And Now For the $1,000 Bin
A lot of the records we were watching this past week ended up in the $1,000 bin, starting with the one that has already received a loet of comments from the Jazz Collector audience: John Lewis and Sacha Distel, Afternoon in Paris, Versailles MDEX 12005. This was an original French pressing listed in M- condition for the record and at least VG+ for the cover. It sold, to the surprise of many, for a whopping $2,415.
The Magnificent Thad Jones Volume 3, Blue Note 1546. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing that was listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,784. That would be a new high price for any Thad Jones record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.
Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1543. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the cover design by Andy Warhol. The record and the cover were both in VG+ condition. We predicted that this one would break the $1,000 barrier and it did, selling for $1,215.
John Lewis is so hit and miss. I haven’t heard this particular title so can’t say much in regards to the music. I generally don’t like off-shore jazz though. I’ld be open to hear it however.
I’ve been collecting records all my life (ok … all but 8 of them!) so I can tell you this: rarity of a record and great music don’t always mix. In fact 99.9% of the time when a record is truly rare it is because no one bought it because it wasn’t so great and so not many copies were made. There is the reciprocity component here (or the 0.1% factor) and that is IT just got missed by any mass exposure ala HANK MOBLEY BLP 1568 (!) or WALTER DAVIS BLP 4018 (!!)
I go futher. Those records are not so rare as you might expect given the price they fetch. Alfred probably pressed 1500-4000 copies as opposed to say a JAZZ MESSENGERS lp at 5000-10,000 -15,000 copies. Now, given the year it is today and how many copies were destroyed (1568 & 4018) or thrown out that leaves us with X amount of copies etc etc in X condition etc etc. Like I said here we are today! The amount is for a collector to decide!
OK … you might say that’s rare. NO. Truly rare is 25 made and 2 are known to still exist or 15 made pink vinyl copies only (maybe 20!) Or 1 VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO acetate (speaking of bad lps! oops I said it! oh well!) Private northern soul 45s etc etc ….
I guess what this leads to for me is that if I had $2500 to blow on a cool lp I would have to hear the lp first (does a cd exist? If not will one exist after someone spent that kind of dough? will the cd be legal? LOL!) I know there are a lot of other killers out there I would love to score: KENNY DREW – UNDERCURRENT / uh, … yeah …. um PINK FLOYD – PIPER (uk) / I can’t get a REDDIE FOR FREDDIE to save my life except the ones w/ no ear! I don’t think I could spend $2500 on a French lp however.
Oh yeah and sellers selling no ear repressed READY FOR FREDDIES (and other great titles) are trying to sell ’em for good money – they just SIT! And they will continue to sit! Like I’m gonna spend $60+ on a blue label. Eat my shorts! I’ll find one – an original!
yeah…eat my shorts!
Are they at least flavored shorts?