Just Another Ho-Hum Day on eBay

Here are some of the more interesting jazz vinyl collectibles we’ve been watching on eBay. Let’s start with Dexter Gordon, Dexter Calling, Blue Note 4083. This is a mono pressing with the New York USA labels and the RVG stamp in the dead wax. It does not have the Plastylite ear, which, to my knowledge, would probably make it a second press. The seller calls it an original first pressing and states clearly that he will never use any Blue Note guide to assess the generation of any Blue Note pressing. Fair enough. I should note that the seller is Bobdjukic, who, with all due respect, is a tremendously successful marketer on eBay who apparently has a coterie of devoted collectors who trust him and pay top dollar for many of his listings, including this one, which was listed in M- condition for the record and some version of VG++ for the cover. The final price was $1,913.90. According to Popsike that is a new high for Dexter Calling, nearly lapping the previous high price of $1,045. Read more

Jazz Vinyling on eBay

Time once again to clear out the eBay watch list, starting with a few from that Jazz Record Center auction from a couple of weeks ago: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This was an original pressing with the New York 23 labels. The record looked to be in M- condition and the cover was probably the same. The final price was $2,276. For the record, there have been copies of Sonny’s Crib that have sold for more than $3,000 in the past, according to Popsike. There was also a copy of Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This was also an original pressing, probably in VG++ condition for the record and maybe VG+ or slightly better for the cover. The final price was $2,025.

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Portait In Jazz Prices

When I’m not posting frequently enough I can always count on our friend CeeDee to gently prod me with a list of auctions he’s been tracking. Now I know how infrequently I’ve been posting, since the latest missive from CeeDee is replete with TEN listings, so let’s look at some of the highlights, starting with Bill Evans, Portrait in Jazz, Riverside 315. This record sold for $767, and CeeDee expresses surprise that a later pressing would attract such a high price. I agree, but I can’t determine from the listing that this is, in fact, a later pressing. The seller describes it as an original U.S. pressing, with an M- record and Ex cover. It isn’t fully clear to me what the pictures entail, since the first picture is described as a stock photo “for illustration purposes only.” Anyway, I’m probably being obtuse today so if anyone (CeeDee?) can clear things up, I would greatly appreciate it.

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Jazz Vinyl To Check Out

jerome richardson copyBack on eBay and, of course, there is much jazz vinyl of interest, starting with: Jerome Richardson, Midnight Oil, New Jazz 8205. This looks to be an original purple label pressing. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is Ex+, which I imagine is close to M-. The bidding is in the $130 range with three hours to go and it has yet to reach the seller’s reserve price. I would think this would get a bid of at least $200, being quite a rare record on quite a collectible label, so we’ll keep an eye and see if this sells.

This one is from the same seller and has also not yet met the reserve price: Horace Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This looks to be an early pressing, but is it an original? I’m not seeing deep grooves in the picture or on the listing, but this is one of those that was issued right at the borderline of whether Blue Note pressings still have deep grooves. I’m sure someone the question will be answered in the comments. The record is listed at M- for the vinyl and Ex for the cover. The bidding is currently in the $190 range with less than three hours to go.

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Signed and Sealed: A Rare Combo

Miles copyQuite an interesting set of jazz vinyl we’re watching now on eBay, starting with Miles Davis, Someday My Prince Will Come, Columbia 1656. This one has the rare combination of being both autographed and sealed. The autographs all look legitimate and they are on the back of the cover, featuring Miles, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, Wynton Kelly, Hank Mobley and JJ Johnson. As for the seal, when Columbia issued records in this area they often had an inner sleeve that was sealed. I know this because I recently purchased a copy of a similar record. So in this case, the record is unplayed, and the cover has autographs of some of the greatest icons of jazz. The auction closes tomorrow and the bidding is in the $300 range.

Here’s one that says “Org” in the listing, which I assume means original, which is a bit of an overstatement, unless you take the seller at her word and accept that it’s an original New Jersey pressing, which it is, just not an original first pressing: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. It’s a nice Jersey pressing, in M- condition for the record and the cover. And, for a non-first pressing, it will reap a hefty price as it is already in the $400 range.

Here are a couple ending later today:

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A Tale of Four Blue Notes

kenny drewHere’s some more jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay, starting with Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This looks to be an original pressing with the West 63rd address and the single side deep groove. The record is only in VG or VG+ condition and the cover is VG. Bidding is only in the  $50 range now but there are five days left in the auction and I would expect this to sell for several hundred dollars despite the condition. We’ll see.

Hank Mobley, Roll Call, Blue Note 4058. This listing mentions almost everything about the record, except with it has deep grooves. Curious. If you look at the pictures it’s not conclusive. If I were interested in this record, which I’m not, I’d certainly query about the deep grooves before bidding. The record looks to be in VG++ condition and the cover is probably VG++ as well, although the labels have some staining, which will be a turnoff to some bidders. Bidding right now is in the $170 range.

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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:

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An Opportune Time For eBay Bargains?

Today may be a time to find bargains on eBay. When I bid on records, which is not too often these days, I use a sniping software called BidNip. Earlier today I tried to snipe two records, but the software wouldn’t allow it. These were records closing within a few hours, yet the BidNip software showed them both closing sometime in 1999. Indeed. Anyway, I’ll share my secrets: One of the records was this: Randy Weston, Trio and Solo, Riverside 227. This was an original pressing with the white label. I love those white label Riversides and I don’t own an original copy of this. It was listed in M- condition for the record and the cover. I was going to put a snipe bid of about $71, since it was only at $30 with about an hour to go. I would have lost: The record sold for $83.20. The other record is still coming up, but I’ll have no chance to win it, snipe or not: Stanley Turrentine, Look Out, Blue Note 4039.  In the Jazz Collector Price Guide our top price for this is nearly $400 and this one is sitting at about $125 in VG+ condition. I might have gone close to $200 for it, but not with confidence and not expecting to win it. The point of all this is that

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‘Tis the Season To Be Blue Note

After mentioning some of the 4100 series Blue Notes yesterday, I perused the day’s listings on eBay and saw a number of other records from this generation that seemed to be getting quite a bit of action. Here are some of the results and I’ll also post the one that CeeDee pointed to in the earlier post that will certainly raise some eyebrows. Here goes:

Joe Henderson, Page One,  Blue Note 4140. This was an original New York USA pressing with the ear and the  Van Gelder stamp in the dead wax. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $325.

Sam Rivers, Fuschia Swing Song, Blue Note 4184. This was listed as an original pressing with the New York USA label. The condition seemed to be somewhere around VG+, perhaps a little better, based on the seller’s description. The price was $278.

This is of a bit earlier era, but a surprising price (well, as much as any price can be surprising these days): Horace Silver, Blowing the Blues Away, Blue Note 4017. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd label. It was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover and sold for $202 with just one bidder.

This one got a huge price a few weeks ago, but not this week:

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Price Updates: Duke Jordan, Miles, Gonsalves

Here are some new items for the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets Volume 1, ABC Paramount 122. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition. The price was $405.

Introducing Wayne Shorter, VeeJay 3006. This was an original pressing. The record was M-. The cover was VG++, with a cutout hole. The price was $141.50.

Gil Melle, Gil’s Guests, Prestige 7063. This was an original New York pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $200.

Miles Davis, Dig, Prestige 7014. This was an original New York pressing with the grey cover. The record and cover were VG+. The price was $125.95.

Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This was an original West 63rd Street

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