Interesting Vinyl & A Question About LP Packaging

Here is some of the jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay now, starting with Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the Lexington Avenue address, deep grooves, ears, etc. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is VG++. The bidding is already in the $450 range with more than six days to go. Perhaps this one will enter the $1,000 bin. This seller, based in Germany, has a fairly nice collection of jazz vinyl on eBay now. One of the others I’m keeping an eye on is Jackie McLean, A Long Drink of the Blues, New Jazz 8253. This looks to be an original pressing with the purple label and deep grooves. The condition is a little hard to assess, because he does mention audible repetitive tics. Probably VG or VG+ to be generous. The cover is graded VG+. I was just kind of idly looking through my collection a couple of weeks ago and noticed that my copy of this record is a blue label, non-original. So, it would be quite nice to have an original, although I’d typically prefer one in better condition. Perhaps if the price is right: This one is now at $60 with five days to go.

Something in this one doesn’t seem right:

After Hours, King 528. This is a compilation LP featuring some of the King artists such as Bill Jennings, Bill Doggett and Earl Bostic. Not really a jazz record, but it’s in the world of collectibles that we follow. I actually recently acquired a copy of this LP in not-so-great condition. This one is sealed. If it was a loose seal, I’d be less suspicious, but it’s a tight factory seal that we would associate with records from the 1960s and later. Perhaps this is an original pressing that was issued later, or someone decided to put a seal on it. But an original seal from the time when this record was released, in 1956, would have been loose. So far there is no bidding on this record with a start price of about $300. Not sure it would get that price even if it was clear that this was an original in mint condition.

It is an interesting question to pose here as to when the tight factory seal was invented, or first used. When I bought the collection from Baltimore there were a lot of records in loose factory seals, certainly from 1956, 1957 and 1958 and 1959. If I recall, there were also perhaps a few from the early 1960s. Who would even know such industry-specific trivia?