Now on eBay: Webster on Verve, Evans Promo

I’m a big fan and collector of the Verve label — as well as Norgran and Clef, of course — so it was with great pleasure that I saw this record on eBay selling for a relatively high price: Ben Webster, Soulville, Verve 8274. This looks to be in M- condition and, with several hours still to go, is already more than $200. It does not have a David Stone Martin cover, and it’s Ben Webster not Lester Young, so I’m kind of wondering what cachet the record holds that would cause it to fetch such a high price. Perhaps it’s just because it’s a nice record in excellent condition.

Also on eBay now is a rare white-label promotional copy of this record:

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Price Updates: Lights Out, Zoot, Kenny Drew

Here are some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay:

Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This was an original New York pressing with the deep groove and heavy vinyl. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG+. It did not have a flat edge, according to an answer to a questioner, but I’m not sure that doesn’t mean it wasn’t original. Anyway, the price was $639.49.

Phil Woods, Warm Woods, Epic 3436. This was an original pressing and it was listed in M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. The price was $495.

Zoot Sims, Zoot, Riverside 228. This was an original white label pressing and it was listed in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price was $413.

Here are a few we were watching the other day:

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Collectibles Anyone? Astaire, Kenny Drew Riverside

There are quite a few interesting items on eBay now. Here are a couple:

Fred Astaire, The Astaire Story, Mercury 1001 1004. Most of you are probably familiar with this set, produced by Norman Granz in the early 1950s.  There were 1,384 copies produced, all autographed by Astaire, and the set came with four LPs, a booklet with exclusive photos and a set of drawings by David Stone Martin. The music is all jazz even though Astaire was not a “jazz singer,” and the sidemen include many of the greats within the Granz stable, such as Oscar Peterson, Flip Phillips, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers. Anyway, it is quite a nice set and used to regularly sell in the $2,000 range. Our top price in the Jazz Collector Price Guide is

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On eBay Now: Some Nice 10-Inchers, Trane, Evans

Some of the heavy-duty jazz vinyl sellers have auctions closing in the next couple of days, so let’s see what’s coming up. We had mentioned Jazz Record Center and some of the 10-inch LPs. So far, the American 10-inch Blue Note is beating out the original French Vogue: The Gigi Gryce and Clifford Brown Sextet, Blue Note 5048, is currently at $107 with two bidders (it should sell for a lot more), while the original French Vogue, Gigi Gryce and his Orchestra Featuring Clifford Brown, Vogue 173 is at $100 with one bidder (it too should sell for a lot more). Jazz Record Center also has a few nice 12-inch LPs we are watching, including this one: Wheelin’ and Dealin’, Prestige 7131. This is an original New York pressing in near mint condition. It features an all-star sax lineup of John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette and Frank Wess. It is currently in the $300 price range.

Our friends at Euclid Records also have some nice items this week, including:

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Catching UP: Kenny Dorham, Johnny Griffin

Time to catch up on some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching this week. Let’s start with a little KD: Kenny Dorham and Jackie McLean, Inta Somethin’, Pacific Jazz 41. The vinyl on this was in VG++ condition and the cover looked to be VG+. This is a nice record, but I’ve never thought of it as a high-end collectible. However, I will have to rethink that now that is has sold for $667.56. Also, there was this: Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 1535. This was an original

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On eBay: Mobley, Some 10-Inchers, Hawk & Dex

Some nice items on eBay this week. Here’s one that’s about to enter the $1,000 bin: Hank Mobley, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This is an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The vinyl is listed in M- condition and the cover is a combination of VG++ and M-, which means its pretty nice either way. it is closing soon, there are already 15 bids and the price is already more than $1,000.

Also ending today is some nice 10-inch jazz vinyl from our friends at Euclid Records. Here’s one: Dexter Gordon Quintet, Dial 204. This one is listed as M- for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price is only $67. Perhaps we may throw in a bid on this one, since this is a record we don’t have and would certainly like to have, even in the face of our Jazz Vinyl Countdown.

Another major seller with some major items this week is the seller jazzrecordrevival. Here are a couple they have up:

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Catching Up: Miles, Cannon — What’s Going On?

Back on eBay after a couple of days’ break. Those auctions we were watching from the seller bobdjukic closed and, while we’re not looking to give this seller any undue publicity, we are quite fascinated with the prices he is somehow able to obtain — even higher than top dealers such as The Jazz Record Center and Euclid Records. We will give a few examples: This one we noted before: Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool, Capitol 762. This is an original British pressing, not even an original U.S. issue. It was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover and sold for an astounding $812.15. I recently sold a beautiful mint U.S. pressing of this record and was happy to get close to $100 for it. Is there something about the British pressing we’re not aware of? Doubt it, but somebody out there in the Jazz Collector world will know if there is. The other thing is, look at this quote from the seller’s description of Birth of the Cool:

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Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Benny Golson On Riverside

This is one of our favorite records: Benny Golson, The Modern Touch, Riverside 256. It is a very nice sextet recording from 1957 with an all-star lineup: Kenny Dorham on trumpet; Golson on tenor; JJ Johnson on trombone; Wynton Kelly on piano; Paul Chambers on bass, Max Roach on drums. Love Dorham’s playing on this LP, JJ as well, and the arrangements are solid. It’s also one of those records on which both sides are equally good and listenable. We highly recommend it and we know we are going to keep it in our collection. The issue, however, is this: We have both an original pressing of this record on Riverside as well as a reissue on Jazzland: Reunion, Jazzland 85. The reissue is in a little bit better condition and, to be honest, they both sound about the same to us on our equipment. So which to keep, the one in better condition or the original?

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An Avalanche of Thousand-Dollar-Plus Jazz Vinyl

We’ve been off line for a couple of days, just got back, went to My Ebay and noticed that the auctions of the seller Nautiluso are now in the midst of closing. Wow! Wait till you see these prices. Here’s a start:

Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. Like most of the others in this group, this was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $3,342.99.

J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. Condition: M- for record and cover. Price: $2,247.22

Lou Donaldson, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Blue Note 1537. Condition: M-. Price: $1,175

Hank Mobley With Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1540. Condition: M-. Price: $1,705.

Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. Condition: M-. Price: $2,247.

Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Riverside 399. Condition: M-
Price: $1,500.

As noted, this is just a small sampling. There will be more to come. It would be great if some of the winners of this vinyl will report back to us on the condition and whether these records are, indeed, as pristine as they seem.

Catching Up: Kenny Drew, Rouse, Nichols

Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching here at Jazz Collector. We sense a slight softness in the market the past couple of weeks compared with the end of the summer, when prices seemed to be skyrocketing. This sense comes not only from what we are watching, but from what we are selling as well. These things go back and forth all the time, so we don’t see much use in trying to time the market as a seller, but for buyers, this might be a time to be active. Prices surely will go up again if past is prologue to the future.   Here are a few recent sales:

Kenny Drew, This is New, Riverside 236. This was an original white label pressing. The record was listed as VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $125. This one features Hank Mobley and Donald Byrd and is quite a nice collectible  — and quite a bit cheaper than comparable Blue Notes of the same era with the same artists.

Speaking of Blue Notes: Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This was

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