This is a bit of a sore subject for me cus I've bought a few cheap accordions when really I should have bought a good LA made accordion in the first place!
Started on a C Welty which just about fell to bits due to heavy handedness and curiosity, then an amateur made one off cajun style in D with binci reeds but not great to play, followed by an old Hohner presswood 2 voice in Bb for zydeco experiment, then a German HA114 which is reliable, sounds great- but is still a bit rough to play, I also bought one of those old Hohner grand prix 1926 4 stoppers which is in pristine condition with a lovely action on the old style fingerboard but unfortunately the reeds are very quiet.
Nearly got the money together for a cajun box but needed to take the family on vacation so for some crazy reason bought a Gabbi King in G which I will say for the record is like having air con compared to the Hohners and the welty. A friend who has played English, Irish and shanty tunes on Castagnaris for years had a go and thought it was up there with them! I did tell him how much bad press they get among cajun players but he insisted that the quality was like the good Italian boxes- the bellows in particular, and I find it very comfortable to play and now my ears have adjusted- G is a great key, Keep thinkin I'll get the Hohner 114 reeds put in the Gabbi but I'll most likely keep it as it is as, it's fun and good enough for my purposes for now.
Hopefully one day I'll get a handmade LA box in C but now it's a hard to justify the expense, though I wouldn't have to if I'd just bought one in the first place!

To AJ...My D is a lacquered Black Gabbi King. With the higher quality reeds in it of course, and decked out with Cajun leather strapping instead of that stiff red crap they put on it. I had a Cajun Box builder order this King for me and he had some say as to the reeds that would be put in it by Gabbanelli. It cost me $850 back then when they were first introduced to Louisiana. That Gabbi King is hands down the best action, feel, and weight on any accordion I've owned. In fact, I had my Acadian reconfigured to match the button tension to match the Gabbi King. This Gabbi King is my "Tit Noir". I can play lick for lick and sound for sound against Nathan Abshire's recordings when he plays songs in the key of "D". The quentesential "Cajun" sound comes from this accordion. Thanks for the support for Gabbanelli King. I back you 100%. The reason people don't like the King is because of the manufactured metal stopper tops. I think they are so insecure with their playing that they think the material the stoppers are made of affects their overall presentation. They are afraid others will judge them and their accordion badly by the way the stoppers make the Gabbanelli King accordion look. By all means, they don't want to look like an uninformed novice with metal stoppers on a cheap beginner accordion!!

I'll pit me and my King any day against any player, but in person. And I'll beat most of them out. Not on video right Jim?

You guys have some pretty awesome responses to this topic. All of youz. I'm still contemplating my answers. Can't rush such a subject I think.

Note that the Gabb Cajun King has stand up reed blocks.

I'll bet it has Cagnoni reeds.

And, Gabb does not make that box.

there is no reason to judge others that have more accordions than you think is necessary.

in any hobby/interest, there are always people with more money to spend than others.

so what's the problem?

take bicycle racing. you can spend $20,000 on a bike that makes you feel faster, even if it only takes you from 101st place to 93rd.

it's up to the person with the money, and or the person with a job to do and the need for tools to do it.

at least the accordions don't really lose their value.

in that sense, it isn't even ''spending''..

wle

Different time, different place, different value system.

I have two.