Category: Jazz Vinyl

Mono or Stereo?

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Generally I prefer mono pressings of my records, if they are available. I tend to like the sound better and, to me, they are more authentic. There are exceptions, though, and I discovered one the other day. When I was in Academy LPs last week in Manhattan I noticed a copy of this LP: La Vern Baker Sings Bessie Smith, Atlantic 1281. This is a great LP, if you are not familiar with it, featuring a swinging jazz band including Paul Quinichette, Buck Blayton, Sahib Shihab, Vic Dickenson and others. Anyway, I knew that my copy at home was a stereo pressing and the one in the store was a mono pressing with the black label, an original copy, and the price was fair, $20 if I recall. So I purchased it thinking I would upgrade the copy in my collection. I got home, cleaned the black-label copy, put it on the turntable and felt there was something missing. So I took out the stereo copy and it sounded better: Fuller, clearer and crisper. I am not an audiophile and I

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On eBay: Dex, Garland, Trane

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I wound up taking a six-week hiatus from selling records on eBay after my mom passed away, but I am back now and have been busy posting records by the armful the past couple of weeks. Some of the items are records I’ve written about on Jazz Collector, so we can see whether my investments were wise or not so wise. Here are a few:

Stan Levey, This Time the Drum’s on Me, Bethlehem 37. This is a record that features some very rare Dexter Gordon from the 1950s. It’s amazing to think how infrequently Dexter was recorded during this period, when you would have expected him to be quite prolific. Anyway, I bought this record in a batch of other records and wrote about it under the title: Taking a Chance on Junk Vinyl. It was among a group of 25 records and the whole batch cost me $30. This is already at $40 on eBay and should sell for a bit more than that.

Red Garland with John Coltrane, High Pressure, Prestige 7209. This was one of the ones I purchased in the

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Ready for a Risk? How About a Sealed LP

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We’ve been watching a seller this week with some sealed records on the Savoy label. These are a risk, since you can’t tell if the pressing is an original with the red label and the deep groove or perhaps a later pressing with the maroon label. The difference in value between these two pressings could be several hundred dollars — or perhaps even more, depending upon the record. While I’m a risk-taker, some of these got a little too high for my comfort level. Here are a couple:

Introducing Lee Morgan with the Hank Mobley Quintet, Savoy 12091. We’ve seen original copies of this record in nice condition selling for more than $500 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so a new, unplayed original would be worth quite a bit. But is this an original? Only the buyer will know if, indeed, the buyer ever opens it. In this case the buyer is spending $161.50 to find out.

This one was also tempting:

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The Rise of the Second Pressing, Redux

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We’d been talking a few weeks back about how second presses — and even third presses — are starting to get some traction as collectibles. Or, to put it more aptly, how later presses are starting to sell more often at collectible prices. Here’s one we happened to notice yesterday on eBay: Jackie McLean, 4, 5 & 6, New Jazz 8279. In the listing, the seller lists this as an “original” purple label pressing, which is somewhat accurate, I guess. It is an original version of this pressing, but the issue itself is a reissue of the original Prestige, so it is a bit of a stretch to call this an original pressing. Nonetheless, I’m not sure whether the description has that big an impact on the bidding because you would think the people bidding into three figures on these records would have some knowledge of what they are doing. Except, of course, those

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Back on eBay and The Bidding is Busy

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Hey, everyone. Seems since I came back everyone stopped using the Reader Forum. It would be a shame if that trend continues, because I find it very useful and, at times, more interesting than my own posts. Nevertheless, I am back and I am back to posting and I am back to looking at records every day on eBay. Which means today I am looking at pretty nice auction from Fred Cohen at the Jazz Record Center, which many of you were also watching in the Reader Forum. Here are some of the choice items, closing soon:

Donald Byrd, Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill, Transition 17. This is an original pressing, labels unattached (of course) with the booklet in beautiful condition. The current price is $1,791. I’m saying the record sells for $3,300. Anyone want to take the over or the under?

There’s also this on Transition:

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On eBay: Morgan, Zoot, Chambers & Rare Mobley

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Here are some nice items coming up soon on eBay:

Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing being sold by Euclid Records. The vinyl is listed as VG++ and the cover is listed as M-. The current price is a little more than $300, but it’s hard to believe that this one won’t sell for more than $1,000, perhaps considerably more, given the way prices on Blue Notes have been going.

The Great Zoot Sims, Down Home, Bethlehem 60. This is an original red label pressing. The record and vinyl seem to be in what we would grade as VG++ condition, based on the seller’s description. The current price is about $150.

This one is already close to $800 and it hasn’t yet reached the seller’s reserve price:

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More Blue Notes, More Record Price Tags

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Prices for Blue Notes — at least those in near mint condition — are continuing to rise, based on some of the latest eBay sales. Take a look at these:

A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume 2, Blue Note 1548. This was in near mint condition and it was sold by the same seller who sold those pristine JJ Johnson records the other day. This one sold for $792. The record features Hank Mobley, Lou Donaldson and Donald Byrd, but this is still a new high price tag for it, at least for the time we’ve been watching it.

This one was from Euclid Records: The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Volume 1, Blue Note 1531. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. It was listed as M- condition for both

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Kind of Blue for $5,000?

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Our friend CeeDee sent us this link the other day for this record: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This is an original promo copy with the white label, 6-eye logo. You can click the link and look at the item and go to the bottom of the listing for a laugh, or you can simply continue reading here for the punchline.

The seller has this listed for a buy-it-now price of $5,000 and in his listing he states that this is the only promo copy of this record he has ever seen. A reader is indignant at such an absurd price and preposterous claim and mentions a near mint copy that sold the other for for $355. He refers the seller to popsike where there is a history of these sold and at one point asks the seller: “Listen, are you on drugs?”

To which the seller replies simply: “yes.”

And there it is. A refreshingly honest exchange on eBay.

Catching Up: Morgan, Blakey, Kenny Dorham

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Here are a few records we’ve been watching:

Lee Morgan, The Cooker, Blue Note 1578. This seemed to be an original pressing listed as being in near mint condition. The price was $741. It’s hard to think of a record selling for $741 as being a bargain but given Blue Note prices lately, this seems kind of low. I had expected it to break into the $1,000 bin.

Because of some of the chatter on the site, we’ve also decided to keep an eye on more second pressings, such as this one: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, The Big Beat, Blue Note 4029. This was a New York USA pressing — not an original — and it was

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Catching Up: Blakey on Elektra, Capuchin Swing

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Let’s catch up on a few recent eBay sales.

This one was sold by the Jazz Record Center: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, A Midnight Session, Elektra 120. This was an original mono pressing. Frankly, this is not a record I’ve seen very often and I had no idea what kind of value it had as a collectible. I own a copy, although mine is a stereo pressing. I’ve been going through a lot of my records to catalog them for insurance purposes and because it’s kind of fun in an obsessive compulsive psychotic neurotic kind of way. My copy is in VG+ condition, and I estimated its value at $35. This one was in M- condition and sold for $228. Perhaps I’ll have to adjust my spreadsheet.

I should have been on this one: Jackie McLean, Capuchin Swing, Blue Note 4038. This one was listed a West 63rd but it did not mention

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