From someone ( me ! ) who has been there, done that..and has been playing music in bands for years...and owns and uses 2 x LA hand made single rows.
Forget about an accordion right now, no matter how much your trigger finger itches. Save for airfare and accommodation and get to S/W Louisiana for a festival week, eg, Cajun Mardi Gras, Festival Acadien, etc. etc.....soak up the sights, the sounds, the lifestyle and the fantastic folks ..THEN...make up your mind.
Accordions of any type are hard work for a while, then, after a few months, something clicks and you're on your way. DON'T buy a cheapy..it'll backfire on you !!

Thanks guys! I've been looking for one of these for years now, and I check craigslist almost every day, and I have yet to see one in my area. I see all sorts of accordions, just never a cajun style one. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford a decent one tho. I think my wife would shoot me dead if I spent 2 grand on what she would call a tinker toy, lol I think my only hope of getting a hand made LA box would be if I found one at a garage sale, and the person selling it had no idea what they have.

Over the years I've been to LA several times. I even lived there as a kid and I've been to all sorts of festivals, even here in God forsaken NJ - lol

I agree with Johnny Ace. The Gabbanelli Cajun King is a good starter instrument. They are usually in stock and Mike will ship it very quickly. I had one and liked it very much. There is also a Cajun accordion made by Weltmeister for about the same price. You can also check Ebay. I have seen some good used handmade models. Check with this form frequently as there are usually used Cajun boxes for sale. Don't buy anything made in China. Big waste of money. Good luck. Keep us posted.

Thanks! I don't know if I'll ever be able to afford a hand made LA box. I can't see spending 2 grand or more on what is supposed to be a poor man's instrument from the bayou, lol

The main reason I'm looking on amazon is someone sent me a $200 gift card for amazon, so I'm now looking at the panther as a possible learner.

The Hohner 114 is a good starter, but there are too many used ones around to pay new price. If you're looking for a deal, check out TJ's box for sale a few posts below. If it's playable as is, I'd jump on that.

I also have a Weltmeister that's not new, but never been used, and tuned for Cajun music, that I will sell for $800.

Yerah, I'd say TJs box is the way to go!