Accordion Collection

[debbiem...@gmail.com]

I have come to own 8 accordions and would appreciate any help arriving at their age, collectibility & value. Potentially I will be selling some or all of them and currently attempting to determine their fair market value. These are all working and in very good condition. Below is the list of accordions. Thank You in advance for any insight you can provide.

1) Cerini ser# C526?? (black) 120 Bass, 24 Key, 5 switch's, Original Case
2) Lira Centromatic ser# 030?,(black) 
Model 20B 120 Bass, 24 Key, 6 switch's, No Case
3) Crown ser# 174? (black) 120 Bass, 24 Key, 4 switch's, Old Case not original
4) A by Excelsior Acordiana (pearl) Model 308 (black) 120 Bass, 24 Key, , Original case
5) Firenze ser# 678? (Pearl) 48 bass, 20 key, Original Geib case
6) Castelli ser#1140? (Pearl) 111 Bass, 20 Key, Original Case
7) Salanti Model 1 ser#62? (Pearl) 12 Bass, 15 Key, Original Case
8) Honer (Pearl) 12 bass, 15 key Original Case


FullSizeRender.jpg

[Ronald Long]

most people count the black keys as well. so 120 bass, 41 keys is a normal full size accordion.
The number of unique register combinations on each side is also helpful.
A very few accordions (mostly Excelsior) have "rocker" switches - each reed can be individually turned on or off. If that's the case, mentioning that is also important.
The length of the keyboard is helpful as well. It's amazing how much different a 1/4" makes spread across the whole keyboard, when you're jumping two octaves and trying to hit the right note.

The only instrument I have that is similar to any of yours is an Excelsior 911 - 4/5 sets of reeds, 120 bass, 41 keys, probably from the 70s, in very good condition, that I bought on Craigslist for $500, and feel that I got my money's worth (and probably then some).

ronald

[George Bachich]

Have you opened these accordions to determine that they are also in excellent internal condition, or are you judging solely by exterior appearance? Most older accordions need extensive internal repairs to be put into excellent condition. Very often the costs of these repairs exceed the value of the repaired accordion, in which case prior to such repair the accordion has zero value or perhaps some token value as an ornament. Knowledgeable buyers will want to look inside before buying, or otherwise be assured that they will not have to pay for expensive repairs later. To sell these accordions you will probably have to either 1) have them professionally evaluated and serviced, or 2) open them and take good high resolution photos of all the reeds and leathers to show prospective buyers, or 3) sell them at junk prices ($100 or less) based on the assumption that they need extensive repairs. The most commonly needed repair is replacement of the leather check valves (leathers) on the reeds. Replacing a single leather costs only two or three dollars (all but 20 cents of that is labor cost) but a full size accordion contains 388 of them, so the cost can add up quickly. In addition, a full size accordion contains 224 reed plates, each of which is anchored in place with reed wax (a special mix of beeswax, rosin, and linseed oil). With age, the reed wax hardens and cracks, allowing the reed plates to loosen, which puts them out of tune at first, then eventually silences them entirely. The cost to re-wax a full size accordion can approach $2,000.00. Any accordion other than a professional model (only a fraction of one percent of all accordions are professional models) that needs new wax probably has zero value until it is repaired. Other commonly needed repairs include air leaks at the treble or bass valves or at bellows corners or bellows gaskets. Gaskets are inexpensive, but If the bellows must be replaced, figure $350 to $400 cost. Replacing valve facings can cost that much or more. If you need more information on accordion repair, please check my website, accordionrevival.com.
If your accordions really are in excellent condition (this is likely only if they have been recently repaired), then they might be worth three hundred dollars or so for the smallest one up to maybe $1500 for the larger ones, depending on their reed configurations and tunings. For good information on how to determine what reed configurations you have and on how to determine the value of any piano accordion, consult my book, PIANO ACCORDION OWNER'S MANUAL AND BUYER'S GUIDE, which is available through my website, accordionrevival.com.
George Bachich

[Ike Milligan]

There is no way to tell the values by brand names as OP described them.
Brand names and models mean little as there are thousands of different
ones. From what little I can see here, these accordions are the sort you
should sell on ebay as is, without making any claim as to the condition
and get whatever you can, and don't offer returns.
Opening them up is something a technician could do, but you can tell if
they need reed work by just playing each note one by one and listening
for any odd noises or dead notes. Usually it does not pay to have them
repaired, because few people know enough about how to play them, except
as a toy to play simple tunes, and many that you find are shrunk-down
student instruments, that are like 120 bas accordions made to sell to
children back in the 50's and 60's when people could actually make money
running accordion schools.
if you posted a few photos, I could estimate value parameters for you.