Lee Morgan, Hal McKusick and Sonny Clarke (sic)

Here are some jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. What caught my eye about this one is that the seller kept referring to him as “Sonny Clarke” in the headline and in the text.  I mean, can you look at the album cover? If potential buyers have alerts for Sonny Clark or if they are doing searches, would they not find this LP? Interesting question. This one was in VG condition for the record and M- for the cover. It was an original mono pressing. It sold for $289. My bet is that the misspelling did not impact the final price.

Hal McKusick, Bethlehem 16. This was an original pressing with the deep red label and deep grooves. The record was VG+ or perhaps a little better and the cover was VG++. The start price was $275 and when I looked at this there was one bidder. I was a bit surprised anyone was interested at that price so I kept an eye on it to see if the bidding would go higher. It didn’t.

Lee Morgan, Lee-Way, Blue Note 4034. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing that was in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. As I’ve watched this record through the years, it’s typically topped out in the $500 range, although we’ve seen one in the Jazz Collector Price Guide sell for $847. I expect someday we’ll see this regularly in the $1,000 bin given the quality of the recording, vintage, personnel, etc. Not yet. This one sold for $757.

 

Odds and Ends and eBay

When I was buying and selling regularly on eBay a few years ago I would monitor the listings religiously. Every day I would go through all of the listings, one by one, page by page, and I pretty much never missed a thing. These days, I’m more likely to do occasional searches and focus on items I’m most interested in. Last night I had some time, so I went through my old routine of listing by listing, page by page. Here’s some of the jazz vinyl I watched.

Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz, Diz and Getz, Verve 8141. This was an original pressing with the trumpeter logo. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG+, although it seemed to have original shrink wrap. The start price was $29.95. There were no bidders. Really? When I started collecting this would have been a nice commodity, hard to find, great artists, great collectible label. And it’s got quite a nice cover to boot. Now it’s not worth thirty bucks? Wow. How about Stan Getz and Chet Baker, Stan Meets Chet, Verve 8263. This one says “trumpet logo” in the headline, but there’s no picture of the label so I actually have to wonder if it is original. The record was listed in VG++ condition, close to M-, and the cover was VG+. The price was $57.

Read the rest of this entry »

Grand Stans

To keep the discussion on this a little longer. I was perusing eBay last night and there was another copy of Getz/Gilberto, Verve 8545, also a stereo pressing, also in M- condition. It sold for $37, which is higher than normal. The other one from bobdjukic is at $219 and closing later today. While perusing, I also came upon this nice record: Stan Levey, Grand Stan, Bethelehem 71. It was sitting there at $25 and there were no bidders and I was contemplating placing a bid even though I already own a copy in M- condition. I think the seller missed an opportunity here: This is one of those records where if you know it, and you know the identities of the musicians, it becomes much more interesting. Among the musicians on this record are Sonny Clark and Richie Kamuca and it is, as you’d expect, a terrific record. It’s also not so easy to find, certainly tougher to find than Getz/Gilbert0. This one was in VG+ condition and sold for $27. The highest price we’ve ever seen for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide is $90.

Going Up . . . Up . . . Up . . .

Here’s some interesting jazz vinyl auctions that closed this week.

We need a new explanation for this one: Horace Silver, Song For My Father, Blue Note 4185. Admittedly this is a great, classic record and this was an original mono pressing in near mint condition for both the record and the cover. Why is there a new explanation needed? Conventional wisdom has said that because of the initial popularity of this record, there has always been a relatively abundant supply of original pressings in decent condition. Conventional wisdom may be changing. This particular copy sold for $405. Our previous high for this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide was $334 and, at the time, we considered that to be an aberration. What’s this?

And this? Gene Ammons, Blue Gene, Prestige 7146. This was from the same seller and it was also in near mint condition for the record and the cover. You’d normally expect this in the $40-$50 range, maybe a drop higher because of the condition. This copy sold for $164.50.

This next one got quite a high price, but not a surprising one:

Read the rest of this entry »

Off To The Races, The Chase is On

We’ll start today’s jazz vinyl watch with a personal favorite that we don’t see that often on eBay: Charles Rouse and Paul Quinichette, The Chase is On, Bethlehem 6021. This is an original red label pressing with the deep grooves. The record is in near mint/ex-plus condition and the cover is VG+. The current price is nearly $300 and there are about 12 hours to go as of this writing. Great record.

Now we go to a conundrum we have mentioned before: How do you value a sealed record without knowing its provenance and then, once you have it, what do you do with it? In this case the record is: Donald Byrd, Off the the Races, Blue Note 4007. This is a mono pressing and the factory seal is still on it. There is no indication of Liberty on the back cover — it looks like an original back cover. The seller, Euclid Records, one of the most credible in our community, makes no claims about the record’s originality and offers no hype. We’ve seen records like this and they’ve been originals, we’ve seen records like this and they’ve been later pressings, New York USA or Liberty. So what would you bid on this record? And, I assume you would open it as soon as you got it, so is there a huge value in purchasing it sealed? This one is priced at more than $150 and there are still three days to go.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bethlehem Beauties, Blue Note, Warhol (Again)

Here’s some of the jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay.

Let’s start with a couple from the Bethlehem label, which doesn’t always get a lot of attention here: Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This is an original pressing. The vinyl is VG++ and the cover is only VG. The current price is a little over $300 and there are still 10 hours to go on the auction. This next one is a little tough to figure: Charles Rouse and Paul Quinichette, the Chase is On, Bethlehem 6021. I love this record, but this is a stereo pressing with a blue label. Can’t imagine this was issued the same time as the mono pressing, so it much be a later pressing, right, even if it is the first stereo issue?  In any case this stereo pressing is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It’s closing later today and is in the $150 price range so far.

Here’s a Stanley Turrentine Blue Note doing quite well:

Read the rest of this entry »

Jazz Vinyl To Watch: Parlan, Dex, Mobley, Burrell

Lots of interesting jazz vinyl to watch on eBay.

Here’s one that will soon enter the $1,000 bin: Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. This is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it is described as an original pressing, although a close-up of the labels always helps. There are a couple of days left on the bidding for this one and the price is already at $1,000. The same seller his this one: Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This one is also listed as an original pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover looks to be about VG+. The price is currently at $850.

Dexter Gordon, Daddy Plays the Horn, Bethlehem 36. This is an original deep groove mono pressing with the red label.  The record and the cover are both listed in VG++ condition. The price is already more than $300. The same seller has this one: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This is an original pressing. It’s only in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover, but it is already bid up to more than $500.

Here’s another Andy Warhol cover:

Read the rest of this entry »

More Jazz Vinyl Updates: J.R., Sal et al

We shall continue our exploration of non-Blue Note jazz vinyl for the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Sal Salvador, Tribute To the Greats, Bethlehem 74. This was an original red label pressing with promo stamps. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. You don’t often see Salvador among the collectibles, even his 10-inch Blue Note doesn’t always rate with the other Blue Notes. This one did all right, selling for $154.

J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This was also a promo copy, with a white label that had a nice vintage look to it. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG+ as well. The price was $422.

Introducing Jimmy Cleveland, Emarcy 36066. This was an original

Read the rest of this entry »

Price Updates: Hank, Jackie, Farmer, Moody

Just spent the morning updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so there are a bunch of new records we’ve been watching, including these, all of which have been mentioned before:

Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Second Message, Prestige 7082. This was an original New York pressing. The record and cover were listed in VG++ condition and the price was $482.

Another nice Prestige: Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This was in M- condition and sold for $529.

Almost bid on this one: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing and it was in VG++/VG++ condition. It sold for $678.

Zoot Sims, Down Home, Bethlehem 60. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $435.

Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing of this very rare record. It was

Read the rest of this entry »

On eBay: Dex, Garland, Trane

I wound up taking a six-week hiatus from selling records on eBay after my mom passed away, but I am back now and have been busy posting records by the armful the past couple of weeks. Some of the items are records I’ve written about on Jazz Collector, so we can see whether my investments were wise or not so wise. Here are a few:

Stan Levey, This Time the Drum’s on Me, Bethlehem 37. This is a record that features some very rare Dexter Gordon from the 1950s. It’s amazing to think how infrequently Dexter was recorded during this period, when you would have expected him to be quite prolific. Anyway, I bought this record in a batch of other records and wrote about it under the title: Taking a Chance on Junk Vinyl. It was among a group of 25 records and the whole batch cost me $30. This is already at $40 on eBay and should sell for a bit more than that.

Red Garland with John Coltrane, High Pressure, Prestige 7209. This was one of the ones I purchased in the

Read the rest of this entry »

On eBay: Morgan, Zoot, Chambers & Rare Mobley

Here are some nice items coming up soon on eBay:

Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing being sold by Euclid Records. The vinyl is listed as VG++ and the cover is listed as M-. The current price is a little more than $300, but it’s hard to believe that this one won’t sell for more than $1,000, perhaps considerably more, given the way prices on Blue Notes have been going.

The Great Zoot Sims, Down Home, Bethlehem 60. This is an original red label pressing. The record and vinyl seem to be in what we would grade as VG++ condition, based on the seller’s description. The current price is about $150.

This one is already close to $800 and it hasn’t yet reached the seller’s reserve price:

Read the rest of this entry »

Taking A Chance on Junk Vinyl

I will let you in on one of my dirty little collecting secrets. Sometimes I will take a flyer and bid on a box or collection of records on eBay from a seller who may not know what he’s doing. The goal is to find one or two gems. I do this for a few reasons: 1. I’m a gambler at heart, so I’m always one to take risks.  2. The first time I ever did this I bought a box of records for about $60 and, when they arrived, they were loaded with original Verves and Prestiges that I estimated to be worth at least $3,000. So I was a bit hooked.  3. The cost of shipping these boxes overseas is often prohibitive so, generally, the competition for these items is not so steep, just U.S. buyers. Which brings me to my most recent purchase, shown in the picture. It was clear when I looked at the picture that just about every record here was virtually worthless. Except for one. Can you identify it? Look at the

Read the rest of this entry »

More Price Updates: Ernie Henry, Clifford Brown, Etc.

We updated Blue Note and Prestige earlier this week. Here’s an update on some other labels we’ve just entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

Ernie Henry, Seven Standards and a Blues, Riverside 248. This was an original pressing with the blue label, deep grooves, etc. It was sold by a reputable seller and was in M- condition, for both the record and the cover. And it got quite a hefty price: $564.32.

Brew Moore Quintet, Fantasy 3-222. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $304.

Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This was an original red label pressing. The vinyl

Read the rest of this entry »

Catching Up: Mal, Mobley, McLean, Hubbard

Here’s some more jazz vinyl we’ve been watching. Some high prices, but none for the $1,000 bin:

Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This is an original pressing, which, like many jazz records on the West Coast, passed through the hands of the late Leon Leavitt at one point. The seller listed this as M- for both the record and the cover and he tells us in this listing that he will be putting more of these types of records on ebay. So, take a look at this one and mark the seller and come back to look for more. This one sold for $759.

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was just VG. The price

Read the rest of this entry »

Sealed Records: To Bid Or Not To Bid?

Here is some more jazz vinyl we’re watching today and through the weekend:

Here’s one that may cause a dilemma: Introducing Lee Morgan, Savoy 12091. This is a sealed record. Is it an original pressing with the red label, or a later pressing with the maroon label? It seems like you’ll have to buy it to find out. The seller has a bunch of Savoys, all in their original shrink wraps, and he hasn’t opened them to determine their vintage. Is it worth the risk risk? This record is now at $50. If it turns out to be an original pressing, unplayed, with a mint cover, what would it be worth — $500, $800, even $1,000? Who knows? Here’s another interesting one from that batch: Mighty Mike Cuozzo, Savoy 12051. Do you think Savoy even issued this with a maroon label? It’s a sealed record, priced at $9, perhaps an original featuring Eddie Costa on vibes. Worth a risk? Perhaps it is.

This seller also has some nice records, including: Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This

Read the rest of this entry »

Watching The Next Tier: The Bidding Continues

As I’m going through some of the items I’ve been watching on eBay, I’m actually finding less evidence than I expected of this supposed shift into a two-tier market. There is still a lot of high-priced bidding among the non-Blue Note labels and artists. Perhaps it’s just by comparison that the gap is widening because some of the Blue Note/Prestige prices have been skyrocketing lately. We’ll keep watching, but as you guys see evidence of a real drop-off in prices of second-tier labels, please post them on the site as a comment. Here are some items we’ve been watching that may give you an alternate view versus my comments and others of the past couple of days:

Red Mitchell, Bethlehem 38. This was an original red label pressing, deep groove. It was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $190.93.

Lee Konitz with Marne Marsh, Atlantic 1217. This was an original black-label mono pressing. It looks to be generously graded at VG++. It sold for $149.99.

Here’s one that would support the theory of a developing two-tier market:

Read the rest of this entry »

For the Price Guide: Trane, Sonny, Monk, Mobley

We are up in the lovely Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, sitting on our porch with the lovely Mrs. JC, and looking at jazz records on eBay. Life is not bad. Here are a few items we will be entering into the Jazz Collector Price Guide sometime before the end of the weekend. 

John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77. This was an original stereo pressing with the orange label and gatefold cover. It was in M- condition, both record and cover. It sold or $150. One of the reasons I’m putting this up is that I recently acquired a mono copy in M- to go with my stereo copy, also in M- condition, and I am currently deciding whether to keep both or put one up for auction on eBay, or, perhaps, even sell it here on Jazz Collector. I am open to offers and/or suggestions.

Thelonious Monk, Prestige 7053. This was an original pressing with the cover design by Andy Warhol. It was in VG++/VG++ condition

Read the rest of this entry »

Price Updates: Blue Train, Bud, Miles and More

Here are some items we’ll be adding to the Jazz Collector Price Guide over the weekend. If you haven’t checked out the Price Guide lately, it’s time to come back. We’ve added a new feature, where you can browse all of the records on one screen and sort it either by artist, label or price. It’s a lot of fun just to go through the lists and compare and contrast. It’s also very helpful when buying or selling items on eBay. Anyway, speaking of eBay, here are some recent sales:

John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was an original pressing in M- condition. The price was $710.

The Amazing Bud Powell, Blue Note 5003. This was an original 10-inch LP in M- condition, both record and cover. The price was $380. 

Miles Davis, Miles, Prestige 7014. This was an original New York pressing. The record

Read the rest of this entry »

Another $1,000 Item, Plus A Few More

We were right in predicting that this record would surpass the $1,000 barrier:  It was in near mint condition and it is a rare Blue Note and it was being sold by Euclid Records. We’ve seen it sell for more than $900 previously in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so it was no surprise that this copy sold yesterday for $1,563. 

Here are some of the other items we’ve been watching that will be entered into the Price Guide:

Wes Montgomery, Full House, Riverside 434. This was an original blue label pressing. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. The price was $255. This is always one of the higher priced Montgomery collectibles, ostensibly aided by the presence of Johnny Griiffin on tenor. 

Bobby Hutcherson, Happenings, Blue Note 4231. This was an original New York USA pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $221.40.

Paula Castle, Love Lost, Bethlehem 1036. This was an original 10-inch pressing in M- 

Read the rest of this entry »

Today on eBay, February 12, 2009

Perhaps we’ll see another $1,000 record today. If so, this would be the one: John Jenkins With Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This is an original pressing in M- condition, both record and cover. It’s one of the items being sold today by Euclid Records. The current price is a bit more than $500 and there are still several hours to go. Euclid has a few other nice items up today, including Jackie McLean, Bluesnik, Blue Note 4067. This is an original pressing in VG+ condition. The current price is about $80.

Some other items we’re watching here at Jazz Collector: 

Paula Castle, Lost Love, Bethlehem 1036. This is a 10-inch LP that looks to be

Read the rest of this entry »

Sonny, Jackie, Miles & Bird for the Price Guide

Here are some items we’ll be adding to the Jazz Collector Price Guide today: 

Sonny Rollins With the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige 7029. This is an original New York pressing with the original Orange cover and the wrong catalogue number. It’s a very rare piece and this one was in M- condition, both record and cover. Price: $760

Johnny Griffin Sextet, Riverside 264. This was an original blue label pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. Price: $294

Thelonious Monk, The Unique, Riverside 209. This was an original white label pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $161.50. Also from Monk: Thelonious Monk With Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG++. The price was $180.49.

Read the rest of this entry »

Updating The Price Guide, Part 2

Here are some more items we’ll be loading into the Jazz Collector Price Guide today:

Jackie McLean and Company, Prestige 7087. This was an autographed original New York pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. Price: 418

Horace  Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This was a New York USA pressing — not original — and was in M- condition. Price $371

Zoot Sims and the Modern Art of Jazz, Dawn 1102. This was an original mono pressing. The record and cover were in M- condition. Price: $105.01

We were watching this one to see if it had much value as a collectible. Apparently not: Dexter Gordon, Live at the Amsterdam Paradiso, Catfish 336-337. This was a double LP with the records VG++ and the cover VG+. Price: $30.53

Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This was an original West 63rd

Read the rest of this entry »