Accordion Advice

[Norton AL]

My father-in-law had this in his shed - wanted to know is it worth saving by someone, if so where would I advertise it?
It seems to work but two end keys seem not quite right. With case.

 

[colinm]

Basic model , you may get £50 for it

 

[Scuromondo]

Very nice looking instrument to learn on! But hearing that it spent time in a shed unfortunately does not bode well for its overall health. Hopefully it did not spend more than a few minutes in there!

 

[Tom]

My father-in-law had this in his shed - wanted to know is it worth saving by someone, if so where would I advertise it?
It seems to work but two end keys seem not quite right. With case.

Craigslist, ebay or Facebook marketplace. Or here, on this forum. People are looking for accordions to restore.

 

[debra]

Like Scuromondo already said, an accordion stored in a shed is a very bad idea. This accordion would be worth only a few hundred (dollar, euro, pound) when in perfect condition, but to bring this one back into perfect condition is very likely going to cost more than a few hundred... so sadly this accordion has no economic value, only emotional value.

 

[Ben-jammin]

so sadly this accordion has no economic value, only emotional value.

I would specify no economic value as a musical instrument. Still has some market value as an accordion for someone to practice repairs on or as a curiosity.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Ben, the value is in its potential. Since the op seems to not know the exact condition, it may be perfectly playable with minor tweaks. We don't know where this shed is. Maybe in a very dry area like New Mexico. I am an eternal optimist where it comes to old cordeens and the distinctive odors in my shop confirms this, much to the chagrin of my generally understanding wife I may add.

 

[JeffJetton]

I would specify no economic value as a musical instrument. Still has some market value as an accordion for someone to practice repairs on or as a curiosity.

Could make a nice decorative item for, say, a whimsical restaurant or bar.

But to agree with the other points made, I've always considered accordions to be more like used cars than antique furniture. You've got parts that can rust, corrode, dry out, and deteriorate in all sorts of other interesting ways.

An old car that someone has still been driving regularly might be worth something. But an old car that's been sitting out behind a barn for a couple of decades (or something like that) is going to likely be more trouble that it's worth for most folks.

 

[Markordion]

I wonder how many ebaying characters pick up long stored and not played for years Accordions and they think they have hit the Jackpot as they look impressive.

Going second hand buying wise seems to be riddled with holes and ditches you can stumble in too all too easily.

It does seem to be a bit of the Use it or Loose it with Accordions too. Re damp, and rust, siezings, mould, and so on.

Learning a lot on here I would never known or thought of. Handy place.

Mark.

PS the accordion does look very nice by the way.

Maybe ebay, sold as a project, or prop, might be an idea so it finds its own level.

Or offer it free to collect for restoration or spares etc on say Gumtree, so it goes to a good home at least.

 

[Pipemajor]

Stick it on E-Bay starting price 99p, collection only and you will get your answer in a week!!

 

[Tom]

I wonder how many ebaying characters pick up long stored and not played for years Accordions and they think they have hit the Jackpot as they look impressive.

Going second hand buying wise seems to be riddled with holes and ditches you can stumble in too all too easily.

It does seem to be a bit of the Use it or Loose it with Accordions too. Re damp, and rust, siezings, mould, and so on.

Learning a lot on here I would never known or thought of. Handy place.

Mark.

PS the accordion does look very nice by the way.

Maybe ebay, sold as a project, or prop, might be an idea so it finds its own level.

Or offer it free to collect for restoration or spares etc on say Gumtree, so it goes to a good home at least.

Yes Mark, you've nailed it. It's a little like the wild, wild west in used accordion sales online. You can be really lucky or vastly disappointed. Many here have experienced both. You sound like you're up for a project, maybe consider restoring your old accordion with help from here?

 

[JerryPH]

But its like gambling... always remember that in the end, the HOUSE always wins. People don't blindly place things online, they research them and then hope t make a quick sale. With the ease with-which it is easy to find info online on most anything today, those bargains are getting rarer and rarer... or the number of scammers grows or the values get inflated, so when deals really happen, pounce first and pounce fast, but don't even twitch until you are knowledgeable enough to know what is or isn't a real deal.

And then there is the old adage of "if it looks too good to be true, it usually isn't".

When I see a good accordion purchase go through for someone, makes me all warm and fuzzy inside... lol

 

[Glug]

One thing to look out for is "collection only", as in the seller won't post it - that reduces the number of bids a lot.
That's how I got a Hohner Lucia IV P for £220 that was in basically very good condition (tried it twice in person first).

 

[Waldo]

Pull the bellows pins, separate the bellows from the case and check out the reeds. If rusty, it's junk (see recommendations above). If reeds are rust free, and the little leather flappers next to the reeds are not more that a millimeter or two away from the reed plate, there is hope (and maybe a 100-150 (sorry, no pound sign on computer). Take pics of the reed blocks and include with the offering.
Post the reed pics here, too. We love that stuff.

Press on....
Waldo

 

[stella]

if you're interested in repairing accordions it's a great project - I have a very old Frontalini not worth repairing, but I've enjoyed taking it apart and seeing how it's put together, and it gave me the confidence to fix a few teething problems with a new Beltuna that I was a wary of opening up.
The Frontalini even spent a few months hanging in the music room of a local pub - I think if you have the space, old knackered accordions are visually just nice to have around, whether you play or not.