Watching Some All Star Jazz Vinyl
Here’s a nice one that I don’t recall seeing in the past: The Essen Jazz Festival All Stars, Debut 131. This record features Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke. I’ve always known this by the Fantasy issue in the U.S., which, if I recall, was colored vinyl in the original pressing. This looks to be the original Dutch Debut pressing, which was in stereo? Not familiar with it, although it is somewhat surprising that stereo would be the original release in 1960. Anyway, I like this cover a lot better than the U.S. cover. This copy is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover and has a start price of $400 with nearly six days left on the auction.
I was surprised this one didn’t sell: Art Taylor, Taylor’s Wailers, Prestige 7117. This was an original New York yellow label that looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and probably VG+ for the cover as well. I think it was posted originally at $250 and failed to attract a bid. Now it is priced at $34.99. I think it will sell this time. I wrote about this record a few weeks ago. Terrific session and it usually sells for big bucks. The copy I was watching at the time fetched more than $715. This seller’s rating is 98.3 percent. I wonder if that has anything to do with the minimal interest at the higher price tag. Based on the number of sales he has, that’s only one complaint, so I’m not sure if that is the issue. The same seller has this record and is not getting any action either: Art Taylor, AT’s Delight, Blue Note 4047. This also looks to be an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and deep grooves. The record is described as M- and the cover is VG+. The start price is $450. If I didn’t have a nice copy of this record (autographed), I’d potentially be in the hunt for this one.
I had a VG copy of the (Danish) Debut at one point but didn’t keep it (because I’m anal retentive).
$400 seems steep but maybe it’s gone up in price? I don’t recall it being more than a hundred bucks on most occasions.
Perhaps the AT seller’s odd cropped cover photos turn off some buyers. It’s a bit strange not to show the entire cover, or the reverse.
I think that with eBay only a few specific sellers drive the high end jazz lp market and command the highest prices. Truly rare items will always sell themselves, but medium rare jazz lp prices are a function of the seller as much as the record. The last time I was selling there were items on which I didn’t get the top of the market, and even a few really choice items that didn’t sell.
Those Art Taylor LPs did sell at reasonable prices … I think that there are a handful of reputable sellers that become known for offering consistently high quality and well graded LPs, and they get a premium for that … except for one whose name shall not be spoken 🙂