Jazz Vinyl From eBay and Remembering a Score
Another slow week of posting for me. Sorry about that. But it’s Monday, a fresh week, a beautiful day and here I am back at my post full of fresh optimism. This week I vow to post at least once every day, starting with: Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil, Blue Note 4194. This was an original pressing with the NY USA label, the ear and the Van Gelder stamp in the dead wax. Seller describes the record and cover as Ex, which probably translates to VG+ or VG++, based on the more detailed description in the listing. I’d probably grade it VG+ if it was my record. This one sold for $560. This seller had a bunch of other nice listings last week, but this one fetched the highest price. Here are a couple more: Sonny Rollins, The Sound of Sonny, Riverside 241. This was an original deep groove pressing with the white labels. The record was listed as Ex+ and the cover was Ex-. The price was $318.66. Ray Draper Quintet, Tuba Sounds, Prestige 7096. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New York address. The record was rated Ex- and the cover was listed as VG. No idea why the seller varies the descriptions between Ex and VG. In any case, this one sold for $141.80.
This seller also had a large number of items last week, including:
Bennie Green with Art Farmer, Prestige 7041. This was an original New York yellow-label that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It also had a promo stamp on the back cover. It sold for $630, quite high for this particular record. This record represents one of my favorite scores ever. I was shopping in one of the local stores on Long Island, Mr. Cheapo, many years ago. I was at the counter paying for my records. While I was waiting I decided to look in the 25-cent bin they had on the floor. This was always where they put junk that nobody would ever want, not even for a quarter. Imagine my surprise — a copy of this record, Bennie Green with Art Farmer, an original pressing, record in M- condition, cover a little bit shot at VG, with a slight tear. Think it was worth 25 cents? I did, and I left Mr. Cheapo that afternoon with a huge smile on my face.
I have a mid 70’s Liberty Speak No Evil, and it sounds pretty darned good to me. I paid 25 dollars for it a few years ago, I have a hard to believing the sonic difference would be worth 500 dollars.
I realize it’s not juts the sonics but also the hunt for the rarer prize, I am fortunate enough to have a few original Blue Notes, and Sometimes I am disappointed when comparing to a second or third press.
Maybe my ear isn’t trained well enough.
I know Tom from JRR – great guy, honest seller. However, his grading is a little weird and he’s told me before that I wouldn’t be happy with anything below an EX+ according to his system (and what he knows of my pickiness). EX+ is about a VG++. EX is somewhere around a weak VG+. I bet that Shorter is closer to a strong VG.
MR.CHEAPO FOR PRESIDENT!
SPEAK LP:
EX cover with a 2 inch split! Aaaaaah uuuummmmmmmmh … that forces a VG- grade anyday. C’mon!
EX record with 5 swishing sounds and 5 clicks (repeated revolution ticks probably from a scratch or does it matter?) !!!! That forces grade to VG anyday as it’s flawed. Maybe a VG+ depending on amplitude/enjoyment.
C’mon – buyers of jazz records (or any records) Just knowing this before the bidding, wouldn’t $125 be pushin’ it? Wow. Mine is a French press that sounds nice. Price was right. Would definately love to have an org of this!
SOUND LP:
Everytime I win one of these it has GB US patent etchings – Blue or white label. I think I emailed this guy about it and they had ’em (means it is an LA, CA. press for export) Sure puts the $300+ price tag into perspective huh?
SOUND LP: @inch split and writing but EX-? VG anyday. C’mon
Kinda makes you wonder what the EX+ vinyl really is! LOL!
That grading scale seems like a way to mislead
agree with Z re the vinyl – VG at best – disagree about the split -an otherwise VG++ or better cover with a small split doesn’t deserve to be downgraded more than one level,IMHO
zarabeth47,
The U.S. Pat. # RE 23946 and G.B. Pat. # 713418 stamping found on some early Riverside LPs were a characteristic of Research Craft pressings from the mid-to-late 1950’s to the early ’60’s, nothing to do with export.
Here is a Sonny that looks better but the price may be high
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231035653200?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
@Aaron: that’s interesting…I have several “white label” pressings, some on quite heavy vinyl, almost flat egde (without patent numbers), and others on less heavy vinyl, but with with patent numbers. The first ones, without patent numbers, sound much better so I assumed the ones w/patent nrs are later pressings….
Hey Wow! You guys actually replied/acknowledged my post! I was starting to feel left out!
MikeC: What/which grading scale?
Earl: Maybe a + on the cover. That’s why holding it your hand and viewing it would be a better decision breaker huh? Buying by mail can be a pleasure or a curse. Generally a split puts someting in the VG catagory for me but I can see a forced + grade. Maybe. ….. LOL!
Aaron:
According to LondonJazzCollector (a bad name on this website?) Research Craft was owned by Allan Ellsworth and he patented a way to make the record lighter by “reducing record thickness in the groove area combines with frusto-conical shape tapering in the run-off area and label area to create a more flexible record with lower cost..” Also “bye bye DG!!!!!”
I personally believe it was an alternate way of producing records that were lighter so shipping to the GB was cheaper! Hence EXPORT …. thoughts?