Dick, your experience is very different from mine.   Most 26-keys I've come across (my own included) have been bog-standard middle-of-the-range Lachenals, which weren't built to the highest standards in the first place and inevitably show signs of wear and tear after a decades of use.

There has been extensive discussion on concertina.net and The Session of the differences between modern hybrids and vintage instruments, and the overwhelming body of opinion is that the hybrids are better value and better quality than equivalently-priced vintage instruments. There are also players who have reached a high standard of playing who are very happy with their hybrid instruments and see no need to upgrade to a traditionally-made one.

Here's just one example, from Gav Davenport in this discussion on c.net comparing Tedrow and Edgeley concertinas:

"In general either box would be better than a bog standard lachenal in terms of developing your own playing."

I find it speaks volumes that a professional player is happy to play hybrid instruments. He's not the only one - Jody Kruskal plays a Morse along with his Jeffries and Dipper concertinas.

The fact is that you get what you pay for. Even the highest quality vintage instruments show their age, even if expertly restored. You can probably get a bog-standard Lachenal for less than a new hybrid - it will have concertina reeds if that's what you value, but an inferior action. A modern hybrid will be in better shape than most vintage instruments you are likely to find in a similar price range, and the question is whether you are happy with the sound of accordion reeds. You will have to pay considerably more to find a traditionally-made instrument in comparable condition.

This doesn't make it easy to decide what to get. For a given price range there are many compromises to be made in terms of sound, playability and speed of response, and indeed the number of buttons. There is no right answer, it depends on the individual player's preferences and, importantly, what is available to buy.