On eBay Now: Jackie, Mobley & a Sealed Dolphy

Some interesting items on eBay this weekend. Let’s take a look:

Here’s a beauty: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This one looks to be in beautiful condition and is a promo copy. How many promo copies do you think there are of this record? I do have to say, for a very rare record, it comes up fairly often on eBay. I guess that’s just a function of eBay. I’ve been going to record stores all over the world for 40 years and never saw this in a store, although I did own the record at one time and sold it. On eBay, it seems there is a copy at least once a week, sometimes more. Of course, some of these may not be real — Nautiluso anyone? — and some may not be in very nice condition. This one is and the current price is $1,500 and it still has not reached the seller’s reserve.

Here’s a rare Blue Note that may be difficult to judge, based on the seller’s description:

Hank Mobley, Soul Station, Blue Note 4031. This is from a seller with five total feedbacks. He states that the cover is in “good” condition and the vinyl is in “good ++” condition, which under normal circumstances would be not very good. Most sellers I know use “good” when they actually mean “poor.” In any case, this one has just one bid at $550, which makes me suspicious as well. With just one bid at that high price, it is easy to get someone to shill it.

Here’s another interesting conundrum for you: Eric Dolphy, Out To Lunch, Blue Note 84163. This is a sealed copy. The seller tries to make the case that it’s an original pressing because he sold similar records from the same batch that were originals. But this is a stereo copy and it’s from the late 1960s and he includes a picture of the back cover, which is the giveaway: The back cover has the Liberty logo. So there’s really no way this is an original, which tells you to make sure to look at the listings carefully before bidding. Someone out there wants this one, however, regardless of the issue: The price is already at $160. If this were not sealed as a Liberty pressing what would it sell for, $25 or $30 in near mint condition?