Price Updates: Trane, Friedman, Blue Notes

Here’s a new one for the $1,000 bin: John Coltrane, Coltrane, Prestige 7105. This was an original pressing with the New York address. It is Coltrane’s first date as a leader, but it’s still surprising to see this one pass the $1,000 mark. This one was in M- condition for the vinyl and near-M- (?) condition for the cover. The price was $1,077.65.

This one almost made the $1,000 bin: Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. The record and the cover both looked to be in VG++ condition. The price was $912.

I didn’t realize this one had such cachet as a collectible: Don Friedman, Circle Waltz, Riverside 431. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $255.

This one falls into the same category: When did it become a $200-range record?

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Catching Up On Some Sweet Blue Notes

Here are a few more Blue Note 1500-series beauties we’ve been watching:

This one goes into the $1,000 bin: Lou Donaldson, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Blue Note 1537. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that was in M- condition all the way around. A real beauty. It sold for $1,880.55.

Lee Morgan, City Lights, Blue Note 1575. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was listed as VG++ and the cover was listed as VG+. The price was $850 and it had nearly 200 page views, which means a lot of people were at least considering a bid. I know I was.

Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. This was also an original pressing, although the listing was a little weird, advertising it as Bone and Bari, the Curtis Fuller LP. Nonetheless, whatever record this turns out to be it was listed in VG++ condition and it sold for $790.

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On eBay: Lee Morgan, Webster Young, Andy Warhol

The seller Jazzhound, who is apparently local to me but whom I don’t know, has been selling some nice items on eBay, including: Lee Morgan, The Cooker, Blue Note 1578. This was an original pressing and the vinyl was in M- condition and the cover was VG++ and the price was only $565.33. Did I say only $565.33? Yes I did. It just seems that this record should be selling for more money, even though this is the highest price we’ve ever recorded for the Jazz Collector Price Guide. The same seller has a few more nice rarities selling this week, including: Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This is an original pressing with the New York label and it is a fine album, indeed. This copy is in M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover and it is currently at around $500. And this is one that features a cover design by Andy Warhol:

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On eBay: Blue Note, Transition & Hyperbole

Was watching this later pressing to see if it would sell: John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was a United Artists pressing. The vinyl was in M- condition, but the cover had a corner clip. The starting price was $44.44 and there were no bidders. Not sure where the market is for these United Artists pressings. I do have a bunch of them and I’m planning to hold onto them. They sound fine, not like the original pressings, but not like the reprocessed stereo editions either.

Here’s an interesting one from our “friend” Bobdjukic: Don Byas, Tenor Sax Solos, Atlantic 11233. This is a 10-inch LP with an interesting cover. The listing notes that it is an uncredited David Stone Martin illustration and, I have to admit, it looks like one for sure. But when this seller says something is “absolutely certain” I tend to wonder. In this case, I think he’s accurate, but it would nice to get confirmation from one of the experts out there as well. The rest of the hyperbole in the listing is a true work of art. Here is some of the language: “One of the rarest jazz albums in existence,” plus “We are reasonably certain that less than four copies

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Adventures in Jazz Collecting: The Auction, Part 3

Guess what came in the mail yesterday? Remember that Jazz Auction in which I participated a few weeks ago. Well the records are here and now I can tell you how I did. Remember, I bid blind on these records, based on the written descriptions, and I gambled on quite a few of the packages. I was competing with a bunch of sellers/dealers who were at the scene and had the opportunity to physically view the records. Also, I paid an extra 17 percent above what I bid because that was the fee taken by the auction house. In any case, here are the results, part one of three: Live vicariously through me if you please. The prices listed below include the 17 percent extra fee, so they are the amount I actually paid for each package. Also, the listings as I describe them below are similar to the way they were listed in the auction itself.

Wes Montgomery, Full House. Price: $70.20. This is an original blue-label Riverside

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On eBay: Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, Hank Mobley

Ever think about how many jazz records are on eBay at any one time? When I was perusing the list this morning I checked it out: Today there are more than 142,000 jazz records on eBay, just 33 RPM. Of that, there are about 8,000 up for auction. Here are a few of them:

Here’s a record I didn’t know about: Johnny Griffin, Night Lady, Philips 48071. I should be more specific: I was aware of this record as a U.S. Emarcy pressing but, until seeing this listing, I didn’t realize it was originally issued in The Netherlands. This one looks to be in very nice condition and is at about $340 with several hours left to go.

This one will be getting a nice price: Art Farmer, Farmer’s Market, New Jazz 8203. This is an original pressing with the purple label. It looks to be in near mint condition and is already at more than $300 with a few more hours to go.

Here’s one that’s been bid up past $500 but still has not yet reached the seller’s reserve price:

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Shades of a Dilemma

Here is one of the dilemmas in doing Jazz Collector and being a jazz collector at the same time. In the course of perusing eBay for the site, I sometimes run into records that I may want myself. Do I write about them or do I watch them in silence, place my bid and pray like everyone else? Here’s a case in point: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This seems to be an original pressing and it looks to be in very nice condition, at least VG++ and perhaps even better. The current price is just $70. The only copy I own of this record is a Japanese pressing. Actually, I own two Japanese pressings because it is one of my favorite records. I also own the Mosaic CD, but that is beside the point. The point is I would like to own an original pressing. I mean, that is why we’re here, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m sure this will

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Some Top Prices: Getz, Jackie, et al

Hmm, prices seem on the rise again. Here are some records we’ve been watching this week:

Sonny Clark, Dial S For Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This was the one listed as Sonny Clarke. The record and cover were in VG++ condition and it seemed to be an original pressing. The price was $1,413.

There was also this: Stan Getz Plays, Norgran  1042. This was in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. The seller was Euclid Records. The price was $432. We thought this might be the highest price we’ve ever recorded in the Jazz Collector Price Guide for any Getz record, but, surprise, a copy of this same record in M- condition once sold for more than $700. Still, $432 is a pretty high price for this record. Do you think that our coverage here at Jazz Collector, and the clip we played, had anything to do with the bidding?

This is the highest price we’ve ever recorded for this LP: Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Bag, Blue Note 4051. This one was in M- condition and sold for $702.

This one would have made the $1,000 bin, but it didn’t meet the seller’s reserve price:

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A Few More For the $1,000 (and $2,000) Bin(s)

This one has been breaking the $1,000 barrier pretty consistently: Louis Smith, Smithville, Blue Note 1594. This copy seemed to be in VG+ condition for the record and VG condition for the vinyl, based on the seller’s description. Still, it sold for $1,148.

Jazz Record Center had a few more in the $2,000 bin, including: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This one was in beautiful M- condition and sold for $2,650.07. One of the nice things Fred often does in the listings is provide little details that help to expand our knowledge of the market. In this case the little tidbit is that there is no address on the cover because Prestige at the time was transitioning from New York to New Jersey.

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On eBay: Getz, Anita O’Day, Sonny Clark(e)

Speak of the devil, here’s a copy of Stan Getz Plays, Norgran, 1042, on eBay now courtesy of our friends at Euclid Records. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is VG++ and the words “beautiful” and “gorgeous” are thrown in as well. The price is around $140 and there are still more than two days to go.

Don’t usually expect to see this one at $100 or more, but this copy is there already: Anita O’Day Sings the Most, Verve 8259. This is an original pressing with the trumpeter logo and it is in M- condition.

If someone is doing a search of Sonny Clark, will this record come up:

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