Is My Old Accordion Worth Anything?
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The Accordion Shop
Most old accordions are worth very little, and pre-war ones are usually worth nothing at all. Accordions made in the 1920s and 1930s were produced in enormous numbers, are almost always beyond economic repair, and have very little market. If yours is heavily decorated with mother-of-pearl effect casework and imitation jewels, it is almost certainly from this era and almost certainly not valuable.
However, there are some exceptions, with certain makes and models of mid century accordions from the Italian and West German factories with a lot more than others. The rest of this guide explains how to tell which you have”
The disappointing news first
Between the wars, the accordion was one of the most popular instruments in Britain. Factories across Italy and Germany produced them in vast quantities, and enormous numbers came into British homes.
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These older accordions do not age gracefully, including more modern post war models from the 1950’s and 1960’s, although there are always exceptions to the rule.
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The wax holding the reeds in place dries out and fails. The leather valves curl and stop sealing. The bellows tape perishes. The internal mechanisms corrode. None of this is visible from the outside, and none of it depends on how carefully the instrument was stored - it happens anyway, with time.
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Bringing one back to playing condition means a complete internal restoration: rewaxing every reed, replacing every valve, rebuilding or replacing the bellows, and going through the mechanism. That is many hours of skilled work, and the cost of it substantially exceeds what the finished instrument would be worth. Most technicians decline the work for exactly that reason.
What actually does have value
Some old accordions are genuinely worth money. The main things that matter:
Who made it, and where. Italian instruments from the established Castelfidardo and Vercelli factories - names like Paolo Soprani, Excelsior, Scandalli, Sonola, Bugari, Cooperativa, Guerrini, Pigini and Giulietti - hold value well. So do West German Hohners, and East German Weltmeisters to a lesser degree. However, the most import thing is age and condition, as even a once very high quality accordion from one of the above makers will be worth very little nowadays if is an older model with issues such as valve or tuning problems etc.
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When it was made. We are most interested in accordions from the 1970’s or 1980’s onwards these days, mainly from the Italian makers, as well as the West German Hohner models, although these are unfortunately known to suffer from various tuning issues which can affect the value significantly.
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What condition it's genuinely in. Not how it looks. What matters is whether the reeds hold tuning, whether the bellows seal, and whether the mechanism works. An instrument that looks tired but plays soundly is worth more than a beautiful one that doesn't.
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Whether it's a maker's better line. Every factory made student instruments alongside professional ones. A Hohner Student and a Hohner Morino are both Hohners; they are not remotely comparable in value.
How to work out what you've got
Find the maker. Usually on the treble grille, sometimes stamped inside the bellows frame or on the bass side. If there's no name at all, that's not a good sign - unbranded instruments are almost always low-end factory production.
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Count the bass buttons count the bass buttons and treble keys.
The number on the left hand side is the standard size measure and it materially affects value.
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Look for a serial number; it is often on the rear of the accordion. Some makers' records allow rough dating from this.
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Check where it says it was made. "Made in Italy", "Made in Germany", "Made in West Germany" or "Made in China" tells you a great deal on its own. West German markings date an instrument to before 1990.
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Try to play a note on every key and button in each bellow direction on every different coupler.
Silent or wheezing notes mean reed or valve problems.
Do this gently - an old instrument's bellows can tear.
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Squeeze the bellows closed with all buttons released. If they collapse quickly on their own, there are air leaks.
72 bass
The most popular size in Britain, and for most adult beginners can often be the sensible default. Usually 34 treble keys, with compact 26 and 30 key versions for players who want the bass range without the width. Our stock runs 4.9 to 9.7kg, averaging 7.5kg.
Suits: the majority of adult players. Enough chord range for most repertoire, enough treble range for most arrangements, and a weight most people can manage for a full practice session.
Worth knowing: the spread within this size is wide. A compact 26 key 72 bass can weigh under 5kg; a four voice 34 key one nearly 10kg. If weight matters to you, the compact versions are the ones to look at.
If you've inherited one
A large proportion of the instruments we're offered come from people clearing a family home, and often the accordion mattered to someone who has died. That makes the answer harder to give and harder to hear.
What we can offer is a straight one. Send us a couple of photographs and we'll tell you a rough value what it is and what it's worth, including when the answer is that it isn't worth much. There's no charge and no obligation, and we'd far rather tell you plainly than let you spend money finding out the hard way.
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If it does have value, we may want to buy it, and we'll say so.
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If it doesn't, you still have options:
Keep it as it is. An unplayable accordion is still an object with a history in your family. There is no obligation to do anything with it.
Give it to someone learning. Even instruments not worth restoring commercially are sometimes worth having as a first instrument, if they still play at all.
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Offer it to a repairer or student technician. Old accordions are useful for parts and for practising restoration work on.
Let it go. If it's genuinely beyond use, that's a legitimate answer too, and it doesn't dishonour whoever played it.
Getting a proper valuation
To value an instrument remotely we need:
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The maker and model, if you can find them
Approximate age, if known
The number of bass buttons
General condition, honestly described
Where in the country you are
At least two photographs - one showing the treble keys and couplers, one showing the bass buttons
Send those and we'll come back with a rough value, an estimate subject to seeing it, or a straight answer that it isn't something we can buy. If we agree a price, we can arrange courier collection anywhere in mainland Britain.
Valuations are free and there is no obligation to sell.
Common questions
Some are. Italian instruments from the major factories the 1970’s onwards can be worth from a few hundred to several thousand pounds, although this is heavy dependant on age, condition, and the exact model. Pre-war accordions from the 1920s and 30s are generally worth very little, whatever their condition, as are post war accordions from the 1950’s and 1960’s these days unless they have recently been fully restored , although there are certain exceptions to the rule.”
Almost certainly not. Full restoration costs considerably more than the finished instrument would be worth, which is why most technicians decline the work.
Unfortunately not. The decorative celluloid, mother-of-pearl effect finishes and imitation jewels typical of pre-war instruments were standard factory work, applied to accordions made in enormous numbers. Decoration indicates age rather than rarity.
How can I tell how old my accordion is? The maker's name, any serial number, and the country of manufacture are the main clues. "Made in West Germany" dates an instrument before 1990. Photographs sent to a specialist are usually the quickest route to an answer.
Possibly. We buy accordions outright and take them in part exchange. Send photographs and details for a free valuation and we'll tell you honestly either way.
With the Accordion Shop, we will identify it accurately and can arrange collection, which matters for something heavy and fragile. Selling privately is possible but means handling packing, carriage and enquiries yourself.