A HIDDEN gem found in Alloa fetched the handsome price of £2,100 at a recent auction.

The four-figure sum was paid for a rare concertina and was an early Christmas present for the seller from Alloa, according to Glasgow auction house McTear’s.

The auctioneers realised the instrument was a fine piece from C Wheatstone & Co of London, the inventors of the concertina.

It has 49 buttons, pierced chrome end, six-fold bellows and comes in a leather and velvet lined case.

The instrument was expected to fetch £600 at McTear’s Musical Instruments Auction, but several determined bidders pushed the price higher and higher.

Magda Ketterer from McTear’s said: “Charles Wheatstone invented the concertina so anything with the Wheatstone & Co brand is going to be of the highest quality and hugely collectable.

“There is a very large market for rare musical instruments so we realised there would likely be a fair bit of interest in the piece.

“The auction itself was very lively with several bidders pushing the price higher and higher.

“In the end the concertina was sold to an English collector for £2,100. It was a great result and the seller was delighted with the price.”

She added: “From our experience lots of people have hidden gems that they didn’t realise were valuable.

“We know from the many auctions we hold every month that there are buyers from all over the world looking for exactly these kind of items, so it’s always worth having a look and speaking to one of our experts. Auction advice is free and no-obligation.”