Not Selling on eBay
Took a lovely holiday with The Lovely Mrs. JC and was off eBay for quite a bit. Now I am back and looking over my eBay watch list, and I am somewhat surprised to see that a lot of the items I had put on the list did not sell. A few examples: Jackie McLean, Makin’ the Changes, New Jazz 8231. This was an original purple label pressing in VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The start price was $500, when I looked at it. It is back again on eBay now for $400 and there are still no takers, yet. This was from the seller 1molecularman, who has had quite a lot of success with his recent auctions, so I expected it to sell. Another from the same seller:
The Curtis Counce Group, Contemporary 3526. This was an original deep groove pressing that looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. The original asking price was $300. I’m not seeing it relisted, so perhaps someone bought for a best offer.
Duke Pearson Profile, Blue Note 4022. This was an original pressing with what the seller described as an audible scratch. The cover was listed as VG, but it wasn’t if you looked at the pictures. It was maybe G-plus. The asking price was $275. Given the way things have been going in the market with original Blue Notes lately, I was curious to see if this would sell. IMHO, the condition of the back cover was the bigger factor in its failure to sell versus the scratch. Hard to trust a seller who would list that cover as VG.
Somewhat similar situation with this one: Dexter Gordon, Our Man in Paris, Blue Note 4146. The record was listed in VG+ condition, but the cover was trashed and listed as G-plus, which was probably an accurate grade. Again, the way Blue Notes in any condition have been selling lately, I was curious to see if this would sell. It didn’t, at least not for the original $300 asking price. Thus one is back on eBay for the same price as a buy-it-now or best offer. So far there are no takers.
Another Dex with a cover issue: Dexter Gordon, Gettin’ Around, Blue Note 84204. This looked to be an original New York USA stereo pressing, listed in M- condition for the record and G plus or VG for the cover. The original asking price was $190. The seller relisted it at $185 or best offer, and accepted the best offer, so it is no longer available.
Sonny Clark, Dial S for Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This looked to be an original West 63rd Street pressing, The record and cover were listed in conditions described as between EX and VG+. The seller described light scratches for both the record and cover. The asking price was about $3,000. It is back on eBay for an asking price of about $2,500 with no takers so far.
Cover on that Pearson doesn’t look too terrible to me – the surface tears are a shame, but it’s not particularly trashed apart from that. Anyway, I’d assume an equally large factor in its failure to sell is that it’s not an original – there’s no DG, and no ear either, I assume (never seen a non-DG Plastylite of this, and the pressing ring looks like a Liberty).
That Pearson reminds me of 90% of blue notes on Discogs. Poor condition with dreamer’s prices that remain listed for sale for years. I wouldn’t ask anymore then $75 for that Pearson in that shape…