Comments on: . . . And The Prices Keep Going Up

By: Shaft

Shaft — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:56:04 +0000

For records that fetch high $ the seller should really play grade the albums. I hate it when they play much worse than they look. Some sellers that I bought from also clean the LPs to get a potentially higher visual grade. If they do a bad cleaning the residue crackles and the record gets unlistenable. This happened more than once for me…

By: Fredrik

Fredrik — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:52:55 +0000

It’s impossible to grade an album correctly visually. The album can look a superb NM but sound like a VG or the other way around. Never, ever buy from a seller who doesn’t play grade their items. A visual grade only is worth zero.

By: Gregory the Fish

Gregory the Fish — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:29:40 +0000

Art, Yeah, you and I are. Insane people are not.

Some people want their records to play AND look mint, which I don’t get. I have a copy of a nice Blue Note that I got on the cheap because it looks like someone did coke off of it (4004, holiday for skins 1). But it plays mint and the cover is nice.

And also a lot of sellers are too lazy to play grade their big ticket items so they go by sight alone.

By: Art Klempner

Art Klempner — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 13:02:14 +0000

Just wondering why a record that plays,perfectly without any noise would get a lower grade visually and therefore a lower price. Are we not talking about sound quality?

By: Fredrik

Fredrik — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 09:29:47 +0000

eBay is not a good way to purchase very expensive items from outside the European Union, even if the seller doesn’t use the GSP, he/she may insist to insure the item for the full amount and write the full amount value on the package, which will definitely make the customs stop the package and make you pay a grotesque import duty.

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 07:47:24 +0000

Caroline: I don’t know where you live, but if I look right now at this item on EBay, which has been sold, they give $ 42,65 postage to France and $ 591,44 import duties ( for France, I suppose). Of course, for a US buyer this should not apply. I say, should, because I have the experience of a purchase from the U.K. to France, where I was charged import duties under this wicked GSP program, although within the EC such duties do not exist.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 00:42:16 +0000

Dear Al: The Evans record eBay page said it was coming from California, so if it did wind up selling to another U.S. address, how is it applicable for the Global Shipping Program charge of nearly $475? C.

By: JOK

JOK — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 18:48:05 +0000

True, I have a first pressing copy of “Presenting Ernie Henry”. The album jacket is in mint condition and the record looks like it is in mint condition as well. And then you play it……………and it doesn’t play mint, somewhere around vg + at best. It is a conundrum. I have an old Chet Baker Pacific Jazz 10 inch that looks like it has been roller skated upon, and yet, the sound is better than the Ernie Henry. Go figure.

By: Clifford Allen

Clifford Allen — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 18:39:45 +0000

Some records and artists just have a life of their own in terms of “iconic” status, so you’ll see absurd money for something like Waltz for Debby, whereas far rarer items don’t go for nearly as much.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 18:28:03 +0000

Couldn’t agree more…I’m suspect of riverside and prestige/new jazz original vinyl as the quality is not nearly as good as clean blue notes. I’m totally happy with my Japanese pressing of “waltz for debby” – not a single click or pop to be heard.