Trade-in activity at accordion shops

[JerryAccordion]

Ok £350, i think you probably got what you paid for

Oh, yeah. Although, I expected to get an instrument in better quality. I was just choosing an instrument without any assistance from my accordion teacher or repair man from my side.

 

[Valski]

Accordions have a limited appeal for the general public and therefore your options for purchase and sale are also a leap of faith. You have to trust the seller to honestly represent the accordion you wish to purchase and accept their valuation of the one that you wish to trade or sell. I once traded an older Moreschi stroller accordion in perfect condition on a brand new Accordiana by Excelsior that turned out to be a Chinese manufactured instrument with a fancy logo and some decorative elements. It turns out that the new accordion was worth very little and the older one had value.

I ended up paying $3200 for an accordion that was perhaps worth $1600 on a good day plus trading in my real Italian one that sold for $1200 two days after I traded it in. So in essence I paid about $4400 for the dud.

It's always easier to purchase new because you can compare prices. Do your homework first and if you're trading in a dud, reputable dealers will not want to purchase them because they have to resell them in turn. Selling them on your own is also difficult because of the limited market. If you choose to sell on your own you may end up with multiple instruments for a while. Eventually, if you keep at it you can sell that accordion yourself.

Accordion dealers need to turn a profit to keep their doors open, unscrupulous ones might want to maximize their margins.

 

[debra]

Accordions have a limited appeal for the general public and therefore your options for purchase and sale are also a leap of faith. You have to trust the seller to honestly represent the accordion you wish to purchase and accept their valuation of the one that you wish to trade or sell. I once traded an older Moreschi stroller accordion in perfect condition on a brand new Accordiana by Excelsior that turned out to be a Chinese manufactured instrument with a fancy logo and some decorative elements. It turns out that the new accordion was worth very little and the older one had value.

I ended up paying $3200 for an accordion that was perhaps worth $1600 on a good day plus trading in my real Italian one that sold for $1200 two days after I traded it in. So in essence I paid about $4400 for the dud.

It's always easier to purchase new because you can compare prices. Do your homework first and if you're trading in a dud, reputable dealers will not want to purchase them because they have to resell them in turn. Selling them on your own is also difficult because of the limited market. If you choose to sell on your own you may end up with multiple instruments for a while. Eventually, if you keep at it you can sell that accordion yourself.

Accordion dealers need to turn a profit to keep their doors open, unscrupulous ones might want to maximize their margins.

Ouch, that's a really sad experience. No reputable dealer would sell you a fake Accordiana (Excelsior) and not know it's a fake. And should this still happen then the dealer would certainly offer a refund. But alas, not all accordion dealers are in this business to make their customers happy with good quality accordions at reasonable prices...
For the average customer it's hard to impossible to recognize Chinese fakes. They can look quite real on the outside. I follow and contribute to facebook groups on accordion appraisal and accordions for sale, and we frequently see accordions that raise questions whether they are real or fake. Sometimes there are little-known models that are real, but more often when something just "kinda" looks like the brand it is listed as it turns out to be a fake, mostly a Chinese fake but sometimes of other origin as well. And not all owners (wannabe sellers) react well when they hear their accordion is a fake. Exposing fakes is not a good idea if you want to become popular on facebook...

 

[Valski]

Ouch, that's a really sad experience. No reputable dealer would sell you a fake Accordiana (Excelsior) and not know it's a fake. And should this still happen then the dealer would certainly offer a refund. But alas, not all accordion dealers are in this business to make their customers happy with good quality accordions at reasonable prices...
For the average customer it's hard to impossible to recognize Chinese fakes. They can look quite real on the outside. I follow and contribute to facebook groups on accordion appraisal and accordions for sale, and we frequently see accordions that raise questions whether they are real or fake. Sometimes there are little-known models that are real, but more often when something just "kinda" looks like the brand it is listed as it turns out to be a fake, mostly a Chinese fake but sometimes of other origin as well. And not all owners (wannabe sellers) react well when they hear their accordion is a fake. Exposing fakes is not a good idea if you want to become popular on facebook...

Thank you for your sympathy and support. I have to admit that a lot of the blame for the general situation was mine because I didn't do enough research and merely took someone at face value in thinking that they were entirely ethical. This was some time ago and many small businesses did not even have websites and it was much more difficult to verify the claims made by different people.

In general I've been treated well by various accordion retailers but wanted to highlight that caution in the form of vigorous research is a purchaser's best defense. If you're just trying out the accordion and can spare some money, by all means go ahead, but be prepared to discover that the great deal on that instrument isn't exactly as described.

I often chuckle at advertising for private sales where terms such as "vintage" and "rare" are used to describe the article for sale. These people don't necessarily have the knowledge to correctly value an accordion. On the other hand some people earn money by purchasing and reselling instruments. Be aware!

 

[Tom]

Sorry to hear of your bad experiences. I would like to visit another accordion shop some day. I have been to one here in the US where I will not return, and one in Milan that is too far to frequent on a regular basis. Thank God for the internet!

 

[John M]

In the US, I have found Liberty Bellows to be a very reputable accordion dealer. Their prices are not the lowest, but they also do not "gouge" with very high price. They employee service technicians. Mike, the owner gives you good value for the money. There is always someone there to answer the phone with your questions. If you are in the Philadelphia area, you can go to the store. If not, a lot of the accordions he has for sale, have a video demonstration where you can hear the accordion. He also packs the accordion very good for shipment.

John M.

 

[Scuromondo]

In the US, I have found Liberty Bellows to be a very reputable accordion dealer. Their prices are not the lowest, but they also do not "gouge" with very high price. They employee service technicians. Mike, the owner gives you good value for the money. There is always someone there to answer the phone with your questions. If you are in the Philadelphia area, you can go to the store. If not, a lot of the accordions he has for sale, have a video demonstration where you can hear the accordion. He also packs the accordion very good for shipment.

John M.

Alyears ago, I spent a few hours one Saturday at Liberty Bellows (which is only about a 3 hour drive for me) and ended up purchasing a used (virtually new) accordion from them. However, after playing it for a week at home, I decided I did not like it, so I brought it back the following Saturday. They took it back and gave me a full refund with no problem whatsoever.

The folks at Liberty are not only trustworthy, but also very knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. They will allow one to freely play any instrument in the store with no pressure to buy. They are sincere and do not misrepresent the instruments they sell.

I do agree that their prices are generally not the best. However if you are patient enough and able to take advantage of their periodic sales (for example, they had a 20% off sale on all Excelsiors last fall) you can get a good deal. ...and the guy who plays many of their you tube video demonstrations is absolutely brilliant, I can listen to him all day. He can make even the most humble, mediocre instrument in the shop sound like something you would want to buy!

 

[Valski]

There are many reputable dealers out there. I think that it's very important to do a lot of research regarding the potential value of an accordion, especially a used one. In my previous post I was trying to illustrate the fact that the purchase of any instrument, new or used, can be perilous. Any purchaser must invest sufficient effort in comparing prices to arrive at a satisfactory deal.

I've played and owned accordions since 1965 and have had the great fortune of getting amazing deals as well as having been cheated. Caveat emptor!