Comments on: Today on Ebay: What to Do With A Sealed Record?

By: Ed Herbert

Ed Herbert — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:03:17 +0000

Thanks Al. I just heard a Mosaic LP for the first time – it sounded excellent. Are all the Mosaic LPs great sounding or do they vary as the original masters vary ? I know they are also limited, sell out and quickly become quick collectibles.

By: Al

Al — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:01:38 +0000

Ed — you should check out Music
Matters (www.musicmattersjazz.com). They occasionally advertise here on the Jazz Collector site. They do these beautifully packaged reissues of Blue Notes on 45 RPM. They include gatefold covers with the original liner notes and additional pictures. I’ve got copies of a couple of the records here and they are quite nice. They are also limited editions, which means they will probably increase in value over time.

By: Ed Herbert

Ed Herbert — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:21:45 +0000

Recently found this site and find it very entertaining and informative. One question I have for all the heavy vintage Blue Note & Prestige collectors is – since you have both a collectors drive and a deep appreciation for the music – have you bothered to check out reissues rarer LPs – especially the newer gimicy “180 grams” and 45 rpms that few of us can ever find as originals. For the collector with limited time and budget – any recommendations of some of the better and more available reissues would be helpful – or any to definately avoid for that matter. Thanks.

By: michel

michel — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:07:04 +0000

Sealed recods often come from bargain sale shops, that usually sealed the record before selling it. It is true that they were not originally sold sealed, but you can find a fine original recrd inside a sealed record…

By: Al

Al — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:58:32 +0000

It’s interesting because, not purchasing jazz records until 1970 or so, I always wondered whether the records came sealed or not. I know when my dad would buy cut-outs down in the Village in the mid-1960s, the records would be sealed — a lot of Riversides. So I guess the retailers were doing that. Very interesting, Rudolf, and thanks for the insight.

By: Rudolf A. Flinterman

Rudolf A. Flinterman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:59:45 +0000

Hi Al: I meant to say that Riversides did not come factory sealed. From a distance, your record looks like it is an original, and I am sure it is, but your seal has been put by a retailer or somebody else, after the album had left the factory.
The only classic ’50/’60-s labels I can think of, which produced factory sealed albums, are Contemporary with the loose bag seal around the art sleeve and Columbia with a sealed plastic inner sleeve.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:13:12 +0000

In the case of the sealed Jimmy Heath Riverside LP, I agree with Al.Rudy is off the mark. Distributors and retailers routinely put shrink wrap on LPs back then. Once the sealed record became the norm that is what customers expected. As for selling sealed vintage LPs on Ebay, I think the wrap should come off. How else is one to know what you’re buying. If the label is not visible there is know way of being sure.-
Charlie

By: Al

Al — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:03:53 +0000

Hi, Rudolf. What do you mean? The record was clearly in a seal, it is in the original rice-paper sleeve, it is an original deep groove pressing and it is certainly unplayed. Are you suggesting that the seal was put on by the retailer? When I started buying records back in the day, I recall buying new Riverside LPs with seals. I’m not sure what you are saying. — al

By: Rudolf A. Flinterman

Rudolf A. Flinterman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:24:10 +0000

Al: I am afraid your seal on the Jimmy Heath – Riverside LP was a fake. Riverside has never issued any sealed albums.