Accordion Collecting

Piano vs button, Italian makers, reed condition before anything else.

Vintage Italian piano accordion with pearl celluloid grille, product photograph on neutral background

Vintage accordions — particularly Italian-made instruments from the 1950s–70s by makers like Excelsior, Scandalli, Dallape, and Soprani — are serious instruments with genuine secondary markets. The key variables are reed type (hand-made vs machine-made), bellows integrity, bass mechanism condition, and whether the instrument has been maintained or sat unplayed for decades. This page covers what matters.

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Guides

Technical content on accordion types, maker quality tiers, reed condition, and what to check before buying used.

GuideWhy the cheap vintage accordion is usually a trap (and when it isn't)That beautiful old accordion at a bargain price is one of the most seductive and most disappointing buys in music. Here is what hides inside, and the narrow … Collector's guide Accordion collecting: piano vs button, Italian makers Excelsior and Scandalli, reed condition and bellows Reed plate quality tiers, hand-made vs machine-cut reeds, bellows leak testing, Stradella bass system, and the honest differences between maker grades.

Why this page exists

Accordion content online is split between student-level overviews and deep enthusiast forums with minimal gatekeeping. Neither tells you how to evaluate reed quality before buying, or what distinguishes a professional-grade Italian instrument from a student import.

A Scandalli Super VI and a no-brand student accordion may look similar to an untrained eye. The difference lives in the reeds, the reed plates, the bass mechanism quality, and the celluloid and metal work — all of which you can assess with a short inspection if you know what to look for.

Plain note about money. Links below go to eBay searches with an affiliate tag. If you buy through one, a small commission comes to this site. Your price is identical either way. The searches are ones we'd actually run — not sponsored placements.

Vintage accordions worth searching on eBay

Italian piano and button accordions with established collector and player markets. We earn a small commission on qualifying sales; your price is unchanged. Full disclosure.

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HOHNER Student II Vintage Piano Accordion 25 Keys & 12 Bass TESTED WORKING vintage piano accordion Broad search for vintage full-size piano accordions. Refine by maker name. Look for Italian instruments from Castelfidardo region makers for best quality. View on eBay → Vintage BARTOFINI Italian Accordion In Case 1950 MCM Student 12 Base 15 Key Nice Italian accordion vintage Castelfidardo-region instruments from Excelsior, Scandalli, Dallape, Soprani, Settimio Soprani, and similar. Hand-made reeds in professional models distinguish these from imports. View on eBay → Scandalli Silvana V Accordion Burgundy Pearl 41/120 Made in Italy w Case Scandalli accordion High-quality Italian maker known for reed quality and finish. Super VI model particularly sought. Verify bass mechanism functions on all 120 basses. View on eBay → Vintage Hohner Corona II Diatonic Accordion GCF (Sol) 3 Row/31 Button Red button accordion vintage Diatonic and chromatic button systems. Diatonic (2-voice, bisonoric) used in folk/Cajun/Tex-Mex. Chromatic (3-row or 5-row) used in classical and European folk traditions. View on eBay → Vintage Hohner Corona II Diatonic Accordion GCF (Sol) 3 Row/31 Button Red vintage Hohner accordion German maker with broad range from student to professional. Morino series (top line) is highly regarded. Button accordions include the popular Erica diatonic. View on eBay →
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