Any opinion on an Italian made UNIVERSAL accordion?

[pow]

It has 41 keys and 120 buttons. There are 2 switched above the keys, marked Bandoneon, and the other marked Clarinet. i have not gone to the owner yet, but from the good quality pictures it looks nice and clean. He also has a brief video where I can hear him playing the keys for about 8 seconds. I will confirm, but he says all the keys and buttons work. I am new to accordions, but I know enough to play it to see if it sounds good. Thanks for any suggestions. He is asking $375 which seems a bit on the low side to me. There is not much on Google or Youtube that looks exactly like his. It has made in Italy on it as well. I have not asked him yet how he arrived at his asking price. He is not an accordion player.

 

[JIM D.]

A 2 reed Universal Accordion would by now be 60+ years old and even in excellent shape should sell
between $175 to $200.00

 

[Tom]

I have experienced a few Universal accordions and they are nice. I happen to appreciate these small "student" accordions when they are in good shape. I agree with Jim in that $375 seems high. Only if the accordion is in IMMACULENT shape which I doubt. Here, in good, playable "vintage" shape, I would go $125 - $150. Maybe start by offering $100 and see what you get?

 

[pow]

Tom and Jim, what do you base your opinion on? Do you know the market and the actual value for this accordion? I appreciate your input, but what is your opinion based upon? Thanks.

 

[Tom]

My opinion is based on my own personal sales of many accordions over the years. This is the actual value IN MY LOCATION (Wisconsin, USA) to me, if I were selling it. Your location will differ. I am an amateur. Jim is a real professional, anything he says I believe. Please remember, however that these values are based on our best guess of the condition of this accordion. Better or worse condition will vary the value considerably. You should be able to do much better for $375 (and you could if you stopped over at my house around 3:35 this afternoon) although buying a good accordion at a good price requires skill and luck.

 

[pow]

My opinion is based on my own personal sales of many accordions over the years. This is the actual value IN MY LOCATION (Wisconsin, USA) to me, if I were selling it. Your location will differ. I am an amateur. Jim is a real professional, anything he says I believe. Please remember, however that these values are based on our best guess of the condition of this accordion. Better or worse condition will vary the value considerably. You should be able to do much better for $375 (and you could if you stopped over at my house around 3:35 this afternoon) although buying a good accordion at a good price requires skill and luck.

Thanks Tom, I grew up in southern Illinois but now reside in Santa Monica, CA.

 

[dunlustin]

"but what is your opinion based upon?"
Maybe it would have been worth noting the "Technical Advisor" by Jim's name
or this:
"Owner & Operator "THE FISARMONICA SHOP" Chicopee, MA USA"
or you could check some of his contributions. He's been here for 10+ years and has 5,164 messages to his name.
I'm sure Jim doesn't need my support but this forum is famed for its courtesy.

 

[pow]

"but what is your opinion based upon?"
Maybe it would have been worth noting the "Technical Advisor" by Jim's name
or this:
"Owner & Operator "THE FISARMONICA SHOP" Chicopee, MA USA"
or you could check some of his contributions. He's been here for 10+ years and has 5,164 messages to his name.
I'm sure Jim doesn't need my support but this forum is famed for its courtesy.

My intention was not to be discourteous. I do not know his background. I simply wanted some clarification as to how he arrived at his opinion. I have been a musician for over 50 years, but I only have a very rudimentary knowledge of accordions.

 

[Ventura]

your "seems on the low side to me" from the original post
told all of us that you have little or no collected experience
with accordion variations and pricing, and may be basing your
feeling on aBay/Craigslist ASKING prices rather than selling prices

readng back some threads on student level accordions would help

basically accordions have sort of harmonica looking things inside them,
beginner accordions have one or two, student accordions have 2 or 3,
(the number of shifts and names on them are often misleading on student instruments)

higher level student/semi pro instruments have 3 or 4 internal "harmonicas"
and usually of higher quality components (reeds mostly.. a lot of them..)
and a better "feel" due to higher quality action/bellows

so a standard 2 reedset student (first level step up accordion) from a beginner model
as was built and marketed in the 50's and 60's during the heyday of accordion schools
is still a dime a dozen and not often built well enough to really last but some can
still be found that are decent and playable a very, very few are actually nice..

their only/actual value is to you personally as there is no quantifiable re-sale market demand
as all accordion sellers generally have more beginners accordions in the warehouse
than they will ever be able to find buyers for, there being almost no children students
to be found, and adults who come to the Accordion generally realise and quickly look for
an intermediate model, of which there are also still many to be found, and which
are vastly more worth playing as they have better feel, better sound, more possibilities

good luck, be patient, expand your craigslist search to the maximum distance you
would be willing to drive to pick one up, or just go to San Francisco some weekend
for fun and visit an accordion shop or two along the way

find a nearby accordion club if you can and attend a meeting or two

 

[pow]

Thank you V. The fellow bought it at an estate sale here in Los Angeles. He plays music but knows nothing about accordion. I said his price was a bit high and he said he wanted to avoid lowballers, and he usually would set a price high. He asked me to send an offer and that he was "very open". I suppose if I say $150 and he is not "insulted" with the offer I can go to the Glendale of LA to check it out

 

[Ventura]

it can be difficult to offer a "firm" price without hands on evaluation,
but it can get you and the seller into the "same ballpark" perhaps making
a drive down worth doing

Student accordions are lighter and smaller, so there is that, and it
could be a nice one to busk on at the Pier.. you could probably pay for it
in a few visits to the beach. I used to bring a box when we visited as
my wifes Aunt ended up in a nice Seniors home in Santa Monica.. would
just rent an Amp from the music store up the street and do the Big Band
setlist for them.. don't get to play the story of WW2 in music much anymore
as most all those folks who lived those songs have passed on

we are down to our very last of the Tuskeegee Airmen around here, and they
had to end the yearly "Rosie's" reunion and dinnerparty a few years ago

stiil have an LP from SuperSax and the LA Voices i brought back from there !

 

[pow]

Thanks, well I am a musician but I am just beginning accordion. They might pay me at the Santa Monica Pier to STOP playing. (Hah) I imagine you were a fine accordionist. I love older music. Yeah, the Tuskegee Airmen is a great story.

 

[Newbie]

your "seems on the low side to me" from the original post
told all of us that you have little or no collected experience
with accordion variations and pricing, and may be basing your
feeling on aBay/Craigslist ASKING prices rather than selling prices

readng back some threads on student level accordions would help

basically accordions have sort of harmonica looking things inside them,
beginner accordions have one or two, student accordions have 2 or 3,
(the number of shifts and names on them are often misleading on student instruments)

higher level student/semi pro instruments have 3 or 4 internal "harmonicas"
and usually of higher quality components (reeds mostly.. a lot of them..)
and a better "feel" due to higher quality action/bellows

so a standard 2 reedset student (first level step up accordion) from a beginner model
as was built and marketed in the 50's and 60's during the heyday of accordion schools
is still a dime a dozen and not often built well enough to really last but some can
still be found that are decent and playable a very, very few are actually nice..

their only/actual value is to you personally as there is no quantifiable re-sale market demand
as all accordion sellers generally have more beginners accordions in the warehouse
than they will ever be able to find buyers for, there being almost no children students
to be found, and adults who come to the Accordion generally realise and quickly look for
an intermediate model, of which there are also still many to be found, and which
are vastly more worth playing as they have better feel, better sound, more possibilities

good luck, be patient, expand your craigslist search to the maximum distance you
would be willing to drive to pick one up, or just go to San Francisco some weekend
for fun and visit an accordion shop or two along the way

find a nearby accordion club if you can and attend a meeting or two

I just came across your post. I was going to ask the question about when I get to the time of being able to move up from a student model. Most of what I have seen listed in the U.S. has been old student models or just old boxes that people have found in their parents or grandparents homes and looking for appraisals. I have a student model that I bought from a gentleman, who is an advanced player and has a very nice accordion that he uses for performing. Not sure where to look or what to look for in the next level up. The closest shop I find on the internet is in Chicago and I live in Kansas.