Some More Blue Notes, Less than $1,000
Here’s some jazz vinyl on Blue Note that did not sell for more than $1,000.
Paul Chambers Quintet, Blue Note 1564. This was an original pressing and it was listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The price was just $114.50. That’s pretty low for this record. The last time we followed it in the Jazz Collector Price Guide it sold for more than $1,100, and previously it has sold for more than $600. This was not in M- condition, but you would still expect it to go for at least $300 or so. I think the seller may have overgraded the record, based on the description — VG+ but with “marks that will make some noise.” To me that’s a sign that the record may be VG or worse, so that would probably be the reason for the lower price.
Lee Morgan, The Cooker, Blue Note 1578. This one was listed in VG condition for the vinyl
although the seller said it played a lot better. The cover was listed as M-. The price was $304. It probably would have sold for more if the seller had a better feedback rating.
How about this one, for under $100: Lou Donaldson, LD+3, Blue Note 4012. This looked to be an original pressing with the original cover. The vinyl was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was VG. The price was $86.
Then again, there was this: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. The record was listed as G condition, the cover as VG+. The price was $212.50. To me, G is an unplayable record. However, with this one, if you have a nice copy of the vinyl and a trashed cover, paying $212.50 just to get a new cover might not be a bad investment. This is a record that has sold for as much as $1,500 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.
There’s no deep grooves on the Paul Chambers, indicating a later pressing – that & the uncertain condition might account for the low price.
The LD+3 is not a first press either, as it has the ‘Inc’ & ‘R’; Popsike has quite a few copies around this price, although there are others at up to 4 times the price.
Has record grading gone the way of starbucks coffee sizes? Shifting the entire scale to the high end. It seems that scratches and noise should put a record no higher than “good-“. How long before we rate only in terms of degrees of mint?
Geraint, thank you. I didn’t read the descriptions carefully enough. Bethellodge, I think very good is the new good. Although tongue-in-cheek, you may actually be omniscient in thinking that everything will someday be a variation of mint.