Auction at Bonhams

[Alex West]

4 concertinas went under the hammer today. Bonhams excelled themselves by calling all of them "English" concertinas, which whilst strictly correct (they were all made in England weren't they?) doesn't really help to describe them. With all the helpful advice they've been given over the years and the high value some of the boxes pull in, you'd have thought they would bother to do the most basic research to be able to describe them properly and find out what the keys are. On the other hand, maybe they figure that they can get high enough prices without doing the research by getting us to do the work for them!

 

The only two which sold were the Anglos. A rather nice looking top of the range 40 key Linota from 1923 went for £3,900 including premium and VAT and a rather scruffy looking 30 bone button C Jeffries went for £4,420.

 

The Wheatstone 46 key Maccann duet and Wheatstone EC didn't sell. They reached about £600 - £800 (I couldn't hear very well) but obviously failed to reach their estimate and reserve.

 

With the Linota fetching that price, it makes the 1950s Wheatstones look to be very good value. And if a scruffy Jeffries fetches that much at Bonhams with all the work neeeding doing, why are some of the ebay instruments not fetching more?

 

Alex West

[fearfeasog]

4 concertinas went under the hammer today. Bonhams excelled themselves by calling all of them "English" concertinas, which whilst strictly correct (they were all made in England weren't they?) doesn't really help to describe them. With all the helpful advice they've been given over the years and the high value some of the boxes pull in, you'd have thought they would bother to do the most basic research to be able to describe them properly and find out what the keys are. On the other hand, maybe they figure that they can get high enough prices without doing the research by getting us to do the work for them!

 

The only two which sold were the Anglos. A rather nice looking top of the range 40 key Linota from 1923 went for £3,900 including premium and VAT and a rather scruffy looking 30 bone button C Jeffries went for £4,420.

 

The Wheatstone 46 key Maccann duet and Wheatstone EC didn't sell. They reached about £600 - £800 (I couldn't hear very well) but obviously failed to reach their estimate and reserve.

 

With the Linota fetching that price, it makes the 1950s Wheatstones look to be very good value. And if a scruffy Jeffries fetches that much at Bonhams with all the work neeeding doing, why are some of the ebay instruments not fetching more?

 

Alex West

 

(shhhhh!--you'll influence the market!)