I have inherited a 1931 Hohner Accordion

[BobbieDell2016]

I am looking for some information on a 1931 Hohner Accordion that I have inherited.

According to Hohner:

The accordion is the model "3123/41/120/3 black-perloid".
Your Instrument with the serial-number 433982 was delivered
by our company on 01th November 1937 to New York.

I have photographs but I have to figure out how to upload them here. It is in excellent cosmentic condition in the hardshell case. I don't know how to play it but I did eek out a few sounds and it appears to operate very well.

I just wondered what something like this is worth.

Thanks so much,
Bobbie <><

 

[BobbieDell2016]

I am trying to upload photos of the instrument.

 

[Soulsaver]

Hi Welcome - great pics and useful info, I assume from Hohner. We like it when we get a post like this as it takes out some of the debate about peoples opinions about year vs looks. And this does look to be c.1930s.

Interesting as it is, accordion technology in design materials and playability improved dramatically in the mid 1950s, rendering just about all vintage accordions less sought, so near worthless. Examples like this one, needing work to bring them up to playable shape, are worth very little, maybe $100 if you can find a buyer... on a good day.

 

[maugein96]

As soulsaver says you'll be lucky to get a buyer at all for this one. Occasionally you'll see an old top of the range type accordion on the market with a famous player's name on it, and one of those would probably attract an enthusiast collector. However, the price would still not be great, and the instrument would most probably just be put on static display in whatever condition it happened to be, due to the excessively high cost of refurbishment.

A 1931 Greek bouzouki made by a famous luthier might command a fair price, even if it looked fit for firewood, as the luthier maybe only made about a dozen per year. Unfortunately old accordions, particularly Hohners, were turned out by the thousand in their heyday and are seldom worth the space they take up in your house.

You could try selling it on an auction site, although the photos you have supplied confirm that the instrument is not in great condition. The piano keys in particular are out of alignment, and have probably become warped during the time the accordion has been stored.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.