Waiting in a queue - my instrument

Because I am on a budget and because I'm wanting to do this in a logical, smart way. I didn't want to spend a fortune on a beginner instrument and on something I didn't know if I would continue with or not.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I found on my own and was later directed to a person who refurbishes button box accordions as well as plays. He helped me choose an instrument and now it's just getting tuned up and cleaned up for use once again - bringing life back to an old accordion. That brings him joy to do and brings me joy to re-use and repurpose too. Need a box? or want to learn more about different diatonic accordions? Scott can help you out and his prices are very reasonable.

Here is a link to his website, where he demonstrates all his instruments (so crucial to buying): Bellinger's Button Boxes. You can see all his videos of current instruments for sale and sold instruments here.

As much as I'm excited to get my instrument, I am yearning for the beautiful instrument I just want to stare at and pet - as much decoration as useful instrument. Like these:

But to ever justify that level of instrument, I'll have to be quite good and really love it. Though there are smaller, less fancy ones that will do just fine by a couple of brands - like these:

But what I have on the way, and I'm so excited about is this below. I should get it in about a month. See, I can be patient!

The seller has sold one nearly identical to it and once the keys are cleaned up and such, it will look more like this:

And now I wait... and dream...

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Addendum: I wrote this post the day I put a deposit on it. That was over a week ago. Since then I've learned more. Started to worry a bit more and my life has gotten super busy again, but way more stressful again. I am hoping this is a good stress reliever as things here in the US if you are a liberal are pretty bleak feeling right now - one week into Trump's term in office.

What key? Oh my goodness why are there so many decisions to be made?

After weeks of researching and listening to tons of music and instruments, I was getting things narrowed down. I now knew I was getting a two row/diatonic melodeon - not clubbed*. I was going to go with a simple layout with 23 keys for right hand and 8 bass keys for left hand. I even found a seller on the east coast who would tune an instrument for me (he has several waiting for customer requests). Now I just needed to decide which key.

The keys: The commonest are CF, DG, BbEb, AD, GC. There are more, but it should be one of these for a beginner wanting to play "whatever". Most common key in the US and in Germany is CF. Most common in the UK (where the site is that I'm using for learning to play this thing) is DG (very uncommon in the US).

It was recommended I listen to different pieces I knew were in different keys. More googling. But this was quicker to find my preferences. I prefer lower tones. I find the higher tones harsher to the ear (perhaps the horn player coming out in me a bit too - and someone who has listened to my son's tuba playing all through middle school and high school). I found this site and liked the sound of everything she played - just a woman enjoying her music:  The above is linked to her whole collection of videos. Here's the first one I watched.

Here's another instrument and player and a completely different style, but completely, unabashedly, marvelous:

These are both French musicians and French key of GC. Beautiful. So, GC is what I went with. Wait. I had made a decision? What did I get? Wait for tomorrow!

*turns out I got one of each for trying out on - possible got a clubbed one. This is still tbd.