Odds and Ends and Blue Notes
Here are some jazz vinyl odds and ends we’ve been watching for various reasons. We’re not expecting that all of these will end up in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, but they all have something of interest.
We were watching this one because it was listed as an original pressing even though it wasn’t: Kenny Drew Trio, Riverside 224. This was a blue-label pressing when the original was really a white label. The seller was very clear in stating that this was a “first mono pressing.” Ah well. The record was only in VG- condition and the cover was VG. Not an original and not in great condition and it sold for $87. That seems to be the going rate these days perhaps and, perhaps, maybe someone needed a new cover. Not for me in that condition at that price.
We were watching this to get a sense of what the solid blue label Blue Notes are selling for these days: Dexter Gordon, Dexter Calling, Blue Note 84083. This in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $29. This probably means that a Liberty pressing of this record would be in the $50 or $60 range, don’t you think?
As regular Jazz Collector readers know we often bid on record lots and take a gamble that there will be hidden gems. This one didn’t quite fit into that category because all of the items were carefully listed with condition and provenance. It was a lot of 22 records, including a bunch of Blue Notes, from a seller in France with a feedback rating of 97.9 percent. Not for us. It’s worth looking at however: Beautiful Lot of 22 Jazz Blue Note Etc. The package sold for $463. Possibly a bargain, definitely a risk. If the winning bidder is a Jazz Collector reader, please let us know how you make out.
in the beginning i also thought the Blue Label Riversides where always first pressing.Mayby because in The Netherlands i’ve never came across a white label Riverside..
In amsterdam Liberties are between 20 and 70 dollars.(The expensive ones are oft those who get collected by hiphop dj’s. lonnie smith, hancock,hutcherson), mostly 25-35 dollars.
Japanese around 30-50 dollars,unless unissued album, then it could go above 100,-
strange, cause reguarly i buy first pressings of the 4100 and 4200 series for 50 dollars in the same stores…ok, VG+)
The more rare an album , the more it will fetch on ebay instead of in a record-store, but the more common an album, the more it will fetch in a record-store.
So buy your first pressings in a store, and your liberties on ebay.. (ha.., if possible)