Bentley In A Barn?

[Dave Prebble]

I've just had a phone call from a bin man who picked up an old leather box out of the rubbish and found a 48 key Aeola inside! He is a very happy man.

 

 

Send him a keyboard layout and the dots for the 'Dancing Dustman'

 

Dave

[Chris Timson]

You have trash cans, we have dustbins. Therefore we have (dust)bin men and you have garbage collectors - go figure!

And of course we have the Royal Mail that delivers the post, while you have the Post Office that delivers the mail!

 

How's this for being honourable! About 5 years ago Anne was exhibiting at a gifts trade fair and she got talking to a neighbouring exhibitor. Somehow the topic of concertinas came up and this lass said that she had a concertina belonging to her late husband that she didn't know what to do with, so Anne suggested that she talk to me. Well, it was jackpot time. She had a 30 button Jeffries C/G renovated by Crabbs back in the late '70s. Beautiful box to play. I'm certain I could have spun her a yarn about it being a valuable instrument and I'll offer, oooh, as much as a thousand pounds for it. I didn't. I told her its real worth and sent her to Chris Algar who gave her 2700 pounds.

 

Every now and again (like now) I get my halo out and give it a quick brush up. That's all I ever got out of it because I never heard from her again. It was Chris who told me how much he paid for it!

 

Chris

[joatmon]

You have trash cans, we have dustbins. Therefore we have (dust)bin men and you have garbage collectors - go figure!

And of course we have the Royal Mail that delivers the post, while you have the Post Office that delivers the mail!

 

How's this for being honourable! About 5 years ago Anne was exhibiting at a gifts trade fair and she got talking to a neighbouring exhibitor. Somehow the topic of concertinas came up and this lass said that she had a concertina belonging to her late husband that she didn't know what to do with, so Anne suggested that she talk to me. Well, it was jackpot time. She had a 30 button Jeffries C/G renovated by Crabbs back in the late '70s. Beautiful box to play. I'm certain I could have spun her a yarn about it being a valuable instrument and I'll offer, oooh, as much as a thousand pounds for it. I didn't. I told her its real worth and sent her to Chris Algar who gave her 2700 pounds.

 

Every now and again (like now) I get my halo out and give it a quick brush up. That's all I ever got out of it because I never heard from her again. It was Chris who told me how much he paid for it!

 

Chris

Ah Chris, well done lad! May her husband play you in with Harp & Anglo.

[jburke]

Entertaining thread, thank you for initiating...treasure scores aside, here's how to find a good concertina:

 

1. Buy a cheap instrument in the right key and type for the music you want to learn, so that you can learn the buttons and develop bad playing habits.

 

2. Hock instruments you no longer have time to play. Use to pay for Noel Hill summer school, and to prime your purchasing fund.

 

3. At school, look pitiful with your wretched concertina & jingle coins in your pocket.

 

4. One day, a traveling banjo player, or a traveling nuclear power plant inspector will appear on your doorstep with a concertina. Be ready with the cash.

 

It works!

 

J.

[richard]

Hello

 

I wish I could describe the great concertina I found at the estate sale or at the flea market...that is my No. 1 fantasy.

 

But I did get struck by a great bit of fortune Last winter. I was driving in a neighborhood in San Francisco. I noticed a pile of junk on a corner. Within the pile I noticed a folded up rug that had that lovely pomagranite red of the lovely persian rug that I always wanted.

 

I parked my car and went over to the pile. It looked as if someone had cleaned out their garage. There was an old backpack and such, and the rug. I opened up the rug and it was a beautiful persian rug, not small, about 5" by 8". It did smell of mildew which, I assume, is why it was just chucked out with the other jetsum. I scared my wife when I brought it inside with in 2 large plastic bags. She didn't want to see it. She changed her tune after it was cleaned and didn't smell of mildew.

 

It is a very pretty rug, wool on wool, and a sign from the great magnet.

 

Richard

[joatmon]

Entertaining thread, thank you for initiating...treasure scores aside, here's how to find a good concertina:

 

1. Buy a cheap instrument in the right key and type for the music you want to learn, so that you can learn the buttons and develop bad playing habits.

 

2. Hock instruments you no longer have time to play. Use to pay for Noel Hill summer school, and to prime your purchasing fund.

 

3. At school, look pitiful with your wretched concertina & jingle coins in your pocket.

 

4. One day, a traveling banjo player, or a traveling nuclear power plant inspector will appear on your doorstep with a concertina. Be ready with the cash.

 

It works!

 

J.

Thanks for the complement! I see this has earned the hot topic icon. Now if all those amused viewers who are not members as yet would join in the fun, I'm sure they have their own treasured memories to share. This topic was started with concertinas in mind, but a treasure found is a treasure to be celebrated! Please take a moment to join. While I'm at it I would like to send out a hearty "WELL DONE" to our webmaster for building this site and maintaining it so well. KUDOS Paul Schwartz!!!

[DDF]

Well you wait thirty years for one to come along and guess what, along comes another.Been out this afternoon after being contacted by an old dealer friend who had bought a concertina in with some other antique bits and bobs.This time the internet was used for information and by the time I got to see it he was able to tell me it was an anglo,C Jeffries,very desirable etc.Although I had to pay real money this time I was delighted to have been given the chance to buy it fresh to the market,as it were.I think the tuning is a bit unusual as it appears to be B/F#.The bargains may not be out there any more but it is amazing what can turn up.Regards, David.

[Dieppe]

Well you wait thirty years for one to come along and guess what, along comes another.Been out this afternoon after being contacted by an old dealer friend who had bought a concertina in with some other antique bits and bobs.This time the internet was used for information and by the time I got to see it he was able to tell me it was an anglo,C Jeffries,very desirable etc.Although I had to pay real money this time I was delighted to have been given the chance to buy it fresh to the market,as it were.I think the tuning is a bit unusual as it appears to be B/F#.The bargains may not be out there any more but it is amazing what can turn up.Regards, David.

 

Sometimes though Real Junk can show up on eBay. I do wonder what it used to be though, but even for $1 I wouldn't buy it for parts. Someone might thought!

[DDF]

Well you wait thirty years for one to come along and guess what, along comes another.Been out this afternoon after being contacted by an old dealer friend who had bought a concertina in with some other antique bits and bobs.This time the internet was used for information and by the time I got to see it he was able to tell me it was an anglo,C Jeffries,very desirable etc.Although I had to pay real money this time I was delighted to have been given the chance to buy it fresh to the market,as it were.I think the tuning is a bit unusual as it appears to be B/F#.The bargains may not be out there any more but it is amazing what can turn up.Regards, David.

 

Sometimes though Real Junk can show up on eBay. I do wonder what it used to be though, but even for $1 I wouldn't buy it for parts. Someone might thought!

I would think at $1 starting price and wwhat seems to be an honest description someone would be very happy to have a go at buying it and rebuilding it.Those german models are not all that technical but are (when restored) still better than a lot of the chinese boxes.Regards, David.