Re: [Harp-L] Newbie

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

   The saying is antique silverware is valuable, but antique harmonicas are just something that has been in other people's mouths. Tremolo harmonicas, like the Echo, typically are especially worth little.
  But these are something different for sure, and actually might be work something, but probably not enough to make you want to sell it.
I've never heard of Hohner printed in Chinese, or Japanese, but it doesn't surprise me. God himself only knows how many different Hohners there were for export to different places. 
  Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s Hohner owned the export market, largely because Hohner dealt with distributors directly, while the harmonica makers in Klingenthal, like Seydel, Meisel and Schlott dealt with intermediaries. Hohner had this strong network of contacts from German immigrants to all these countries that the other makers didn't have.
  Thus, Hohner was able to get a strong foothold internationally, and secure it before anybody else got there. Hohner charged a higher price deliberately to foster this perception of quality above the other makers. Once Hohner entered a market, they typically made some kind of harp that was tailored for the people who lived there.
  In the early 1900s, Hohner had about 50 bazillion harps that were tailored to specific people in specific places. ?Young Australia? after Australia became a commonwealth around 1901 and the ?Uncle Sam? for the U.S. are a couple that come to mind. 
  These would be part of that marketing effort, which I think was mostly from 1900 to the 1930s. In the 1920s, there is this tremendous rise in Hohner exports. Part of that was devaluation of the German Mark. Harps were like a nickel then, it seems extra cheap today, but it was also cheap then. 
  

  Some things I'd like to know before looking into this further: 
  I'd like a pic, just put them anywhere online and post a link.
  I'd like to know more about your grandfather and where he was.
  

  Dave
  _________________________
Dave Payne Sr. 
  Elk River Harmonicas
  www.elkriverharmonicas.com