Watching Some Nice Jazz Collectibles

Catching up on life and on eBay, so here are some jazz records I am watching and have been watching.

Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original pressing, still in some kind of shrink wrap with a $1.79 price sticker. Wouldn’t that be great, $1.79 for an original pressing of True Blue. This one was in VG+ condition for the record and M- for the cover. It did not sell for $1.79. It sold for $1,414. Not a bad price, all in all. So, when you get this home do you take off the shrink wrap or do you leave it on? If it’s me, I’m pretty sure I take it off and put the record in a nice plastic sleeve.

This one also ended up in the $1,000 bin: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original West 63rd pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,280.55

This one closes later today. Price is still out my range: Clifford Jordan Sextet, Blue Note 1565. This is an original pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The picture in the listing could be better, but that doesn’t seem to be effecting the bidding, which is now up to $800.

And let’s throw in a couple of non-Blue Notes:

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Tracking a Blue Note Quartet

Been light on the posts again lately. Super busy with real work. Here are a few high-priced jazz records, all Blue Notes,  we missed on eBay:

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This was an original pressing in M- condition. The price was $1,531.

John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This too was an original pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover was probably VG++. The price was $1,500.

Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. Another original pressing, of course, this one in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. This one sold for $1,250.

Lou Donaldson, Wailing with Lou, Blue Note 1545. This was an original pressing in M- condition from the seller who had access to the Leon Leavitt collection. This one sold for $900.

 

Updating the $1,000 Jazz Vinyl Bin

Sorry for taking so long between posts. I had a ton of work on my real job, but no excuses. I promise to do better. So, let’s catch up on some of the records we missed while we were off in the real world.

I had my eye on this, but the price was too high even if I had been paying attention: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. I was looking at this with a couple of days to go and the price was relatively low. I thought, given the condition, perhaps it might be worth a snipe. It wound up selling for $1,125. However, I do have hope for acquiring this record in the future. I’ve got an idea I may be getting a copy for my birthday one of these days. How did I finagle that? I’ll tell you in another post this week.

John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,602.77.

Whilst we’re perusing the $1,000 bin, here are a few more:

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Tracking Some $1,000 — And $5,000 — Jazz Vinyl

My goodness, look what this sold for: Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price was $5,117. That’s one of the highest prices we’ve ever seen for any record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide and about $1,500 more than we’ve previously seen for this record. The seller has commented elsewhere on Jazz Collector as to the legitimacy of the auction, which I don’t doubt at all, since we’ve always seen that bidding wars can drive up prices and we’ve also seen prices going higher and higher for the rarest of the collectibles, of which this qualifies. If I had an original copy, maybe I’d even sell it myself. Really? Nah, I’d keep it for sure.

When I talk about prices going up for the rarest of the collectibles, this is another example: Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This is an original pressing in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover, and you can see on the picture that the cover is not completely clean, but certainly looks at least VG+. This record has become a perennial in the $1,000 bin and has sold for as much as $2,400 in M- condition. This copy sold for $1,735.

Monday Morning Blue Notes

Lot of interesting jazz vinyl we’re watching now on eBay, so let’s get right into it. This one is closing fairly soon: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. What’s the market for a rare record like this in not very good condition, actually in VG minus condition? So far the bidding on this one has topped $125. I’d love to have this record back in my collection — yes, I sold a pristine copy 20 years ago — but not in this condition. If I can’t listen to the record, I don’t necessarily need to own it just to fill a space in the collection.

This one is in better condition, but hard to actually give it a grade based on seller’s description. My guess from the description and pictures that it’s what I would grade a VG+ for the record and the cover: Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This one has already topped $800. As I mentioned recently, I am now the proud owner of an original pressing of this record, after all of these years of collection. Amazing how rare these things are, when you think about it. I could have paid top dollar over the years, I guess, to acquire a copy of this record, but in the normal course of things — going to record stores, record shows, garage sales flea markets, looking for records in most cities across the U.S. — in more than 40 years I had never come across an original copy of this record, and many others, for what I considered to be a reasonable price at the time.

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Jazz Vinyl Today: A Bevy of Blue Notes

Lots of Blue Notes on today’s watch list, starting with: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original pressing that was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,370. We’ve seen this one sell for more than $1,300 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, but this is quite a hefty price nonetheless.

Kenny Drew Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This one had the West 63rd Street address and, from the looks of the pictures, it had deep grooves on both sides, certainly on Side 2. That would make it original either way, no? This was described as being in VG condition, and the cover certainly looked no better than VG. It sold for $427.

Gigi Gryce/Clifford Brown Sextet, Blue Note 5048. This was an original 10-inch LP that was defined as being in “very fine” condition, which, the seller implies, is actually M- condition. The pictures certainly looked very fine indeed, if not M-.  It sold for $372. 10.

If it’s a Blue Note, and it’s one of the coveted artists, the record or cover does not have to be in great condition to fetch a high price. Case in point:

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A Couple For the $1,000 Bin, and More

Here’s some heavy-duty jazz vinyl that sold recently on eBay.

Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This was an original West 63rd pressing with the deep grooves. It was in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,315. So, if you have this record, where do you file it, under Morgan or under Mobley? Mine, a Japanese pressing, is under Mobley.

From the same seller came: Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowin’ In From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. Love the cover. This was a promo copy in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover, although the picture looks like it might be a little less so. It sold for $1,155.

Also from the same seller: Sonny Clark, Dial S for Sonny, Blue Note 1570. Same for this one: An original pressing, vinyl in VG++ condition, cover in VG+ condition. The price was $896.

How about something that’s not Blue Note:

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eBaying: Alto Madness & A Pair of Blue Notes

Here’s some nice jazz vinyl that’s been sold on eBay recently, while we’ve been offline and packing.

Jackie McLean and John Jenkins, Alto Madness, Prestige 7114. This was an original yellow label pressing with the New York address. It was sold by Euclid Records and was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. What a beauty. It sold for $812, a relatively high price for a Prestige of this vintage, but who can argue at this kind of value for a record of this quality in this condition.

Here’s an interesting one: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original pressing. The seller didn’t actually grade it, but gave some information about the condition, so we get to determine the grading ourselves. There was some surface noise on two tracks of this LP, one of which the seller described as “unpleasant.” The highest grade it would get in our view would be VG+. The more likely grade would be VG. What do you think? The cover looked to be VG++. The price was $676, which would reflect more of a VG+ grading than a VG grading, don’t you think?

This one came from a seller with only three feedbacks, so it’s a little risky, right?

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A Few For the $1,000 Bin

Shall we update the $1,000 bin? Why not.

No surprise on this one: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This was an original pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. This one sold for $1,606.

I’d have loved this one from the same seller, but, alas, it is not an amount I spend on individual records: Cliff Jordan, Cliff  Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,555.

Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,025.

eBaying Strategies & A Few Blue Notes

Sorry I haven’t been posting as often as usual. Lots going on here. If anyone want to fill some of the void, we always welcome guest columns. In the meantime, eBay goes on whether we post or not, and this week there are some sellers with many, many big-ticket items. Here are a few we’re watching:

Somebody in the comments complained about the start prices from the records from this seller, including: Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This one has the West 63rd Street address and ear, but it doesn’t look like any deep grooves. This is one of the ones that causes consternation among collectors, right? DG or not DG, that is the question. If I recall Fred Cohen’s explanation, this could have one side DG and be an original, or it could also have no DGs and be an original? Perhaps someone can look it up. In the meantime, this copy is in M- condition for the vinyl, is VG++ for the cover and has zero bids at a start price of $1,200. If you click this item, look at the seller’s other auctions and you’ll see a potpourri of fantastic collectibles, all at high start prices, all without bids (so far).

Here’s another seller with some nice items, including: Curtis Fuller, Volume 3, Blue Note 1583. This looks to be an original pressing based on the description. The record is VG++ and the cover is M- and the price is a bit over $200 now and has not yet met the seller’s reserve. If you look at the seller’s listings, make sure you read them carefully. I noticed he’s selling another Curtis Fuller Blue Note that is listed as a “rare mono pressing” and is a United Artists pressing. It is already more than $50.

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