Category: Prestige

Placing Hope in a Snipe

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I haven’t been buying records at all and, in fact, I am planning a major sale of records and other stuff from my collection. Keep tuned to this space for details or, if you want a really early start, send an email to me at al(at)jazzcollector.com. But the buying bug never really leaves, does it, and yesterday I was looking at this record Elmo Hope Quintet, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043, and it looked in nice condition and the copy in my collection is a second pressing of Two Tenors, which, don’t get me wrong, is quite nice and is in perfect condition, but an original is an original and a Prestige is a Prestige and the price was lingering nearly $125 with just a few hours to go so, I figured, why not. And, even though I’m not buying these days I, of course, still maintain a sniping account, just in case, so I put in a snipe for this record in the mid-$300 range figuring I might actually have a chance, given that prices on eBay seem to be a little flat these days. But, alas, ’twas not to be. I looked this morning and the record went to somebody else for $405.02. Perhaps it’s for the best. I can always listen to Two Tenors, right?

Jazz Vinyl Worth Watching on Ebay

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As always, we are watching some interesting jazz vinyl that will be selling (or not selling) on eBay this week. Here are a few samples:

This is another one where the seller is starting with a very high price: Lawrence Marable, Tenorman, Jazz West 8. This is an original pressing that looks to be in superb condition, at least VG++ for the record and the cover. The starting price is $1,800 and there are no bidders.

This is a pretty hefty price for one of the Benny Golson New Jazz LPs: Benny Golson, Gone With Golson, New Jazz 8235. This is an original deep groove pressing and it is in M- condition. It is also being offered by Euclid Records, one of the better known brands in our community. There are already eight bids on this LP and the price is close to $200. Note that the pianist on this date is Ray Bryant who passed away on Thursday.

I have to say, I’m tempted on this one: Elmo Hope, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043. This looks to be an original New York pressing, although the listing is definitely lacking in details. The condition looks excellent and the price is only $135 and it is ending today. This may call for a visit to my sniping software. Will keep you posted. Of course, publishing my intent on Jazz Collector may not be the wisest strategy, huh?

A Few For the $1,000 Bin

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So what’s been going on at eBay? Here are some recent interesting sales of jazz vinyl:

Lee Morgan, Indeed, Blue Note 1538. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that was listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It was among that batch of records that were originally listed with a very high start price and then re-listed with lower start prices but undisclosed reserve prices. This one was originally listed at $2,500 and eventually sold for $2,450.

This one got a nice price, right: Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note 1595. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,352. That’s the highest price we’ve ever recorded for this item in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Not bad for what seems to be a down market.

Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079.This was an original New York pressing, another one with the “EX” grading system, which I’m still not sure how to interpret into the one I use. VG++, perhaps. The cover was VG+. The price was $1,324.

 

eBaying With Thad, Sonny Clark, Vice-Pres

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay:

The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the flat edge. The record was in VG condition and clearly had some issues with surface noise based on the seller’s description. The cover was VG+. The opportunity to own an original Blue Note is always enticing. This one sold for $261, not at all unreasonable, but I didn’t pull the trigger. Perhaps next time.

That copy of Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576, finally wound up selling. If you recall, this one was in great, mint condition, but it was not an original. It had the West 63rd label but no deep grooves. The seller was able to get $399.99. More power to him.

This one seems to perhaps be a bit over-graded based on the seller’s description, but it is still a nice original collectible in nice condition. Paul Quinichette, On the Sunny Side, Prestige 7103. This one sold for $213.50.

A Few For the $1,000 Bin

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Shall we update the $1,000 bin? Why not.

No surprise on this one: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This was an original pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. This one sold for $1,606.

I’d have loved this one from the same seller, but, alas, it is not an amount I spend on individual records: Cliff Jordan, Cliff  Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,555.

Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,025.

eBay Watching: Blue Notes, Prestige

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Which jazz vinyl shall we watch on eBay today? Here’s a few of note.

This one is quite tempting to me, since I do not own an original: Mal Waldron, Mal/2, Prestige 7111. This looks to be an original New York pressing and it has the presence of John Coltrane. The record looks to be what I would grade as VG++ and the cover is M-. There are a few days to go and the price is in the $150 range. When I see records such as these I have to remind myself that I am getting rid of records, not acquiring them. It is a tough sell to myself, however, since the joy is in the hunt.

This one is also strangely tempting to me, even though it is not an original: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. The copy in my collection is a black and blue Liberty stereo. Yuch. This one is not an original because it doesn’t have the deep grooves, but at least it has the West 63rd Street address. It wouldn’t give me the creeps every time I would look at it in my collection. But, alas, the start price is about $400 and that’s a little too steep for me for a non-original, even a great record like this in beautiful condition.

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High Prices Yes, But Not as High As Before?

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It’s been a few days since I’ve been on eBay or posted on Jazz Collector. So many records, so little time. Here’s an update on some of the ones we were watching last week:

The Jazz Record Center seemed to do well with it’s most recent auction, although careful scrutiny would suggest that prices are down from previous expectations. That copy of Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134, sold for $1,891.88. Last year at this time we logged two copies of this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide at more than $2,000. Miles Davis Volume 3, Blue Note 5040. This original 10-inch LP was in M- condition for both the record and the cover and sold for $565. Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland Volume 2, Blue Note 5038. This also looked to be in M- condition. It sold for $359. One more: Sonny Rollins Plus Four, Prestige 7038. This was an original New York pressing with the frame cover. The record looked to be in M- condition and the cover was probably around VG++. The price was $345. In my view, somebody got a bargain on this one.

There was also that other copy of Conte Candoli, Cool Gabriels, Groove 1003 in VG++ to M- condition. It looked for a while that this one might go cheap, but it sold for $1,705, which, given this one’s condition and recent prices of other copies, was cheap, relatively. This one, of course, has the Andy Warhol cover.

Jazz Record Center Auction: Blakey, Clifford, et al

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Our friends at the Jazz Record Center have a new auction going this week and it’s always fun to watch their items to get a good gauge on the market. So far, it looks like a little bit of slow going. Here are some of the items:

Art Blakey, The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia, Volume 1, Blue Note 1507. This is an original Lexington AVenue pressing with the deep grooves, frame cover, flat rim. It looks to be in M- condition for the record and probably around VG+ for the cover. The start price on this is $100 and as of now there are no bids at all. No bids on this one yet either: Clifford Brown Quartet, Blue Note 5047. This is an original 10-inch pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is $250. This one, no surprise, is getting some action: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This is an original pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and at least VG+ for the cover, but more likely VG++ to M-, depending upon how you look at things. This one is already more than $1,000 and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t make the $2,000 bin, but I won’t be shocked, since this seems like a bit of a soft time in the market.

eBaying: Overseas, Boats and Blue Notes

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Lots of jazz vinyl to watch on eBay, as usual. Here are a few of the ones we’re watching:

I’ve never owned an original pressing of this: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. Aside from the regular availability of this record on eBay, I’ve only had a couple of chances to actually hold this record in my hand and pay cash for it. Once, the price was just too high and the second time was a few years ago, I had a chance to buy a collection and this was one of the records. The whole collection was probably about $3,000 and I could have made up a good portion of it by just selling this record, but there weren’t enough other gems to make it worthwhile. I’m still looking for a copy and expect to find one someday at a reasonable price, but this won’t be the one. This one is in VG+ condition for both the record and the vinyl and is already at $1,180. I see that the seller is located near me, so, if you’re out there and a reader, perhaps we can do some trading one of these days.

My son graduated from his masters program at Brown so I don’t get up to Providence as much as I used to, but I see my friend Steve at Round Again Records has found a nice collection and is posting some of them on eBay, including these gems:

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eBaying: Miles Test Pressing, Dolphy, Roy Haynes

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Here’s an interesting one: Miles Davis Volume 1, Blue Note 1501. This was a test pressing, no cover. What’s makes it cool, in my view, is the original Plastylite logo and the date, which looks to be  12-5-55. Seems pretty original, no? This one was listed in excellent plus condition and sold for $1,025. In the past I’ve owned several test pressings and, while they’re nice to have, I’ve always missed having the covers. This, I think, would have been an exception, but not at that price. Speaking of prices, that copy of Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024, sold for $495 the other day and, no, I was not the winning bidder. As Mrs. JC and I are starting to explore downsizing once again and moving to Manhattan, I am much more of a mind to be selling rather than buying these days.

This one got a high price, all things considered: Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot, New Jazz 8260. If you click on the link you’ll see what I mean: The record and cover were both listed as VG+, but there seems to be a pretty nice amount of ringwear on the cover, so I guess I’d be a bit skeptical. The winning bidder apparently was not. It sold for $535.

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