Jazz Vinyl On eBay: What May or May Not Sell

Here’s some jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay for various and sundry reasons:

George Wallington, Jazz for the Carriage Trade, Prestige 7032. This is an original New York pressing that looks to be in extremely nice condition. The record is graded M- and the cover is VG++. I haven’t often seen this record witht he front cover looking so clean. This one is priced at about $180 with nearly three more days to go.

Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter, Imperial 9024. This looks to be an original deep groove pressing in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. This is also in the $180 price range with less than a day to go.

This one has yet to meet the seller’s reserve price: Pete La Roca, Basra, Blue Note 4205. This is an original New York USA pressing with the ear and it is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover, still in its original shrink wrap. This is just in the $100 range at this point and it will be interesting to see if it catches up to the seller’s reserve.

This one doesn’t have any bidders yet: Sonny Rollins, Blue Note 1542. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the flat edge. It is listed in M- condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The start price is $499 and there are more than two days to go as I type this. My bet is the record sells.

Not sure if this one will sell, at least perhaps not at the current start price, although you never know these days: Hank Mobley Quartet, Blue Note 5066. This is the original 10-inch LP with the Lexington Avenue address and it is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. Quite a nice piece and the start price reflects that: Approximately $2,000.

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28 comments

  • sometime ago Rudolf (where are you ?) discussed on first pressing of this:if I’m not wrong the cover should have the vertical photo with the opening on the yellow strip.
    rudolf ?

  • – BN 5066:

    From my knowledge it seems a truly 1st press.
    All requirements are described or can been attested: Lex, flat rim, both side DG, “ear”, non laminated cover.

    Only two are missing: cover does it have a blank spine? and, is it a framed cover?

    – BN 1542:
    Address label and cover OK and RVG OK for 1st press.
    Missing: flat rim? framed cover? blank spine?

    A final (and most important) thought: I totally agree with the comment by dottorjazz, shouldn’t the Sony image appear upright (and not on its side)?

  • Yes, original first press has Sonny upright & opening on the yellow strip.

  • Good catch on the Rollins. That is definitely not an original cover. I have on in my hand and, most definitely, the photo of Sonny is upright on the right and the opening is off the yellow. Sorry about that.

  • Just by curiosity; your has the framed cover?

  • I don’t think so. It has a split on the seam so I can’t tell for sure, but it does’t look like a framed cover. And while my LP has the Lexington Ave. address on both labels, the address on the cover is 47 West 63rd St., New York 23

  • BN 1542:

    You should have:

    Record: Lex, RVG and flat rim

    Cover: 47 West 63rd St. with NO INC (and not the 47 West 63rd St., New York 23), framed non laminated cover with blank spine.

  • AHA! With Fred Cohen’s book in hand, I can now tell you that the Rollins 1542 should appear upright and not on its side, that it should have the Lex Ave address on both labels, deep groove in both labels, the Plastylite ‘ear’ and RVG hand etched in the trail off groove, a flat rim, a blank spine, a non laminated cover and the 47 West 63rd St (no INC) address on the back cover and without New York 23. The book is great, folks. And thankfully Fred knows how to comfort readers like me by explaining a thing or two about true 1st pressings and original Blue Notes that were pressed a bit later with different details. 😉

  • Yep … with “The” book and a couple of more sources 🙂 always available to help on some BN’s info.

  • Mattyman, I thought you might also like the release dates. I think it was you who had asked about that months ago and now there it is. Things like that and the chronicle of all the original stereo releases of each record are great.

  • You’re right, Mike. The release dates are also in there and it’s an absolute joy to flip through the book, reading all those lovely details and just marvel over all those typical Blue Note details. One thing though, assuming that maybe I haven’t read things well enough yet: there’s no mention in Fred’s book on the “W9” (or “6M”) etching in the trail off groove of the records. Maybe I should ask Fred or maybe I should look more carefully in the book…

  • Isn t it possible that the record is standing behind the sleeve, and that this sleeve indeed opens to the yellow side? Maybe the seller simply placed it that way for the photo ?

  • HANK MOBLEY BN 5066 listing on Ebay has been updated to incude blank spine and kakubuchi frame cover

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150551959649&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

  • Dottore: I am in Qatar and just opened the site, which is really cookin’! May give responses since weekend starting here.

  • Jan makes a remark which is to the point and the same “error” may have occurred when the guy in the sleeve plant had to glue the the front sheet.
    The same phenomenon can be witnessed with BLP 1513 Thad Jones NY-Detroit juncton: I have had two originals, one with the trumpet and Thad going down from top left to bottom right and one from bottom left heading to top right, the latter is more frequent.
    Re 1542: I have the horizontal and vertical versions and, if I am correct, the vertical is the original kakubuchi, but again, we should bear in mind Jan’s pertinent remark. It is all very relative. The one for sale now is definitely an original (kakubuchi and Lex. on labels).
    The fantastic George Wallington qnt on PrLp 7032 has the first yellow/black label with the particular letter type which I mentioned some time ago. Compare thus with any later NY or NJ yellow labels and you will see the difference.
    Following with much interest the 10″ Mobley 5066. A lovely record, never on 12″, but for Mosaic.

  • Well, I’ve checked the Mobley 10″ auction a few times already, but so far not a lot of action and, at least at this very moment, zero bids. The starting price however has already been set at $1999.99 So with a starting price of two Grand, the only thing I’ll do is sit back, relax, light up a Cuban cigar and just wait to see that final bid. What do the more experienced cats reckon? Will this one go for the 3,000 dollar bin? Or up even?

  • IMHO the sales approach of the seller is not intelligent. The record deserves to fetch in the 2K to 3K bracket, but the initial hurdle is too high. He may end up without bids. A reserve price would be a better approach. Let’s see what happens.

  • Hi, Rudolf. Nice to see you posting regularly, even from the road. I have a Toshiba Japanese 12-inch reissue of the Mobley with the original tracks and liner notes, FYI.

  • Just to throw my hat in, I don’t think this mobley will get any bids. I would have predicted it would end up somewhere around 1.5-2K but at this starting point I don’t think it will recieve bids, The music on here is nice, and I’d love to have this copy. I put on the mosaic discs when I got to work and I can say that while this is a good session I don’t like it as much as his sessions from 1-2 years later.

  • Minimum met on the Mobley 10″. The bidder seems to really want it and has put 4 bids in. Is this to ward off other bidders?

  • I think that’s what happens when you keep raising your max bid.

  • I know that, but why would you keep raising it if no one else had bid yet?

  • Hello
    For you young collectors 30 years from now this Mobley will be selling for 6 figures and you’ll be saying I remember when it sold for $3.000.

  • Now that I have no clue about

  • Well, I was wrong. Turns out the seller was smart to set the price that high on the mobley 10″. You know what they say, “To bet against a bull market you either have to be really stupid or really smart”.

  • thanks Al. I have the 10″ original and am not into Japanese re-issues. When I say “never re-issued”, I meant on regular 12″ Blue Note, like the three Art Blakey qnt at Birdland, with Clifford, on two 12″ 1521/1522 or the two ten inchers of the Horace Silver qnt on one 12″ BLP 1518.
    Btw, the two Herbie Nichols ten inchers made it never to 12″, like the beautiful Gil Melles, four in total, I believe. What a shame.

  • Thankfully the CD format made a lot of long awaited reissues possible! For Gil Mellé we have this one:
    http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Blue-Note-50s-Sessions/dp/B00000DCJY and for Herbie Nichols of course this one:
    http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Blue-Recordings-Herbie-Nichols/dp/B000005HAC -Not vinyl, but still it’s all there including bonus cuts! These discs must include all of the previously released 10? material I think, or not?

  • philippe de keyser

    hello there,

    what my sell or not sell on ebay…
    i have put the original french pressing of barney wilen 430.053
    on ebay and even higly priced in the jazzcollectorguide…no respons…
    weird
    (startprice 99 euro and still 3 das to go!)
    philippe

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