Shopping eBay For Rare Jazz Vinyl
Here are some of the jazz records we are watching on eBay as we enter a new week at Jazz Collector, starting with Bill Evans, New Jazz Conceptions, Riverside 223. This is an original pressing with the first cover and the white labels. The seller has his own grading system. Based on what he says, I would guess that the vinyl is in VG++ condition and the cover is VG or VG+ with cutout holes through the center of the cover and the label. Not an attractive feature, as we all know. This one closes later today and the bidding is in the $340 range. We may have discussed this already here, but does anyone out there know why Riverside changed the cover so early on this one, as well as on the Thelonious Monk Plays Ellington album? Both went from covers with very cool pictures to less appealing (IMHO) illustrations.
Art Blakey Quintet, A Night At Birdland Volume 1, Blue Note 5037. This is an original 10-inch pressing listed in excellent condition for the record and the cover. The buyer says “search your life you won’t find a nicer copy.” Fortunately, I just have to search my shelves for one. I alsohave another one, which I will probably be bringing to the WFMU Record Fair later this month, so be aware. This one closes later today and has a start price of about $200 with no bidders so far.
Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This is an original pressing. The seller mentions something about feelable marks, but says they don’t effect the play, and he grades this in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. I think I’d take a shot on this if the price were right and I was of a mind to pay top dollar for Blue Notes, which I am not. This one is in the $400 range with a little more than a day to go on the auction.
I’m a little weary of the Blakey seller as they don’t have much feedback for selling records. I’ve been searching for a copy though. Wish I could make that record fair, but I’m on the wrong coast.
wfmu has me very excited. let us know where you are and i’ll stop by your table first!
I agree with you about the Bill Evans and Thelonious covers, the originals were much better!
I’ve got a nice copy of the Evans and I’ll tell you, the original cover is top notch!
The whole notion of “feelable” marks is a bit creepy. As one, of all of these readers, who cringes at the idea of a finger touching a record, the inference that the seller is willing to “feel” the vinyl is a bit off-putting. One of my fave sellers to revile in this way notes that the scratches can/can’t be felt with a fingernail! (shiver…)
wish I could make that record fair as well, but I’m on the wrong coast as well – with a whole ocean between 🙂
daryl:
the fingerNAIL part freaks me out, but the oil and stuff left by the fingerTIP in the groove would be very minimal. nothing a brief dab with the ol’ rubbing alcohol and cleaning sheet wouldn’t fix, if that is even necessary.
typically, marks reelable with the fingertip will sound, and non-reelable marks will not sound. its a nice estimate of play quality if you can’t play the record right away (at a record store, for example.) but this is just my own experience. i wash my hands before and after touching records. you can bet they’ll be washed once before WFMU and twice after.
i’m with you on fingerNAILS though. yikes.
Monk’s second Riverside, The Unique, had the cover changed too.
in the liner notes of the re-packaged albums Riverside says something that a wider acceptance of the artists since the initial releases led them to use more appealing covers. Apparently the picture covers were considered to be dull.
So it was part of their marketing strategy.