lachenal 30-key anglo or 48-key English? (The duet, due to its peculiar button layout, doesn't seem that enticing to me - I feel I wouldn't have the time to learn it even remotely properly.) I guess I'd be more inclined to buy one in need of restoration, because I love working on these boxes, and am very interested in their inner workings. I don't think I'll be getting a Wheatstone worth several grand quite yet - the Department of Time and Money said I'll get one only after she gets her industrial sewing station and made-to-shape earplugs.

 

Also, what would be a fair price to ask for a fully restored (cleaned, woodwork + bellows repaired, pads replaced, levers bushed, reeds tuned etc.) 20-key Lachenal? I've already got a queue of people who want to borrow my other box when I get around to tuning it properly - seems that little box garnered quite a bit of attention when I showed it to a couple of friends. (Might be the only ones of their kind in this corner of the Earth.) One wanted to buy it right away, but as I couldn't say a fair price, I told him he could borrow it when I get it in working order.

 

Thanks in advance,

Jori

For unrestored prices, I would suggest watching eBay for a month or two. These Lachenals come up fairly often. For a restored 20-button,

here is one that recently sold on eBay for about $500 US. I would consider that to be toward the high end for pricing for a restored 20-button mahogany-ended Lachenal, since the seller is a dealer with a very good reputation and he says that this one "plays well for a budget instrument and is a very good example if you are looking for a 20 key."

Edited March 11, 2012 by Daniel Hersh

[Alex West]

And I sold a fully restored rosewood ended model recently for just over £200, which I reckon is probably at the low end.

 

A restored 30 button Lachenal would be £1,500 at the bottom end and upwards of £2,000 at the top end I'd say. An unrestored one went for £432 recently which (taking into account restoration costs and dealers profits) would support this range

 

Alex West

[Theo]

Chris Algar has some general guidance on prices on his website Barlyecorn Concertinas. The prices are from 2009, but they give you a general idea. My impression is that top quality ECs have gone up a bit since then, but anglo prices have not moved much if at all.

 

You can also look through the instruments available from various retailers with an online presence to get a feel for prices being charged by the trade.

Edited March 11, 2012 by Theo

[jrintaha]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. So I take it that this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110837082055, for instance, isn't quite worth the £300 asked? Brass reeds, probably in very bad condition, 4 fold bellows. Then again, this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lachenal-48-Key-English-Concertina-Original-Case-No-54190-/280841299282 is going at £200 and there's a week of bidding time left. Hard to image it wouldn't go over £300. This one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/antique-concertina-/260971284238 might be worth watching? (Someone's gone through the trouble of adding new baffles by the looks of it, so maybe it's been taken care of properly.)

 

Cheers,

Jori

[Theo]

Lower end Lachenal ECs are very variable in quality, some are quite decent players, others are dire. Reed quality is very variable, with very late models with brass reeds being particularly uninspiring. Add in the uncertain state of repair of items offer on ebay and you are entering a lottery as well as an auction! If at all possible look for ebay offers that are near enough to visit and try before bidding.

[Daniel Hersh]

Lower end Lachenal ECs are very variable in quality, some are quite decent players, others are dire. Reed quality is very variable, with very late models with brass reeds being particularly uninspiring. Add in the uncertain state of repair of items offer on ebay and you are entering a lottery as well as an auction! If at all possible look for ebay offers that are near enough to visit and try before bidding.

Good points. Since you may not be able to try before you buy, you might consider buying from a reputable dealer. I know that Chris Algar of Barleycorn Concertinas at least occasionally sells unrestored instruments, and I think that you can count on him to give you an honest and knowledgeable description of the quality and condition of his concertinas.