More Jazz Vinyl For the $2,000 Bin
Aug 25, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
Here’s some jazz vinyl for the $2,000 bin:
Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing and it was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $2,142. A few months ago, I catalogued all of my Blue Notes for insurance purposes. For each record, I put down the condition and assigned a value to it, based on current market conditions and historical trends from the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Well, based on price trends, I’m going to have to go back and reassess the values and make them higher in most cases. For example, I don’t have an original pressing of this record, but I have an original of Hank, Blue Note 1560. My copy is M- for the record and VG++ for the cover. When I did the spreadsheet earlier this year, the value I assigned to this record was just
Tags: Doug Watkins, Hank Mobley, Jazz Vinyl, Transition Records
More Questions About “Original” Blue Notes
Aug 19, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Collecting Tips
I went back to look at some of those listings from Paperstax that have generated all of this discussion and controversy. I started with Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024. When you look at the listing, it seems to have it all: West 63rd Street address, deep groove, but . . . when you look closely, Van Gelder in the dead wax as opposed to RVG, no mention of the ear. In bidding, I would assume — and did — that this was an original and that the seller inadvertently did not mention the ear and used Van Gelder descriptively as opposed to using the RVG. The reason is because I don’t quite understand how this can be a Liberty pressing and still have the deep grooves. The same thing with:
Tags: Jackie McLean, Lou Donaldson
Jazz Vinyl Price Update: Jackie, Newk Et Al
Aug 13, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige, Price Guide
I have a couple of hundred items to enter into the Jazz Collector Price Guide and I’m hoping to find some time this weekend. As I’ve been perusing through the entries this morning, I found a few that I never updated on the site, so here they are. No links on these, by the way.
Jackie McLean, Alto Madness, Prestige 7114. This was from about a month ago. It was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $932. A copy of Jackie’s Pal sold for more than $1,500 last week. There’s definitely been something that has stirred some higher prices in the past couple of weeks.
Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This was an original pressing that was in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG for the cover. The price was $610.. This was an original pressing that was
Tags: Cliff Jordan, Jackie McLean, Jazz Vinyl, Sonny Clark, Sonny Rollins
Blue Notes Shattering Price Ceiling
Aug 10, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
Let’s catch up from the weekend.
The Blue Notes seem to be in a new stratosphere. We’d never seen any Curtis Fuller record sell for more than $1,000 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Until now, that is: Curtis Fuller Volume 3, Blue Note 1583. This was an original pressing, featuring Sonny Clark on piano, and it was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $1,467.43. Then there was this one, from a different seller: Curtis Fuller, The Opener, Blue Note 1567. This was also an original pressing, not with Sonny Clark but with Hank Mobley on tenor. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,180. Honestly, watching these prices, I’m getting quite tempted to dig into the collection. I have both of these records in nice condition.
There there was this, which wasn’t even an original pressing:
Tags: Curtis Fuller, Jazz Vinyl, Kenny Dorham, Paul Chambers
A Prestige Pair & One For The $1,000 Bin
Aug 7, 2010 $1000 Records, Prestige
Here are a few more jazz vinyl odds and ends we’ve been watching on eBay:
Let’s start with a couple more Prestiges. Frank Foster, Hope Meets Foster, Prestige 7021. This looks to be an original pressing with the New York address and the deep groove. It was listed in M- condition for the record and the cover looked to be VG+ or VG++. The price was $548.78, which is a nice price but in this market I would have thought it might have sold for even more. If that Prestige sold for less than expected, this one got top dollar, based on what we’ve previously seen for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide:
Tags: Booker Ervin, Elmo Hope, Frank Foster, Jazz Records, Jazz Vinyl, Lawrence Marable
Six Blue Note LPs, Six For the $1,000 Bin
Aug 5, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
There were some comments on the earlier posts about Prestige prices being high. Here are some Blue Notes from the same time period and some of the same sellers:
Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. The record was mis-labeled as Dial S for Sonny in the listing, but I don’t think that impacted the price. The vinyl was listed in M- condition and the cover was M- and it was a nice clear picture in the listing, as you can see here. The record sold for $3,050.
Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This too was an original pressing from the same seller, also with a nice picture, also in M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. It sold for $2,444, which was the highest price we’ve ever recorded for
Tags: Cliff Jordan, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Jazz LPs, Jazz Records, Jazz Vinyl, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark
A Couple More For the $1,000 Bin
Jul 29, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
Here are a couple for the $1,000 bin in the Jazz Collector Price Guide:
Lee Morgan, City Lights, Blue Note 1575. This was an interesting one. The seller had it on last week with a reserve and didn’t sell it despite a bid of more than $400. He put it back this week, the bidding accelerated way past the $400 mark and the record wound up selling for a buy-it-now price of $1,200 before the auction closed. The seller must be pretty happy he put a reserve price on this record the first time around. The vinyl was listed as M- and the cover seemed to be VG+.
Bent Axen-Bent Jaedig, Let’s Keep the Message, Debut 133. This was the original Danish
Tags: Bent Axen, Debut Records, Lee Morgan
2 For the $1,000 Bin, 2 For Resale
Jul 26, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige
Let’s catch up once again on some more jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay:
Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This was from that seller in Switzerland who was selling off pieces from his own collection. This one was in VG++ to M- condition for the vinyl and M- for the cover. The price was $1,345.67. This came from the same seller and is definitely the highest price we’ve seen for this record, proving, I guess, that it’s not only a Blue Note world: Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Prestige 7068. This was in M- condition all around, vinyl and cover, and it sold for $1,592.89.
Here’s one that did not meet the seller’s reserve price and is now back on eBay, with a $300 bid and a buy-it-now price of $1,200:
Tags: Cliff Jordan, Jackie McLean, Jazz Records, Jazz Vinyl, Lee Morgan, Louis Smith
Some Surprises in the JRC Lot
Jul 24, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
I’m sure you’ve all been waiting anxiously for the results of the Jazz Record Center jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay, so here goes.
Lee Morgan, Indeed, Blue Note 1538. This was listed as an “early” pressing, and it seemed to have the Lexington Avenue address, flat edge and deep grooves, so I’m not sure why it wasn’t listed as an original pressing. Nevertheless, it was near mint for both the record and the cover and it sold for $1,915.
Hank Mobley, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This was an original pressing and it also was in near mint condition for the vinyl and perhaps a drop less for the cover. This one sold for $1,825.
Horace Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This one was interesting because
Tags: Hank Mobley, Horace Parlan, Lee Morgan, Paul Chambers
Jazz Vinyl For The $1,000 (Blue Note) Bin
Jul 23, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
It looks like this will be a busy weekend for the $1,000 bin. In addition to some of the items from the Jazz Record Center auction, which we will update momentarily, there are also several other items for sale on eBay that are destined to be sold for high prices.
Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This is from a seller in Switzerland who says he is selling off pieces from his personal collection. This is an original pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for the record and M- condition for the cover. The price is already more than $1,000 and there are still two days to go. From the same seller is this one: Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This looks to be similar to the Sonny Clark record in condition: VG++ for the vinyl and either M- or VG++ for the cover. This one is also already more than $1,000.
The Jazz Record Center auctions close today and the bidding has not been fierce on most of the items. This is one, however, that will make it into the $1,000 bin:
Tags: Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Sonny Clark
Jazz Vinyl Update: Jackie, Miles, JR
Jul 20, 2010 $1000 Records, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching. Each of these will be entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide as soon as we get the chance, hopefully by the weekend.
This one almost made the $3,000 bin: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This is the one that was listed as “almost M-” for both the record and the cover. Not sure how I’ll list that in the Jazz Collector Price Guide: Probably VG++, wouldn’t you say? Anyway, this one sold for $2,840.
I was also watching several listings from the seller dobdjukic, who tends to get top dollar, at least, for his auctions. Here are a couple from last week: Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool, Capitol T-762. This seemed to be an original mono pressing. Based on the description, it looked like the record and the cover were both in about VG+ condition. The final price was $315. I just picked up a
Tags: Ad Lib Records, Capitol Records, J. R. Monterose, Jackie McLean, Jazz Records, Jazz Vinyl, Miles Davis
Today’s $1,000 Bin: Newk, JR, Sun Ra, Cliff Jordan
Jul 11, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige
Let’s update the Jazz Collector $1,000 bin, shall we?
Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The selling price was $2,125. That’s the third highest price we’ve ever recorded for Saxophone Colossus in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.
Check out this one: J. R. Monterose, In Action, Studio 4 SS 100. This was an original pressing and we know this is a rare record from previous descriptions. If you missed those do a search above on J. R. Monterose and you can read all about it. What’s interesting about this listing is the seller’s rather detailed yet still unclear description of the condition. It seems to me, if I were bidding on this record, I would expect it to be in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG for the cover. I’m thinking the winning bidder and those bidding it up, actually may have felt it was in better condition because
Tags: Cliff Jordan, J. R. Monterose, Jazz Collector Price Guide, Jazz Vinyl, Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra
Jazz Vinyl Pricing Trends: Three Altos
Jul 4, 2010 $1000 Records, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
Today is the Independence Day Holiday here in the states but, as usual, we at Jazz Collector never rest. Here are some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay lately:
Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing, of course, and it was listed in VG++ condition. The price was $2,627. The seller was a collector from Japan, not a dealer. Haven’t seen that so often.
Jason did that story on Boston jazz the other day and, coincidentally, this record was available on eBay from Euclid Records: Charlie Mariano, The New Sounds From Boston, Prestige 130. This was an original 10-inch LP and it was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. With a few hours to go before the bidding closed, this record was sitting in the $30 range. I though I might be able to get it for a cheap price and , not owning a copy, it had quite an appeal for me. So I used my sniping software, which is BidNip, and I
Tags: Ad Lib Records, Charlie Mariano, Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Jackie McLean, Jazz Vinyl
Blue Notes on A Summer’s Day
Jun 28, 2010 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note
On this warm, sticky, hot, sweltering summery day in New York, let us take a moment to catch up on some collectible jazz vinyl from the recent annals of eBay:
Here’s a nice Blue Note for what seemed to be a pretty reasonable price: Lou Donaldson, Swing and Soul, Blue Note 1566. This was an original pressing from a reputable seller. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $460.75, and this is quite a fine record, indeed. There was a second copy of this record for sale. The record and cover were VG++ and the
Tags: Frank Foster, Hank Mobley, Lou Donaldson
Mobley 10-Inch For The $2,000 Bin
Jun 22, 2010 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note
I’ve been updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide and noticed that I somehow missed writing about the final price of this one: Hank Mobley Quartet, Blue Note 5066. This is a nice 10-inch LP and it was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. When I first wrote about it the price was in the $340 range and there were a few days left on the auction and I kind of put it aside and assumed it would sell for somewhere near $1,000, as did a copy of Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 5065, its direct predecessor in the Blue Note catalogue. So now I am adding new items to the Price Guide and came back to the Mobley and was kind of surprised to see the final price, which was $2,251. Surprised, but not shocked, since all the Mobley Blue Notes are selling for top dollar these days. Still, this was the highest price we’ve seen so far for any 10-inch Blue Note. Congratulations to the seller, and to the buyer as well. As I said, I’ve been loading
Tags: Hank Mobley
A Tale of Two Blue Notes
Jun 10, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
The Blue Notes remain through the roof. Here’s a new one for the $1,000 bin: Clifford Brown Memorial Album, Blue Note 1526. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing and it was listed as “very close to mint” condition. It sold for $1,280.50. Our friend Rudolf recently put this on a list of expendable Blue Notes. So what do you think about this price?
This one came from the same seller: Thad Jones, Detroit-New York Junction, Blue Note 1513. This was also an original Lexington Avenue pressing and it was also listed as near mint. It sold for $692.02, not quite half of the Clifford, but pretty close. Who knows why? That is a rhetorical question by the way, although if some thinks there is an answer, be my guest.
Tags: Clifford Brown, Thad Jones
Mobley Sets New Top Vinyl Price For Jazz Collector
Jun 8, 2010 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note
Time to catch up on a few items. By now, most of you have probably seen what happened with those records we were watching from the Jazz Record Center. The Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568 sold for $5,101, which is the highest price we’ve ever recorded for a jazz record at Jazz Collector. The previous high was $4,036 for a copy of Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, on Ad Lib. A lot of people have already commented on this one, so I don’t have much to add other than what I’ve often said: The market is the market and eBay reflects what the market will bear. This is the going rate for this record in this condition at this point in time. I was wrong, barely on a couple of my predictions. (1) I had opined that two of the other records from this auction would sell for more than $2,000 and only one of them did: Hank Mobley, Hank, Blue Note 1560, which is the one pictured here. This one sold for $2,347. The one that did not break the $2,000 barrier was:
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Dial Records, Dootone Records, Hank Mobley, Jazz Record Center
New Jazz Record Center Auction Could Be Big
Jun 3, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
Got an email from the Jazz Record Center and they have an auction closing in a couple of days and it could be a doozy. Here’s one of the items we’ll be watching closely, to see if it perhaps sets a new record for Jazz Collector: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is an original pressing and it’s in M- condition: In fact, it’s listed as “near new.” The combination of one of the rarest records, a Blue Note at that, and the most trusted seller, is definitely worth watching. So far, the record has a start price of $2,500 and there are no bidders.
Here are a couple more we’ll be watching from the same auction:
Dexter Gordon, Dexter Blows Hot and Cool, Dootone 209. This is an original red vinyl pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover seems to have been repaired, but is also listed as very clean. This one has a start price of
Tags: Dexter Gordon, Dootone Records, Hank Mobley, Jazz Record Center
Rare Jazz Vinyl Collectibles From Three Tenors
Jun 2, 2010 $1000 Records, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
We did a whole riff on this record a few months ago and actually came up with some never-heard-before tapes of J.R. Monterose, which, to my knowledge, may still be available. Check it out here and here. Anyway, another copy of this record sold recently: J.R. Monterose In Action, Studio 4 SS 100. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was listed as M- and the cover looked to be VG++, based on the description. The price was $1,911.
Here’s another non Blue Note for the $1,000 bin: Dexter Gordon, Dexter Blows Hot and Cool, Dootone 207. This was an original red vinyl pressing. The record was listed as VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $1,137.
This one really got top dollar, more than you would normally expect to see for a Jazzland LP:
Tags: Charlie Rouse, Dexter Gordon, Dootone, Jazzland Records, JR Monterose, Studio 4
Blue Notes, $1,000 Bin & $2,000 Bin
May 31, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
It’s June and the $1,000 bin is busting out all over, mostly with Blue Notes.
How do you like this one? Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was listed in M- condition, the cover was listed as excellent, with shrink wrap still on it. The top bid was $2,311 and . . . and . . . and . . . and it still failed to meet the reserve price.
The seller roverd-90 had a nice weekend selling Blue Notes. Here are a few:
Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover. It received a top bid of $2,264 and actually sold for that price, since there was no reserve. From the same seller was Lee Morgan, Indeed, Blue Note 1538. This was an original Lexington Avenue, flat-edge pressing. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG+. The price was $1,915. And then there was this:
Tags: Hutta Hipp, Lee Morgan, Tina Brooks
Catching Up: Sahib, Serge, Newk, Woods
May 23, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige
This one almost made the $2,000 bin: Sahib Shihab and the Danish Radio Jazz Group, Oktav 111. This was an original Danish pressing. What was most amazing about this listing was the number of views it received — more than 1,600. It was listed so that it came up on the first page when you would do a search of jazz vinyl, but still, 1,600 views is quite a lot for any record. Also, I have to plead my ignorance about this LP: I’ve never seen it before and know nothing about it, so if anyone has insight to share, please feel free to do so. The record seemed to be in VG++ condition, close to M-, and the cover was also about VG++, based on the description. The price was $1,952.60.
This one seemed to get top dollar: Serge Chaloff, Blue Serge, Capitol 742. It was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it was sold by Euclid Records. The price was $364.88. Finding these records in such
Tags: Capitol Records, Euclid Records, Jazz Vinyl, Phil Woods, Sahib Shihab, Serge Chaloff, Sonny Rollins
Jazz Vinyl Price Guide: Wallington, PC, 10-Inch King
May 20, 2010 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note
Here’s one we missed for the $1,000 bin: Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,036.
This is a nice New Jazz LP with Phil Woods and Donald Byrd: George Wallington, New York Scene, New Jazz 8207. This was an original pressing with the purple labels and the deep groove. The vinyl was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $565.55. I remember walking into a local store and seeing this record for three bucks about 15 years ago. Needless to say, it didn’t last long in the store and is still sitting on my shelf at home.
Here’s another original Blue Note: Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This one looked to be in M- condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. It had the Lexington Avenue address, flat edges and
Tags: Bill Jennings, George Wallington, Herbie Nichols, Jazz Vinyl Price Guide, King Records, Leo Parker, New Jazz Records, Paul Chambers
On EBay: Hank & a Pair Of Lees
May 16, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
Here are the results of a jazz vinyl few items we’ve been watching on e-Bay:
Lee Morgan, Indeed!, Blue Note 1538. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the flat edge. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG. The price was $1,247. This seller had about 300 records for auction at one time. Not sure how that works as a selling strategy. I generally tend to spread my listings out a bit more, but I can see where it makes sense to do a lot at one time. You can combine shipping costs, which always helps, and sometimes buyers figure if they’re buying a couple of records from you, the may as well bid on a few more. But it’s putting a lot of eggs in the basket of who may be active on eBay that particular week. In any case, it didn’t seem to impact the price of this Lee Morgan LP. In addition, these were from the same seller:
Tags: Hank Mobley, Jazz Vinyl, Lee Morgan
Lee, Newk, Pepper For the $1,000 Bin
May 15, 2010 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Prestige
Here are a few recent eBay sales we missed:
Lee Morgan, Volume 3, Blue Note 1557. This was an original West 63rd pressing that looked to be in VG+ condition, perhaps a little better, but not nearly mint. It sold for $1,704.
Here’s another copy of Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original pressing in VG+ condition. It sold for $1,425.
Art Pepper, Modern Art, Intro 606. Based on the description it sounds like this record was VG+, although it was listed as VG++. The price was $1,300.
Pretty cool so far: Three records for the $1,000 bin and none of them
Tags: Art Pepper, Barney Wilen, Lee Morgan, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk
For the $1,000 Bin: Jimmy Smith, Blue Note
May 14, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note
I entered this one into the Jazz Collector Price Guide the other day and I had to give it a special call out: Jimmy Smith, A New Sound, A New Star, Blue Note 1514, Volume 2. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the flat edge, deep groove and all of the other markings that would guarantee that this would have been an original pressing. It was sold by a reputable seller and it was listed in M- condition and, in fact, was noted to be in “superb” condition. I cite this record because of the sales price, which was $1,074. It was quite a surprise to us to see one of the Jimmy Smith records, even an original Blue Note, in the $1,000 bin. In addition, this is a record that does not feature any of the Blue Note hornmen, so that this would be the Jimmy Smith record to break the $1,000 barrier was equally surprising. But, there it is. Just goes to show the power of original Blue Notes in today’s market.
Here’s another that came up just short of the $1,000 bin:
Tags: Jimmy Smith