Comments on: Various Vinyl For a Rainy Tuesday

By: Woody

Woody — Thu, 05 May 2016 16:15:18 +0000

I keep seeing records with visible mold spotting on the back cover and sometimes the label too as having “age spots”. I know from experience that even if the mold appears to be dead the paper underneath continues to dry rot over time. Worse than that is if the mold is on the label there’s a very good chance that there’s dried mold in the grooves and depending how old the mold is, even multiple VPI passes very often won’t work. Unless the seller play grades the record it’s a calculated risk whether or not it can be cleaned.

By: Jim R

Jim R — Tue, 03 May 2016 18:50:20 +0000

I think the mold on the back of the Donaldson jacket scared some folks off. There is also a mold spot on the label. Probably best you passed on that one.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 03 May 2016 18:45:12 +0000

The JRC auction closed and there was no bidding on the Tony Fruscella or Chet Baker records.

By: Charles Drago

Charles Drago — Tue, 03 May 2016 17:46:36 +0000

An unplayed, unsoiled copy of the Dorham, replete with inserted four-page Blue Note promotional brochure, came my way some 15 years ago as part of the purchase, with two partners, of a relatively small portion of an immense, oddball collection (which included in excess of 100,000 unplayed 78s — two copies of the Robert Johnson “grail” among them).

Each of us kept some very important jazz and R&B (Charles Brown’s “Mood Music” Aladdin 10″ on red vinyl) rarities. I held on to an unplayed original copy of Lee Morgan’s “Indeed,” perfect in every way. As a mirror image of one I already owned, this piece eventually went away via eBay for in excess of $2600 — a record sum at the time.

All of this was store stock and unplayed. I still own pristine copies of the Parker Savoys and one Dial, “Saxophone Colossus,” “J.R. Monterose” (Blue Note), Mobley’s “Second Message,” McLean’s “4,5,6” and Wallington’s “Quintet at the Bohemia,” plus JATP box sets with programs and photos, and the wonderful “The Jazz Scene” portfolio.

The partnership sold approximately 400 10″ and 12″ LPs via a “Goldmine” auction (pre-eBay days, of course). After expenses, and if memory serves, each of us cleared between $8 -10K.

Even the warehouse in which the records and assorted musical merchandise and ephemera were stored is gone now. Among the pieces I should have retained was a console that housed a combination AM radio/45 rpm turntable/wire recorder. The wire would encircle the platter, and one could record directly from the radio. Among the boxes of wire spools were flawless recordings of baseball games played during WW II, including at least one All Star game (if memory serves) plus jazz airchecks too numerous to recall.

Haven’t seen anything like it since.