Two for The $1,000 Bin; More Promos

Eric Dolphy copyToday we have a couple of updates for the $1,000 jazz vinyl bin and a bit more on promos, including the WLPs (white label promos) that are apparently a common term that is new to me after 45 years of collecting. First, for the $1,000 bin there is Eric Dolphy In Europe, Debut 136. This is the original Danish pressing and the record and cover both looked to be in M- condition. The record sold for $1,026.

This one is left over from New Year’s, but CeeDee had sent it to me and I had forgotten to post it: Hank Mobley, Soul Station, Blue Note 4031. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing listed in Ex condition, which sounds like VG++ based on the grading system we use here at Jazz Collector. It sold for $1,605. I happened to be perusing my collection late last night and came upon this record and almost forgotten that I had it: Almost, but not quite. I’ve only had it for a little more than a year, since the Baltimore score of a lifetime. I think I will listen to it later today.

Back on the promo front there was this:

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Some 10-Inch LPs and Some Bird Envy

Here are some of the results from the Jazz Record Center auctions we were watching, including the one with the cover that has some of our readers weirded out. Let’s start with Kenny Dorham Quintet, Debut 9. This is an original 10-inch pressing, quite rare, that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $960.

Charlie Mariano, Mariano, Bethlehem 1022. This was another 10-inch record from the collection of Tom Stewart and like the others the record was in M- condition and the cover probably VG++, with the owner’s name written in ink. This one sold for $355.

Now for the one with the weird cover, Red Mitchell, Happy Minors, Bethlehem 1033. This was from the same collection, M- for the record, VG++ for the cover. It sold for $333.88. So far I haven’t found a copy in my own collection. If I didn’t buy it originally for $50, I can say for pretty sure that it was because of the cover. Not one of my favorites, to be sure.

Speaking of covers, check out the next listing, and we will show a picture of the cover below:

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The One I Left Behind?

Some interesting 10-inch LPs, 78s and other items on the new eBay auction from the Jazz Record Center. Here’s a few to watch, starting with Red Mitchell, Happy Minors, Bethlehem 1033. This is an original 10-inch pressing In M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. There’s writing on the back, but the writing is from the previous owner, Thomas Stewart, who also wrote the liner notes for this record. So it has some interesting provenance. It also has the presence of  Zoot Sims and Bob Brookmeyer, which can’t hurt. The start price is $200. My own story with this record: I used to travel to Palo Alto all the time for business. There was a book store that also sold records and occasionally they would get some nice jazz. The prices were a bit high for the time, but not unreasonable. I remember a mint copy of this record sitting on the shelf for $50. I had it in my hand, put it down, had it in my hand, put it down, looked at a few other records, picked it up again. This went on for a while. In my memory I wound up buying the record for $50. Except, I guess I didn’t. I just looked on my shelves and, alas, no Happy Minors. My hope is that I have the record, but I just misfiled it or something. So later, or this weekend, I will go through all of my 10-inch records in search of the one I may have left behind. It’s probably a great record, right?

A few others from the Jazz Record Center: Read more

Closing out 2012 With Jazz Vinyl

Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay as 2012 comes to a close, starting with Johnny Coles, Little Johnny C, Blue Note 4144. This was one of Rudolf’s listings. It was an original pressing and was interesting because it looked as if one side had deep grooves, which seems kind of odd because it was issued after the deep groove era, wasn’t t? This looked like a beauty in M- condition and it sold for $615, so it was not a bad time to be listing this record.

This used to be an item that would regularly sell for more than $1,000 and often more than $2,000, but its value seemed to have been dropping in the past few years: Fred Astaire, The Astaire Story. This is the beautiful bound set that includes the four records, David Stone Martin Prints, photos, booklet and, of course, the original Astaire signature. This one looked to be in beautiful condition and sold for $1,009.

One more that we don’t often track here at Jazz Collector:

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Rare Autographs: Bill Evans, Charles Mingus

A Bill Evans autograph. That’s one of the items on the latest auction from the Jazz Record Center. To me it’s kind of cool to have, but not sure how it fares in the collectibles market. There was that letter from Bill Evans to John Coltrane that sold for $38,000 several years ago. A friend of mine spent a few hundred dollars for a high school yearbook signed by Evans. Anyway, this is a copy of the record Bill Evans, Trio ’65, Verve 8613. It is a second pressing signed on the front by both Evans and Chuck Israels. The start price is $100 and so far there are no bidders.

From the same auction is an Autographed Letter From Charles Mingus on the stationery of Debut Records. It is to a fan/customer who was complaining about a specific pressing in his recording from the Cafe Bohemia. A rare, very cool find indeed. This one is priced starting at $500 and there is already one bidder.

Updating the Jazz Vinyl Price Guide

I’ve been spending the entire morning catching up on the Jazz Collector Price Guide and, if time allows, this weekend I will make a lot of additions and finally take the database to more than 5,000 records. Quite impressive, if you ask me, since I’ve logged every one of those by myself, by hand, typing in each entry one by one. Here are some of the recent items that will be added and I hope to do another post before the end of the year with some of the older items I may have missed during the past few months.

Brew Moore in Europe, Debut 127. This is the original Danish pressing, quite hard to find. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was M-. The price was $373.

Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This is one of those where you had to look carefully at the listing. The record is listed in Ex+/N- condition and the cover as Ex. The picture shows that the cover has tape all around it, so if I were grading the best I’d give it is a VG-. It would also make me wary about the condition of the vinyl, if the seller considers this cover as excellent. Potential buyers had some of  the same concerns, it seems. The record sold for $495.

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An Interesting Trio of Rare Jazz Vinyl

Here’s some more rare jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Thad Jones, Debut 127. This looks to be an original 12-inch LP, which looks to me like a combination of his 10-inch LP with Mingus and another 10-inch LP, also on Debut? Don’t have this particular record, so I’m not sure. Someone will know, i.e., Rudolf. Anyway, this one was listed in VG+ condition for the cover and Ex for the record, which is probably VG+ as well. It sold for $258.

Benny Golson seems to be more popular as a collectible artist than he ever was as a jazz artist, if you know what I mean: Benny Golson, Groovin’ With Golson, New Jazz 8220. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $310.

Here’s a record that’s not only unplayed, it is actually in a virgin state: Lou Donaldson, Lou Takes Off, Blue Note 1591. It sold for $511.01.

Catching Up on Rare and “Megarare” Jazz Vinyl

Here are some other items we were watching before we got distracted.

Remember that nice batch of 10-inch LPs? They did quite well. Kenny Dorham Quintet, Debut 9. The record was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was near mint. The price was $430.55. Sonny Rollins Quintet, Prestige 186. This one was also VG++ for the record and near mint for the cover. It sold for $510. Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Prestige 187. This was in near mint condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $305. I’d take it at that price if, indeed, I was buying records these days.

Even though this was was described as “megarare” — shades of BobD — it didn’t sell at a start price of about $300: John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This was a stereo pressing with the bullseye label. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+.

Tracking Another Batch of 10-Inch Jazz Vinyl

There’s another really nice set of 10-inch LPs on eBay now, including: Sonny Rollins Quintet, Prestige 186. This is an original pressing with a great cover. The record is in VG++ condition and the cover is M-. The start price is about $500 and there are no bidders yet. If I was in a buying mood, which I’m not, I’d consider this for $500. When will you ever see a clean copy of this record again? The same seller has several more beauties. How about this: Miles Davis With Sonny Rollins, Prestige 187. This is in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is about $300 and, again, there are no bidders yet. One more: Kenny Dorham Quintet, Debut 9. This one is VG++ for the record and M- for the cover. The start price is around $350 with no bidders as of this post. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with these records. How often do you find such nice collectibles in such nice condition? Start prices are high, but . . . .

A Couple More For the $1,000 Bin

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

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