Informal Ebay Appraisals

[grumpyhermit]

I don't know how feasible this would be, but since there has been so much discussion of Ebay auction concertinas, I was wondering if it would be possible for those who know a great deal about concertinas to give the newbies among us pointers about what we should be looking for or avoiding in an auction instrument. I don't want to step on any toes, if a discussion is posted of an instrument purchased by a member of the forum, commentary should be off-limits unless permission is granted. For example, on a recent Ebay auction, #2559703598,which was listed as a Lachenal English 48-button (key not specified), went for a song at just over $350 US dollars. Did it slip thru the cracks? Is there something there obviously wrong that a newbie wouldn't notice? This would be a great way for us to share knowledge and acquire expertise without working in a free-reed shop or being often exposed to the instruments. It might become the most popular part of the forum, who knows?

 

What do all of you think?

 

Bob G. Evans

[Eric Root]

Well, the colored bone buttons reveal the instrument to be a learner's instrument, at the bottom of the heap quality-wise. Although better, _if it were in good shape_, than a Stagi, it's being sold "as-is," which normally means the seller is making no promises about its condition. It might need a lot of expensive work, after which you'd only have an instrument slightly better than a Stagi.

 

-Eric Root

 

BTW, English concertinas are chromatic and don't normally come in "keys".

[grumpyhermit]

-Eric Root

 

BTW, English concertinas are chromatic and don't normally come in "keys".

I wasn't certain of the terminology, but English do come in Treble, Baritone, etc., like saxophones, correct? What is the correct term?

 

Thanks for correcting me, by the way.

 

Bob G. Evans

[Samantha]

Grumpyhermit, I fear that your question, whilst appearing reasonable is rather like asking a qualified motor engineer to comment on the second hand cars sold at an auction one week, and then acting on his comments at a different auction the following week. What you may learn about past auction sales will not necessarily have any relevance for the next instrument to come up (even if it is the same make, model etc).

There truly are very many parts to a concertina, any or all of which could be faulty or broken on an ebay offering, and all of which take time, money or both to fix. That is all that the cautions on this board about ebay purchases are about, not about keeping "gems" out of the hands of beginners.

 

Samantha

(I am not a dealer, nor someone who has any intention of buying a concertina via ebay )