Where Can I buy A Reed Organ?

I'm asked this question quite a lot, so I thought I'd put together a few suggestions, however probably the best place is either ebay.com or craigslist.com (be sure to type in "pump organ" or "reed organ" singular, not plural). These other suggestions are not in any kind of "best" ranking.

• Yard & Garage Sales
• Estate Sales
• Auctions
• Antique Stores
• Newspaper Classified
• Internet – craigslist.com – ebay.com
• Friends and Neighbors
• Relatives
• Reed Organ Society
• Reed Organ Museums (there are a few)
• Thrift Stores
• Piano & Organ Stores
• Junk Yards (I'm sorry to say)

And finally, there are times when I have a few for sale. However, it's important to keep in mind that an unrestored reed organ, in today's market, is not going to bring very much money.

In other words, you shouldn't pay any more than a couple of hundred dollars, if that, for an unrestored organ – again the key here is unrestored. However, a restored reed organ can sell for a lot more.

Another important item that's worth mentioning is " how do I determine if the organ has been restored?" You'll need to ask for some kind of documentation, some kind of proof. You can't go by what you're told.

And one more thing I'd like to add. Don't try and purchase an organ based solely on its appearance. Just because it looks in good condition doesn't mean it's in good mechanical condition. I've worked on some reed organs that looked beautiful, but couldn't play a note.