Today on Ebay: Freddie Redd, Kenny Drew, Trane
Here are some of the items we’re watching today on eBay. Things still seem slow, and it will be interesting to keep an eye on the prices of some of these.
Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This is an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record and cover are both in VG+ condition. The current price is about $230. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide, we’ve seen this record sell for between $300 and $900 depending upon the condition. It’s a great record if you’re not familiar with it, featuring Tina Brooks and Jackie McLean.
John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, Tenor Conclave, Prestige 7074. This is an original New York pressing with the yellow label. The record and cover both look to be in VG+ condition. The current price on this is $74.
This one is not in great condition, but it’s one of the more collectible Blue Notes and usually goes for a decent price, regardless of condition: Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This is a West 63rd Street pressing with one sided deep groove, which, if I recall correctly, is the original pressing for this — for some reason it only had one side as a deep groove. This one is in VG- condition, both record and cover, and is currently at about $60. Because of the rarity of this record, I would still expect it to sell for more than $100 even in this condition.
By the way, I also have records closing today and the prices are low. I have a decent copy of Trane’s Settin’ the Pace on Prestige that has a start price of $30 and no bids. To see my items, you can just click the Items for Sale link above. — al
I wish i could have this freddie Redd, but i think i will not even bid on it. Too bad i did not buy this one in the glorious 90’s in Paris, when it was still possible to find those heavy ones at correct price. I remember i refused to buy a stone mint copy of Dexter Calling, because i thought the price was too high : 300 frs ( around 40 €) ! 🙁
Michel: if my pessimistic views come true, you will soon be able to buy it for less than 300 frs. I am not at all confident in a sound and stable market. As a seller, I fear we are in for a free fall. So much the better for a new generation of buyers.
For the record, I bought mine in the even more glorious sixties, also in Paris. I won’t disclose the price, it will make you green of jealousy. It was in St Ouen at the flea market. There was a guy who had bought the whole jazz stock of Disques Vidal at St Germain.
Do you really think there will be a brutal decrease of the prices ? Interesting point of view. Could you tell us more ?
good morning Michel!
My view is that:
1. the present financial situation has a brake effect on spending for non essential objects;
2. the stream of so-called rare items is not drying up. One sees the same icons offered again and again. So cash strapped buyers wait for their chance.
3. the generations: what percentage of younger people are interested in jazz? If they are, do they care for vinyl? They grew up in a non-vinyl culture. They may like the music, but buy CD’s, which they play in the car and everywhere at home.
The older generation will finally be saturated. They have all they ever wanted, and might even sell off (like myself). The physical disappearance of generations entails a total loss of interest for the music which went with that generation. Result: interest in dixieland/N.O. nil, swing music on the way out, the next generation to follow and fade away is the 40’s bop generation. (I found out it is nearly impossible to sell an authentic 1st pressing of Fats Navarro. People are just not interested.) The next generation fading out has begun with Mulligan and West Coast jazz. I see many Mulligans unsold.
Inevitably, the next fading out wave will be for the music of the mid fifties, hard bop etc. It is ineluctable as the French say.
So, to come back to the Freddie Redd, be patient, I am sure you will have it one day at a very decent price.
I agree with everything stated here. Many good points.
While I wish your market predictions on prices are true (I am still a new collector) I agree with some points (certain types of music like Dixieland will never get hot again) and disagree with others. People are reluctant to sell anything for less than they paid for it unless they need the money.
Maybe prices will drop at the high end a bit ($500 v. $400) but that is still crazy money. Or people will stop paying $75 for $30 records.
Do you really see however a dramatic drop across the board in the market?
The Freddie Redd wound up selling for $715, which is within the range of how we’ve been tracking it. eBay is definitely soft at the moment — all around, not just jazz LPs — so I wouldn’t predict a free-fall just yet. These things often go in cycles.
I have one concrete example of Blue Trane BLP 1577: early this year a NM copy went for ard. 1500, 1 month later 780, and quite recently for 400+.
Top items will resist, but inevitably the moment comes when demand is lagging. In the end, the collectors will all have won their dream copy and, don’t forget, the market is thin.
Dave, people may be reluctant to sell below their purchase price, but their heirs would not have such inhibitions. Top items will continue to be put up for sale. So, IMHO the market in the end will fall.