Rare Jazz Vinyl: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Here are some items we’ve been watching on eBay, and then not watching on eBay.
What are we thinking with two recent auctions that were ended early? One was by the seller yollie97, who doesn’t have a long history on eBay. He had a couple of nice records we were watching, including: Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. When we were tracking this last week it was already at $1,000, but then the auction was ended with the explanation that the item is no longer available. The same thing happened with other records we were watching from this seller, including Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550 and Hank Mobley Soul Station, Blue Note 4031. Sometimes a seller will end auctions early if he gets a high price from a potential buyer. Perhaps that’s what happened here, perhaps there was another reason. Perhaps yollie97 sees Jazz Collector and would like to offer an explanation. The other one that ended early was from the seller Amatti 1000 from Italy, a seller with only 19 feedbacks in the past year. He also had a few beauties for sale, including Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’Time, Blue Note 1574. This one was at $850
when we wrote about it, then it was gone. I’m sure the cynics out there, and others, will have visions of a Nautiluso-style fraud with this one.
By the way, anyone has info about the Nautiluso fraud ?
my only remark is that a seller with repeated early endings damages his reputation.
I’d be curious to know who among us has never taken that outside chance and asked a seller if they’d end an item early, in hopes of scoring a gem at a fraction of the cost? Part 2 to the question: Did you still offer a pretty fair price, or did you get a steal? Where is the ethical boundary on that (besides being against eBay policy)? Is a buyer a creep for even asking it, or does the creep factor lie on the seller who’s willing to do it? Is nobody a creep and it’s just how the game is played?
I know that ebay gives the option to close an item and sell to the current high bidder, and in that case the item does go on record as a legitimately completed listing, and the seller does pay fees. But we’re talking something different here, of course.
Hello All
This could be an advantage to the seller, because he does not have to pay Final Fees and he could ask the buyer to pay the Pay Pal fees also.
And he does not have to return the money if the record is lost in the mail or graded wrong…
Now as for the buyer I would not do this with an ebayer with few feedbacks as it could be a scam, and if it is who you gonna call Ghost Busters LOL
Yea, I’m betting that the top sellers wouldn’t do it and some of the ones that would might take advantage. I’ve never done it but have been asked as a seller before. Didn’t do it and glad I didn’t.
If I win an auction from someone who’s listed a lot of records I’ll go through what he didn’t sell and ask him if he would throw this or that in for such a price. Usually it’s slim pickens however as the good stuff was already won. Hopefully you come out w/ some gems before the end.
I do sometimes ask sellers to end a fixed price item at such and such price if I really trust them and how long the item has been there.
hi im totally new to this site but have a few questions. ive just inherited a load of jazz records, which funnily enough was forced to listen to as a youngster, but now actually appreciate. One of the records i have is a collectors item as only 3000 made.It is called the elegant mr ellington,produced 1978 and in excellent condition. Intersted to find out the value can anyone help? Thankyou
Hey, just check ebay for current and completed auctions. ELEGANT was issued on a UK label and just to let you know: if the lp has “already a collector’s item!” printed then it’s usually not! Think of it like a collector’s coin you can buy on those TV ads from the 70s up to the present “for only $XX.XX” but a record. Hope this helps.