High Prices (What Else is New?) & Happy New Year
I’ve been getting a lot of email and there have been a lot of comments about prices going through the roof, particularly on some of the records from the late Dr. Herb Wong. Here are some of the ones that have been sent to me, and a few of my own observations, starting with Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing from the Wong collection and it was in just VG condition for the record and VG- for the cover. Despite the condition it sold for $555.99. Then there was this one, which I had mentioned in an earlier post: Johnny Griffin, The Kerry Dancers, Riverside 420. This was an original white label promo copy. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. When we first noticed this record it was in the $300 range. It ended up selling for $915.
Some people were also intrigued by the price for this record: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note 4003. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address, deep grooves, etc. It was listed in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,075. I don’t think I have as much of an issue with this one as some of you. I realize this is one of the most popular and best selling of the Blue Notes. But, do you think they knew that this record would be a big seller and produced that many more first pressings than a “typical” Blue Note? I would imagine that maybe the original press runs for Horace Silver and Art Blakey may have been higher than a Hank Mobley or Kenny Dorham LP, but how much higher could they have been? As a collector, this is one of the great records of the era, so owning an original pressing would be quite attractive if I didn’t own one, even at a high price. Even as an investment — if you watch what’s been happening with eBay prices over the years, they just keep going up, up, up.
Anyway — I wanted to take a minute to thank you all for spending time on the Jazz Collector site and to wish you a happy and healthy New Year’s. I was just taking a look at the site stats and we are getting close to a total of 2 million total page views since we began tracking such things. It seems pretty amazing to me that this blog I started just for my own enjoyment has turned into something that so many people have come to value and appreciate. Hopefully we can expand our community and continue to spread the love of jazz (and jazz records) in 2016 and the years ahead. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Al!
Al: happy New year to you and yours. I appreciate the great work you are doing for our community.
Happy New Year Al and to the whole community!
Happy new year to everybody from Italy.The site is wonderful and I look it every day thank you Al
Agree with everyone’s sentiments. A job well done this year on Jazz Collector Al!! Happy new year all!
What was the best record you bought in 2015 under $50.00? Give this old crate digger some hope for the new year!
I found a Don Rendell / Ian Carr Phase III in a box of records I won on Ebay for £4.19
Art: I bought a Dawn record by Randy Weston yesterday (“The Modern Art of Jazz”) for $10. The best thing, the jacket is in excellent condition and the record has minimal crackling. I like these Dawn records, but they are very scarce here on the West Coast. So, keep looking, the bargains (and the finds) are out there.
Al: Thanks again for your efforts here. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all…looking forward to another exciting year of jazz record collecting!!!
Art – I picked up a mono first pressing of 4003 Art Blakey “Moanin'” for $40. Jacket and vinyl in VG+ condition. That was my best find of 2015 for under $50. Second best was a first press copy of Bennie Green Walkin’ and Talkin’ in VG condition for $30.
Wishing everyone a happy New Year from Southern California where it’s a cold 65 degrees right now!
I love this site and I always look forward to the new updates! THANKS!!
Happy New Year and Good Hunting in 2016!
Happy New Year Al, and to all the rest of you out there in the “Jazz Collective” (Cheers !)
I haven’t bought that many records this year, but I did have that lucky score in May where I got the Monk Prestige 7053 record, second pressing but the one with the Warhol cover, for $25. I wrote about it here: https://jazzcollector.com/prestige/a-brief-adventure/#more-6528
Al: great story about PrLp 7053. I missed that one when you originally published it.
Happy New Year Al…your blog and fine efforts are enjoyable and educational in so many ways….cheers
Happy New Year to Al and all of you who make this site such a pleasure and irresistible diversion. Here’s to a healthy, happy and productive 2016 (from a collecting point of view, but in all things of life as well).
May the jazz be with you (sorry, had to use that variation on a theme…you know the movie).
Don’t know if any one is interested, howeve I just listed a nice copy of Grant Green’s THE LATIN BIT Blue Note lp on eBay. Buy it now
Seller I am is bsidechi
Art – I grabbed an original copy of Walter Bishop’s Speak Low in stereo a few months back at a record store in Texas. $6!
Happy New Year, all. Thanks for your endeavour in this site and to share passions with us ! All the best…