Record Price For A Concertina?

[Geoff Wooff]

well, Geoff, I DID cite numerous variables in expressing shock at the idea of 20K to 25K UK sterling for a concertina. There was a passel of 'em, with drown-out-ability coming up the rear. On the other hand, I must say that having a provocative effect has never come with so little effort. I'll try to lob another bomb in the next thread, but not sure I can match those results . . . . . . I am a US $ consumer. and 20K to 25K UK Sterling equals lots, and lots, and lots, of US $$$$s. Lot$.

 

 

Where do you get this £20k- 25k figure from Cee ? I've never seen any concertina offered for that sort of money.

And, Concertinas are not inordinately expensive as musical instruments go... unless one insists on paying crazy money. My Band instrument is 117 years old and still plays wonderfully, often under extreme conditions of abuse and only cost me £2k in a quite recent private purchase.

 

 

[Wolf Molkentin]

On MelNet there has a similar discussion sprung up from another topic...

[ceemonster]

[[[Where do you get this 20k to 25k figure from Cee?]]]

 

The thread of this conversation seems to have gotten tangled a bit. If you review this thread, my comment was in response to a post saying somebody was under the impression that that price range was in play for fine vintage concertinas. Which to my knowledge is not the case, which was a relief to that poster. But in the course of straightening that out, I commented, antically, sheesh, blah, blah, blah. . . .

 

I also recall that Gibson banjos dating from about late 1920s to 1940, known in the bluegrass banjo subculture as "prewars," have been known to sell in the $200K range. I'm not endorsing that, I think it is ridiculous. But market gossip can definitely be an irresistible pastime . . .

Edited June 24, 2015 by ceemonster

[Roger Hare]

To clarify the matter, it was me, with my little bow and arrow, who set this particular hare running. Here is my original post:

 

I'm stuck up a river in France with a very dodgy internet connection, so I'll

keep it simple - someone just asked me, "what was the highest price ever

paid for a concertina?".

 

I didn't know the answer, but speculated that the price range might be in the region of £20k-£25k. A guess based on

no 'evidence' at all, other than the fact that working, antique concertinas are (IMO) often very fine examples of mid-late

Victorian 'engineering' as well as being rather nice musical instruments, and as such, might command prices in this

region (I was wrong!). The same applies to more modern instruments, of course.

 

In doing this, I seem to have started a bit of a 'rammie'. Honest 'guv, I didn't mean to do it...

 

Roger

Edited June 24, 2015 by lachenal74693

[Geoff Wooff]

To clarify the matter, it was me, with my little bow and arrow, who set this particular hare running. Here is my original post:

 

I'm stuck up a river in France with a very dodgy internet connection, so I'll

keep it simple - someone just asked me, "what was the highest price ever

paid for a concertina?".

I didn't know the answer, but speculated that the price range might be in the region of £20k-£25k. A guess based on

no 'evidence' at all, other than the fact that working, antique concertinas are (IMO) often very fine examples of mid-late

Victorian 'engineering' as well as being rather nice musical instruments, and as such, might command prices in this

region (I was wrong!). The same applies to more modern instruments, of course.

 

In doing this, I seem to have started a bit of a 'rammie'. Honest 'guv, I didn't mean to do it...

 

Roger

 

 

To be fair many old concertinas do rate as very fine pieces of Victorian engineering/ musical instruments ... but the operative word is 'many' . Because they were made using cottage industry techniques ( where one person specialises in a particular operation, being paid pitifully poor wages for the most part) the quality/price was such that the survival rate is quite high.

 

It never ceases to amaze me that old Jeffries and Wheatstones still keep turning up in grandma attics, when we've been reviving the use of this old London made squeezebox for the last 50 years.

 

So, Rare they might be globally speaking but there appears to be sufficient numbers to just about go around. Where our Grandparents might have owned one there are plenty of us who now own several. This tempers prices.