Titano accordion questions

[ThreadBaroness]

Can anyone tell me the potential value of this accordion? And possibly what year it was made? And what sort of things can I do to test its working condition? I’m not an accordion player. I was going to try, but sadly we need the money.

 

[Dingo40]

Can anyone tell me the potential value of this accordion? And possibly what year it was made?

OK,
Made: late fifties
Good maker, but low end (beginner's) model.
Ladies' / youths' size?
The gold keys and gold bass buttons are a red flag as they are known to disintegrate with age and replacements are nonexistent.
Is that mould in the case? If so, does the accordion smell of mould? That could be a dealbreaker.
Sound (play) all the buttons and keys on both the in and out motion of the bellows. All sounding?
Any mouldy smell?
Any air leaks
Price depends on working condition and your local market demand.
Check your local listings for potential asking prices.

 

[Wheezer]

Assuming that it is playable after taking everything mentioned by @Dingo40 into consideration, you might get somewhere between $200 and $400, with $200 being more realistic, and $400 a long shot. Regardless of asking price, it can take quite a while to find a buyer.

 

[Valski]

Titano accordions were a popular make in the 1950's through to the 1970's in the US and Canada. They were made well and like any other company produced a range of models that varied in quality. This is definitely a student model so it's not particularly valuable however it may attract a potential purchaser due to its appearance which is unique and may therefore attract a buyer. The condition of the case doesn't bode well for what may have happened to the working pieces inside the instrument so this should guide your expectations regarding the price. Dingo is correct, your local market will dictate the price and this is definitely not the "Stradivarius" of accordions. Good luck!

 

[ThreadBaroness]

OK,
Made: late fifties
Good maker, but low end (beginner's) model.
Ladies' / youths' size?
The gold keys and gold bass buttons are a red flag as they are known to disintegrate with age and replacements are nonexistent.
Is that mould in the case? If so, does the accordion smell of mould? That could be a dealbreaker.
Sound (play) all the buttons and keys on both the in and out motion of the bellows. All sounding?
Any mouldy smell?
Any air leaks
Price depends on working condition and your local market demand.
Check your local listings for potential asking prices.

Thanks! Very helpful

 

[ThreadBaroness]

Assuming that it is playable after taking everything mentioned by @Dingo40 into consideration, you might get somewhere between $200 and $400, with $200 being more realistic, and $400 a long shot. Regardless of asking price, it can take quite a while to find a buyer.

Good to know! Thank you

 

[ThreadBaroness]

Titano accordions were a popular make in the 1950's through to the 1970's in the US and Canada. They were made well and like any other company produced a range of models that varied in quality. This is definitely a student model so it's not particularly valuable however it may attract a potential purchaser due to its appearance which is unique and may therefore attract a buyer. The condition of the case doesn't bode well for what may have happened to the working pieces inside the instrument so this should guide your expectations regarding the price. Dingo is correct, your local market will dictate the price and this is definitely not the "Stradivarius" of accordions. Good luck!

Very informative. I appreciate it!

 

[ThreadBaroness]

OK,
Made: late fifties
Good maker, but low end (beginner's) model.
Ladies' / youths' size?
The gold keys and gold bass buttons are a red flag as they are known to disintegrate with age and replacements are nonexistent.
Is that mould in the case? If so, does the accordion smell of mould? That could be a dealbreaker.
Sound (play) all the buttons and keys on both the in and out motion of the bellows. All sounding?
Any mouldy smell?
Any air leaks
Price depends on working condition and your local market demand.
Check your local listings for potential asking prices.

Local market seems to show a decent demand for Titano accordions. The asking price for similar models appears to be on the high end in comparable models. No air leaks as far as I can tell. All the keys and buttons work, and it sounds great when played. On a nice day I was going to set aside some time to clean the case and I’m probably not going to store the accordion in it so I can possibly reduce the must smell. The only imperfections I can see on the accordion itself is a little reddish hue from what I have no idea between the bellows and the bass buttons. I considered trying a magic eraser on that.

 

[ThreadBaroness]

OK,
Made: late fifties
Good maker, but low end (beginner's) model.
Ladies' / youths' size?
The gold keys and gold bass buttons are a red flag as they are known to disintegrate with age and replacements are nonexistent.
Is that mould in the case? If so, does the accordion smell of mould? That could be a dealbreaker.
Sound (play) all the buttons and keys on both the in and out motion of the bellows. All sounding?
Any mouldy smell?
Any air leaks
Price depends on working condition and your local market demand.
Check your local listings for potential asking prices.

Oh and there’s no visible mold in the case. It’s just crushed velvet so in photos with bad lighting it looks kinda funky.

 

[Ben-jammin]

There’s some things related for accordion condition that are difficult to test without a certain amount of experience. An accordion with rusty reeds may pass the basic function check that Dingo provided and all buttons and keys may make noise but it won’t be the correct tone and be more costly to repair than the instrument is worth. For that reason I usually expect the real condition to be worse than advertised unless it’s been given a clean bill of health from a reputable party.

 

[ThreadBaroness]

There’s some things related for accordion condition that are difficult to test without a certain amount of experience. An accordion with rusty reeds may pass the basic function check that Dingo provided and all buttons and keys may make noise but it won’t be the correct tone and be more costly to repair than the instrument is worth. For that reason I usually expect the real condition to be worse than advertised unless it’s been given a clean bill of health from a reputable party.

I have an accordionist friend who I’m going to have check it out. thanks!

 

[Tom]

Yeah, I love these little yellow on white jobbers (see my avatar). I’ve generally sold this type of accordion for $150 after rendering them “playable”. But with the recent inflation going on, as discussed elsewhere, Wheezer may be right and they are getting up to the $3 - 400 range.

 

[Wheezer]

this class of circa 60’s instruments are often described as “cheap” or “beginner” models, which unfortunately can be interpreted as substandard. most of the ones that I have seen are well constructed, with pretty good keyboards and decent components, and they were hand made by skilled craftsmen. they aren’t going to sound like a 4/5 reed chambered instrument with hand made reeds, but these 2/4 and 3/5 reed models from back in the day were very playable, and if still in good shape, a great option for somebody starting out today. I tend to think of them as “basic” rather than cheap or beginner models.

I hope that I am wrong, but I think that this caliber of “basic” accordions will become a thing of the past and will give way to newer “cheap” instruments.

 

[Tom]

this class of circa 60’s instruments are often described as “cheap” or “beginner” models, which unfortunately can be interpreted as substandard. most of the ones that I have seen are well constructed, with pretty good keyboards and decent components, and they were hand made by skilled craftsmen. they aren’t going to sound like a 4/5 reed chambered instrument with hand made reeds, but these 2/4 and 3/5 reed models from back in the day were very playable, and if still in good shape, a great option for somebody starting out today. I tend to think of them as “basic” rather than cheap or beginner models.

I hope that I am wrong, but I think that this caliber of “basic” accordions will become a thing of the past and will give way to newer “cheap” instruments.

I fully agreee with you.

 

[Ben-jammin]

I hope that I am wrong, but I think that this caliber of “basic” accordions will become a thing of the past and will give way to newer “cheap” instruments.

I recently commented on this on the tier list thread. If the original price of these 2/4 Italian made student accordions would be calculated for inflation it would not be considered cheap.

 

[Dingo40]

. I considered trying a magic eraser on that.

Don't use a "magic eraser", you may very easily damage the surface!!!
Just use a damp cloth (well wrung out) moistened with plain water,
The lining of the case is replaceable: do not " ditch " the case. It's an asset, no matter what condition the lining.
Good luck with your sale!

 

[Dingo40]

the original price of these 2/4 Italian made student accordions would be calculated for inflation it would not be considered cheap.

Around about 1949/1950, my foster father paid approximately two months gross salary, as a leading hand building carpenter, for a similar Settimio Soprani: work that out in today's money!

 

[Ffingers]

Around about 1949/1950, my foster father paid approximately two months gross salary, as a leading hand building carpenter, for a similar Settimio Soprani: work that out in today's money!

5 min search = approx AU$13,400.00 or US$ 8,135.00 @ AUD 1.00 = USD 0.61

Neither "pocket money" nor "chump change".

 

[ThreadBaroness]

5 min search = approx AU$13,400.00 or US$ 8,135.00 @ AUD 1.00 = USD 0.61

Neither "pocket money" nor "chump change".

Holy cow