Not Sure How to Sell a Concertina

[Bethan]

Hello!

I thought this might be a good place to ask for advice on selling a concertina! I have a Wheatstone 1956 concertina! Been looking and searching for it's value for some time but no fixed idea and wish to get a better sense of it's value before I put it up for sale, but also wondered if there is a good place to sell Concertinas, or people that are interested in them that I could contact!

Thank you for anyone's time in advance!

Best Regards,

Bethan

[Steve_freereeder]

Hi Bethan,

 

This is as good a place as any to advertise your concertina!

 

The value of a concertina depends on all sorts of things, but main criteria would be, condition, age, make, serial number (if visible), types of reeds, e.g: steel, brass, accordion reeds or traditional concertina reeds (there is a huge difference!). Also people will want to know the type of concertina: Anglo, English, Duet, etc.

 

It's a good idea to give a general location (e.g. 'this concertina is located in Manchester, UK'), whether you are prepared to ship overseas, and whether you will allow personal visitors to inspect and try out the instrument (difficult in these coronavirus times, I know).

 

Finally, and almost of prime importance, people will want to see PHOTOS! You can post photos as attachments to messages on this forum, but there is a file size limit, so you may need to reduce the size of your images, or use an on-line file size reducer before posting on here. The sort of photos people like are views of each end of the concertina plus a sideways view with the bellows extended.

 

You can ask for offers or further enquiries via this public forum or via the private message (PM) system. If you sell the concertina on here, it's generally expected to then make a donation to help the upkeep of the forum.

[Don Taylor]

You could try Chris Algar at Barleycorn:

http://www.concertina.co.uk/

[LateToTheGame]

The value of Wheatstones varies greatly by year of manufacture and, of course, condition.   If you are in the US you could contact The Button Box in MA to give it a look. Or maybe Greg Jowaisas who is a restorer (gjoaisas@ioptics.com) could give you an opinion.  In the UK there is Chris Algar at Barleycorn concertinas. There are others that members may mention.   A 1956 concertina is not one of the highly valued years as the internal mechanisms changed over the years.  But if it is in good condition it  could be an instrument that someone would enjoy a great deal.   There is currently a 1952 Wheatstone on Ebay that is described as highly playable in restored condition.   It is listed at $2400 and has not moved in over two weeks.  

 

Are there any concertina players near you?   A hands on look by someone who plays will give you an idea if it is operating properly. 

 

If you were trying to sell it here or online most buyers would want to know if it is a restoration job or ready to play.   People will likely ask for photos of both the outside and the inside.  Taking apart a concertina is not rocket science but it is a bit daunting for someone who has never done it.      

 

Good Luck with your Sale 

[David Barnert]

46 minutes ago, LateToTheGame said:

Or maybe Greg Jowaisas who is a restorer (gjoaisas@ioptics.com) could give you an opinion.

 

I have it as gjowaisas@fioptics.com .  That’s how he listed it at last year’s NorthEast Squeeze-In (NESI).

[Jim2010]

3 minutes ago, David Barnert said:

 

I have it as gjowaisas@fioptics.com .  That’s how he listed it at last year’s NorthEast Squeeze-In (NESI).

 

David is correct.

gjowaisas@fioptics.com

[LateToTheGame]

17 hours ago, Jim2010 said:

 

David is correct.

gjowaisas@fioptics.com

Thanks for the corrections, typos seem to be my specialty.