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.
From Sweden, this seller also has a bunch of nice items, including: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This is an original pressing. The vinyl is M- and the cover is VG++. The current price is more than $500, too rich for my blood, although I’d love to have an original copy of this. I listened to my Japanese pressing the other night. Nice record. Right before I’d been listening to another Blue Note, an original pressing of a Horace Silver record. Although the Japanese pressing sounded great, there was still something different (and better) in listening to the original. A crispness, a clarity, a richness, a weight? Hard to describe, but definitely noticeable.
I’m always very angry about very high starting prices. I never bid on those kind of listing.
What drives me mad also are those photoshop reshaped corners, so that you are completely unaware of the REAL condition cover.
I think the high starting prices are self-defeating, not to mention expensive for the seller to list…
They negate the advantages of an auciton by effecitvely disuading interest in an item before it has had a chance. How many of us have paid more for an item than we intended to originally because we got caught up in an bidding war… I know I have. And I did so because I was hooked in early on when the prices were low.
High starting prices basically mean fewer fishies like me…
I know, that records like these will fetch similar high prices. But a starting bid at this range throws my out of the race at the beginning. And I guess there are much more people like me.
But for the seller it’s okay. He might get his sack o’ gold!
I wouldn’t have thought, that “Undercurrent” would not find a buyer.
Maybe it’s really due to the clear cut photographs of the cover.
I think all of these great “high starting price” records are now reposted at much lower opening levels (not sure of reserves). We will now have some pretty good (and direct) market intelligence on couple dif strategies for selling these nice LPs.
Bugbear, I noticed the same thing and think the proof may be that if some of these records go for more than the starting price of there previous auctions.
That’s a blast. From a starting price of 1200$ down to 49.99$! But I’d suggest that the reserve price is still in the high price area. So why not always do it this way!
In the end the seller will get more for that record than “just! 1200$.
Whats going on? Relisted from Paris Ile de France, this time with a hidden reserve.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320702390639&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Having failed to hook a buyer with a fat opening price, we see a change of tack.Watch this space with the reserve not met flag.
I’m not in the running, but I seriously desire this record as a non-first but original press. But damned if I’ll jump to a non-DG 2nd press at 1st press prices.
Perhaps this will be relisted a third time, with a proper auction setting.