Et Tu, Johnny Griffin?

Here’s an interesting newcomer to the $1,000 bin: Johnny Griffin, Volume One, Blue Note 1559. This is a great record and, as a rare Blue Note with a great roster of artists, it is not surprising that this would sell for a high price tag. This particular copy, in M- condition for both the record and the cover, sold for $1,380. What was interesting to me about this record was the way in which the seller chose to list it. He listed it as “Blue Note 1559 Lee Morgan Hank Mobley.” He also purchased a subhead, which mentioned the presence of John Coltrane as a sideman. Notice how the seller never even mentioned Johnny Griffin, who was the leader on the date.

It’s always interesting to notice how records are listed on eBay and how it effects their prices. I find this one curious because I’ve always considered Johnny Griffin a collectible artist in his own right, not to mention a great tenor player. Anyway, the seller is one of the leader jazz dealers on eBay and someone quite credible so, Roverd-90, if you notice this, perhaps you might want to share your thoughts. In the end, whether it was listed as Griffin or Mobley or Morgan or Coltrane, the jazz collectors would have found it and the price would have probably been the same no matter how it was listed.