Updating the Jazz Vinyl Price Guide
Dec 30, 2011 $1000 Records, Blue Note
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.
Tags: Andy Warhol, Brew Moore, Debut Records, Kenny Burrell, Larry Young, Lee Morgan, Louis Smith
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
‘Tis Better To Have Bid And Lost . . .
May 18, 2010 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Norgran, Prestige
These records all have one thing in common: I bid on them and lost:
I thought I could sneak this one in because the picture accompanying the listing wasn’t clear and perhaps that would turn people off: Alto Madness, Prestige 7114. This features John Jenkins and Jackie McLean and I do not own an original copy. It was not getting a lot of action and I threw in a bit of about $130. Not even close. In the end there were 13 bids and the winning bid was $405.
Louis Smith, Smithville, Blue Note 1594. I mentioned this one yesterday and posted the picture. For some reason, this record was not getting much action. With several hours to go before it closed it was in the $100 range. I thought perhaps the listing wasn’t clear as far as the condition and there was something in the listing about price guides and $100. Anyway, there was light action, so I used by BidNip sniping service — if you bid on eBay you really should be using one of this — and put in a bid of about $360. Well it sold for $811, so I wasn’t even in the game.
I tried to sneak this one in at about $20: Frank Rosolino, I Play Trombone, Bethlehem 26. The vinyl was only VG, but it had a nice cover and the seller didn’t mention the presence of Sonny Clark
Tags: Frank Rosolino, Jackie McLean, John Jenkins, Louis Smith, Sonny Clark, Stan Getz, Thad Jones
And A Bunch More Blue Notes & Prestiges
May 17, 2010 Blue Note, Prestige
While I’m cleaning my eBay queue and updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide, here are a few more Blue Notes and Prestiges for your perusal. No links here and also the prices have been rounded. Some good stuff:
Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This was an original West 63rd pressing in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. The price was $589.
Lee Morgan, City Lights, Blue Note 1575. This was an original pressing. The record and cover looked to be in VG++ condition. The price was $1,058.
Sonny Rollins, Movin’ Out, Prestige 7058. This was an original New York yellow label. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG++ as well. The price was $283.
Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original pressing in VG+ condition for
Tags: Barbara Lea, Duke Pearson, Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, Louis Smith, Moondog, Sonny Clark, Sonny Rollins, Tina Brooks
A Few More For the $1,000 (and $2,000) Bin(s)
Apr 3, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige
This one has been breaking the $1,000 barrier pretty consistently: Louis Smith, Smithville, Blue Note 1594. This copy seemed to be in VG+ condition for the record and VG condition for the vinyl, based on the seller’s description. Still, it sold for $1,148.
Jazz Record Center had a few more in the $2,000 bin, including: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This one was in beautiful M- condition and sold for $2,650.07. One of the nice things Fred often does in the listings is provide little details that help to expand our knowledge of the market. In this case the little tidbit is that there is no address on the cover because Prestige at the time was transitioning from New York to New Jersey.
Tags: Donald Byrd, Jazz Record Center, Louis Smith, Tommy Flanagan, Transition Records
On Ebay Now: Blue Notes of Note
Jan 8, 2010 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Price Guide
There’s some nice Blue Note jazz vinyl on eBay now, including:
Louis Smith, Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This looks to be an original pressing with the vinyl in VG++ condition and the cover just VG-. The seller goes out of his way to provide some nice clear pictures of the cover, which we always appreciate. This one is only $58 with more than a day to go, but the seller has a reserve price and it has not yet been reached. I know many of you are not fans of auctions with reserve prices, which is something to consider when listing jazz vinyl.
Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This is also an original pressing and it looks to be in VG++ condition, at least, for both the vinyl and the cover. Actually, it’s probably closer to M- than VG++, based on the description. The current price is $315 and there’s more than a day to go with no reserve. I would
not be surprised to see this one sell for more than $1,000.
Tags: Clifford Jordan, Johnny Griffin, Louis Smith, Sonny Rollins
Updating the $1,000 Bin: Griffin, Bird, Dolphy
Dec 28, 2009 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Doesn’t look as if things on eBay slowed down during the Christmas weekend. Here are a few of the items we’ve been watching:
Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and the cover illustration by Andy Warhol. It was listed in M- condition by a very reliable seller. The price was $1,875. The same seller also sold: Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This also looked to be in nice M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,275.
While we’re updating the $1,000 bin, here’s this one:
Tags: Andy Warhol, Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Eric Dolphy, Jazz Vinyl, Johnny Griffin, Louis Smith
Sidemen Deluxe: Phil Ffunque & Jimmy O’Heigho
Nov 10, 2009 Questions
I was just posting an old Joe Newman RCA album on eBay and came across the following pseudonyms: Phil Ffunque on alto and Jimmy O’Heigho on trombone. Pretty easy to figure out, but I won’t spoil the fun. My favorite is still Buckshot La Funke from Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584.
Tags: Joe Newman, Louis Smith
For The $1,000 Bin: A Few More Blue Notes
Oct 19, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Here are a few more of the records from the seller Natuiluso that are going into the $1,000 bin and are joining the Jazz Collector Price Guide as of today. They are all Blue Notes.
We had mentioned a couple of other Hank Mobley records previously, and here’s another: Hank Mobley with Farmer, Silver, Watkins, Blakey, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing and it was listed in M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. It sold for $1,137, which is the first time we’ve recorded this particular LP at more than $1,000, which is also quite interesting to us because we do happen to own a copy in M- condition and $1,000 is language that kind of appeals to us.
Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. We had mentioned that a copy of this record had set the previous high on Jazz Collector at $3,750. This one was in beautiful M- condition, but it feel just short of the previous high price: This one sold for $3,501.
Tags: Hank Mobley, Jazz Vinyl, Louis Smith, Sonny Clark, Sonny Red
A Couple of Rare Birds, One For the $1,000 Bin
Aug 24, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Price Guide, Savoy
We’re still running the contest to give away a free copy of The Charlie Parker Memorial Album, Savoy 12000. Please comment on the site to be eligible to win. Meanwhile, here are a couple of nice bird collectibles that sold recently on eBay, including one for the $1,000 bin.
Charlie Parker, Alternate Masters Volume 2, Dial 905. This was an original 12-inch Dial, quite rare. It was in very nice VG++ condition and was sold by the seller Herschel78, who has been selling some beautiful items lately. This was fetched a price of $1,350.
Also from Bird is this: The Charlie Parker Story, Savoy 12079. This was an original pressing, with a great cover of a relaxed Bird sitting on a throne. This was from the same seller and was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $150. You don’t often see the Bird Savoys selling for these prices.
Joining Bird in the $1,000 record bin is this:
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Louis Smith
Today on Ebay: Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On
Aug 23, 2009 Blue Note, Prestige, Price Guide
The seller Herschel78 is back with some very nice items that are closing today. Here are a few:
Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This record is VG++ and the cover is near and it’s an original pressing with the New York address and yellow label. A real beauty, at least in the picture. The current price on this one is $620 and there are still a few hours to go. Tempting, but I’m trying to get rid of records, not acquire them.
Also, Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This is an original pressing in near mint condition, “the finest copy you’ll ever see,” according to the listing. This is now at $800 and is a near certainty to crack the $1,000 barrier. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve seen it go for as much a $1,420.
This one is also in beautiful, near-mint condition:
Tags: Jackie McLean, Jazz Collector Price Guide, Kenny Drew, Louis Smith
A Few More (Blue Notes) For the $1,000 Bin
Jun 15, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Louis Smith, Smithville, Blue Note 1594. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The record was listed in in “excellent” condition for both the vinyl and the cover. According to the seller’s notes, “excellent” is what we wold normally use for VG+. So, in VG+ condition, this record sold for $1,525.
John Jenkins With Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The record was in M- condition, both vinyl and cover. The price was $1,905.
Lee Morgan Volume Three, Blue Note 1557. This was an original West 63rd Street
Tags: Cliff Jordan, John Jenkins, Kenny Burrell, Lee Morgan, Louis Smith
Updating the $1,000 Bin
May 10, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Price Guide
We’ve been updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide this morning and we just added a fairly large group of records that surpassed the $1,000 price barrier. We’ve mentioned some of these before on Jazz Collector, but it’s interesting to see the group all at once. There are no links attached to these, by the way, so don’t try clicking them. Here goes:
Bent Axen, Let’s Keep the Message, Debut 133. There are actually two copies of this that fit into the category. They were both in M- condition, both cover and record. One sold for $1,790.90 and the other sold for $1,326.
Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. There are two copies of this as well. One was sold by the Jazz Record Center and was in M- condition, both record and cover. It sold for $1,492. the other was in VG++/VG+ condition. It sold for $1,575. Go figure.
Here’s the only one on the list that was a bit of a surprise:
Tags: Bent Axen, Debut Records, Dexter Gordon, Dootone Records, Hank Mobley, Jazz Record Center, Lee Morgan, Louis Smith, Sonny Rollins, Tina Brooks
Two More For the $1,000 Bin
Apr 9, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Things may be slow on eBay this days, but there always seems to be a large appetite for some of the rarest records, and two of the ones we’ve been watching sold for more than $1,000 recently. We haven’t had quite such luck with our own sales although, admittedly, we haven’t been putting up gems. Still, we had more than 50 records up for auction this week and probably sold only about 50 percent. This is highly, highly unusual, since we tend to underprice the records and grade them conservatively. The other thing, and a few readers noted this, is that traffic on eBay seems to be down: Not only are fewer people bidding on the records, fewer people are looking at the records. I think it’s all a temporary lull — a reaction to the economy — and I’m planning to continue posting records on eBay. Whatever doesn’t sell I put into the store inventory, which you can view by clicking the Items For Sale link above, so you may find bargains if you take a look. In the meantime, we continue to track eBay pricing and here are the two records that recently sold for more than $1,000:
Tags: Bent Axen, Debut Records, Louis Smith
Quickie Quiz
Feb 26, 2009 Blue Note, Free Collectibles
I posed a question in a post yesterday, but nobody has responded yet. I know you all know the answer, so perhaps you just missed it. But here’s the question I posed yesterday: On the album Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584, the alto player is listed as “Buckshot La Funke.” Who is it really? By the way, there’s still time to post a comment on the site and be eligible to win the Leo Parker LP. We’re going to have Mrs. Jazz Collector draw the winning name tonight, and we’ll post the results tomorrow.
Tags: Leo Parker, Louis Smith
Today on eBay: Some Bennie Green on Blue Note
Feb 25, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Fairly quiet day on eBay today, but there’s always something. Here are a couple of nice LPs from the trombonist Bennie Green: Bennie Green, Soul Stirrin’, Blue Note 1599. This is an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record is M- and the cover is VG++. The current price is already $264 and it hasn’t yet reached the seller’s reserve price. We’ll see if it sells. One of the things I like about this album, aside from the music, which is quite good, is that Blue Note lists one of the tenor players simply as “Jug.” Obviously, this was Gene Ammons and he was under contract with Prestige at the time, but by using his real nickname they didn’t really try to hide anything. Another one of these I like on Blue Note is on Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584, where the alto player is listed as “Buckshot La Funke.” It’s not hard to figure out who this is, but I will leave it to our readers to supply the answer. Also up on eBay today is
Tags: Bennie Green, Gene Ammons, Louis Smith
Some $1,000 Records
Nov 24, 2008 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
As we were writing the latest post, we noticed that Jazz Collector has been keeping an eye on some records from the past few weeks that sold for more than $1,000. This is always an interesting barrier, so here are some of the records that crossed it:
Sonny Clark, Dial S For Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This was an original pressing, of course. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. Price: $1,401
Hank Mobley, Hank, Blue Note 1560. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The vinyl was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. Price: $1,275
Donald Byrd, Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill, Transition 17. This was an original pressing with the booklet. The record was M-, the cover was VG+ and the booklet was M-. The price was $1,913.
Tags: Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Louis Smith, Sonny Clark, Transition
Catching Up With Some Interesting Collectibles
Sep 18, 2008 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Riverside, Verve
Here are some interesting results from some records we’ve been watching on eBay:
Red Garland, All Kinds of Weather, Prestige 7148. This is an original yellow label pressing with the New Jersey address in M- condition. Price: $385. I’ve never quite figured out which Red Garland records sell for the highest prices, and why. So, if anyone out there has the answer, please post a comment.
Here’s an interesting one: Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. What’s interesting is that this was not an original pressing: The original pressing on this has the Lexington Avenue address, and this copy had the West 63rd street address. So it was not original and it was only in VG condition, yet it still sold for $124.50.
Ben Webster, Soulville, Verve 8274. This was an original pressing with the trumpeter logo in M- condition and sold for $190.09. That’s a pretty nice price for a Ben Webster on Verve. This was sold by
Tags: Ad Lib, Ben Webster, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Herbie Nichols, Jackie McLean, Louis Smith, Paul Chambers, RCA, Red Garland, Stan Getz, Thelonious Monk
Interesting Stuff on eBay
Jan 21, 2008 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Verve
Just as an update: I’m not posting regularly for the site yet. I’m a couple of weeks away from resuming selling on eBay and then doing regular posts. For those of you who have found — or re-found — the site, please continue to be patient. Once I’m fully up and running, I’ll be posting every day about interesting jazz collectibles, and I’ll also be selling records here off the site. I’m also hoping to resume my price guides, and get the old ones posted from 2004 and 2005.In the meantime, here are a few interesting items I’ve been watching: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This one has a $5,500 Buy-It-Now price, which is the highest we’ve ever seen.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bill Evans, Hank Mobley, Jutta Hipp, Louis Smith, Zoot Sims
In Search of the Highest Prices
Jul 29, 2005 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
I was just tooling around eBay this morning and decided to do a quick search in the Jazz LP category sorted by “Highest Prices First.” I’d never thought to do a search this way and didn’t even realize it was an option. Here are some of the interesting items I found:
Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584
Lee Morgan, Indeed, Blue Note 1538
Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This is one of my favorite all-time LPs. I only have a Japanese pressing and have never owned the original. Will I bid on this? Perhaps. The price is $150 and the auction closes in nearly four days.
And here’s one you wouldn’t expect to see on a search of highest priced LPs: Louis Armstrong, Hello Dolly. This is from a seller with zero feedback. His asking price is $100. Think he’ll get it? If he does, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’ll be auctioning on eBay next week.
Tags: Freddie Redd, Lee Morgan, Louis Armstrong, Louis Smith
Art Farmer, Louis Smith, Albert Ayler and More
Jul 21, 2005 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
I’m entering in the Jazz Collector Price Guide database again and have come across some interesting items. The update will be posted when we send out the next newsletter at the beginning of August. In the meantime, here are some of the items that will be included:
Art Farmer, Art, Argo 678. A few weeks ago a copy in near mint condition sold for more than $120. This copy, in nice condition but not near mint, sold for $24. Is this indicative of a summer slump in prices, or lack of trust in the dealer’s grading?
Louis Smith, Here Comes, Blue Note 1584. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street label in VG+/VG+ condition. Price: $417
Here’s a real rare one that we’ve never seen before: Albert Ayler, Ghosts, Debut 144. This was the original Danish pressing in nice condition, not mint. Price: $317
Here’s a New Jersey pressing of John Coltrane, Soultrane, Prestige 7142. This was originally issued with the New York label, so this one is not original. Price: $138.50
Here’s one that sold for less than expected: I should have bid. Cliff Jordan and Sonny Red, A Story Tale, Jazzland 40. This was in M-/VG+ condition and sold for $46.51
Tags: Albert Ayler, Argo, Art Farmer, Cliff Jordan, Debut, Jazzland, John Colrane, Louis Smith, Sonny Red
Lots and Lots on eBay
Jun 14, 2004 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
Back from another weekend away, so it’s time to see what happened on eBay the past few days. We were watching auctions from a group of dealers that had some amazing records. Here are some of the dealers and their wares. You can do a general eBay search on completed items for any of these dealers to see more.
Here are items sold by the dealer Jazz5060. This dealer also has a bunch of great records for auction now.
Charlie Persip, Jazz Statesman, Bethlehem 6046, in M-/M- condition. Price: $157.50
Walter Benton Quintet, Out of this World, Jazzland 28, in M-/M- condition. Price: $449
Zoot Sims, Stretchin’ Out, United Artists 4023. This was a promo copy in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $460
Freddie Hubbard, Goin’ Up, Blue Note 4056, in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $349.95
The Return of Howard McGhee, Bethlehem 42 in M-/M- condition. Price: $676
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Bethlehem, Bob Brookmeyer, Charlie Persip, Clifford Brown, Clifford Jordan, Dexter Gordon, Dootone, Emarcy, Frank Foster, Freddie Hubbard, Gigi Gryce, Howard McGhee, Jackie McLean, Jazzland, Kenny Burrell, Kenny Drew, Lee Morgan, Lou Donaldson, Louis Smith, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Sonny Redd, Thelonious Monk, United Artists, Walter Benton, Zoot Sims
Goodbye, Elvin Jones
May 19, 2004 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Clef, Impulse, Jazz Memoirs, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
I was poring through eBay this morning, preparing today’s update, when my wife came into my office. “Did you see The Times?” she asked. “There’s an article that Coltrane’s drummer died.”
It’s not surprising that The Times would refer to Elvin Jones as “Coltrane’s drummer.” That’s the way many of us came to find his music, on those great Atlantic and Impulse LPs of the early and mid 1960s. Jones’s contributions to Trane’s seminal quartet did more to influence the music than anything he might have accomplished before or since. Jones, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison – they all must have known at the time that Trane was taking them on explorations that were redefining the music.
I turned to my record collection and searched for my favorite Elvin moments from that era. Two albums caught my eye: Africa/Brass, Impulse 6, about which, ironically, I wrote last week; and Coltrane Live at Birdland, Impulse 50. The live LP, particularly the track “Afro-Blue,” exemplifies the way in which Jones drove the quartet to places no other drummer of the era could have taken them. Here’s an excerpt from the original liner notes to this 1963 LP, courtesy of LeRoi Jones:
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bob Brookmeyer, Bud Powell, Elvin Jones, Gil Melle, John Coltrane, Johnny Hodges, Kenny Dorham, Louis Smith, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis
