Vercelli Locatelli - any intel?

[AlicePalace]

Do any of you know anything about Vercelli Locatelli piano accordions? There is one for sale local to me that seems to fit what I’m looking for (LMM, 34/96, 2 bass registers), but I cannot find anything about them online or here. It has cosmetic damage (missing letters, and if you look closely you can see part of the grill pulling forward) and no case, but the keys and bass buttons look good in the pictures, at least. The seller has it listed on FB marketplace as well, and he has told me he’d accept $500. I still think that may be too much, considering the wear I see at the corners of the bellows. I would definitely go and play before I pay. If you are able to share any info, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

 

[JerryPH]

Post a few pictures, especially of the insides if possible. For something that isn’t immaculate, $500 does sound high.

 

[AlicePalace]

Here’s the eBay listing, which has a bunch of pics (but none of the inside). The seller says it’s been kept in a dry closet (no case, though), but apparently it was his grandfather’s and he doesn’t know when it was played last, so suffice it to say it hasn’t seen regular use anytime recently.

 

[Valski]

Here’s the eBay listing, which has a bunch of pics (but none of the inside). The seller says it’s been kept in a dry closet (no case, though), but apparently it was his grandfather’s and he doesn’t know when it was played last, so suffice it to say it hasn’t seen regular use anytime recently.

When I see "Vintage" in an accordion description it's a sign to run screaming to the exit doors. It's old and potentially a whole bunch of potential problems. No case doesn't give me a lot of confidence that the accordion was cared for. There is nothing about the instrument other than the cosmetic appearance so that should also make you very wary.

 

[Dingo40]

AP,
My eyes are a bit dim, but I can only see 80 bass buttons
Where do you get 96?

 

[tcabot]

Where do you get 96?

There's an extra 16 buttons on the side of the box to press with your palm... Could be. I don't know. Just guessing.

This looks like a very entry level instrument, quite worn (bellows corners sticking out, as you pointed out). I think it's seriously overpriced. In fact, $200 would probably be a bit on the high side, unless everything inside plays exceptionally well.
Most likely all the insides are dry, wax is cracking, valves are falling off, etc, and this level of instrument is probably not worth re-building.
I think there should be a lot of 3-voice instruments to chose from that are in better condition and are half the price.

 

[Valski]

Owned by his grandfather? Not sure when it was played last? Sounds like the (very) old joke about the used car owned by the little old lady and driven only on Sundays.

 

[AlicePalace]

AP,
My eyes are a bit dim, but I can only see 80 bass buttons
Where do you get 96?

I must have miscounted the “columns” at some point. Whoops! Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[AlicePalace]

Thank you all for chiming in. I will take a pass on this one unless the seller is willing to give it to me for cheap cheap cheap. FWIW, I am a small person (and not young), so I have to be careful that what I buy isn’t too large or heavy for me. I’m still learning to play and am not aiming to be anything more than “passable” in an ensemble setting (think acoustic “roots” ensemble), so my needs are pretty basic. I’m just looking for something more than your basic LM, with better keyboard range than the little 27/48 model I bought last fall. Up here in New England, the choices are pretty limited for finding a seller who knows anything about accordions. It’s always “grandfather’s” accordion or something like that. Anyhoo, thanks again!

 

[AlicePalace]

I must have miscounted the “columns” at some point. Whoops! Thanks for pointing that out.

Actually, I didn’t count the ROWS, of which there are only 5. I had assumed there were 6 because I’ve never seen only 5 before. Learned something new today!