Jazz Vinyl on eBay: A Little Bit of Trane
Here’s some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay:
John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This was a stereo pressing with the bullseye label. The original mono was black label and the original stereo was green label so this was a second pressing. It was in M- condition and received a top bid of $150.50, which is not bad for a second press, but it still did not meet the seller’s reserve.
This one was another Coltrane, offered by the Jazz Record Center: Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, Impulse 30. This was an original mono pressing with the orange label and the Van Gelder stamp in the dead wax. The price was $151.50. We’ve seen this one sell for nearly $400 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so we’re a little surprised it didn’t get more, considering the reputation of the seller.
No one has ever been able to produce an original US green label stereo pressing of Giant Steps so for all intents and purpose the bullseye label is the first stereo pressing.
Talking about labels, 1st or 2nd pressings and the money they fetch, today I found Miles Davis Vol.2 BLP1502 on eBay and here’s the thing: mine has Lexington Ave on both labels and on the back cover. See my photos. But this one on eBay HERE, however, has 47 West 63RD on both labels but Lexington Ave on the back cover. Does this mean that it’s already a 2nd pressing, and will it therefore fetch less than what might be expected? I’m still happy about the fact that both my BLP1501 and BLP1502 are Lexington Ave everywhere, labels and back covers! 😉
Mattyman, The Netherlands
Mattyman, yes I think it will fetch less. Top prices are paid to my experience to those pressings who have all details of a first pressing. If only one is missing the prices slow down. But: The record in the auction is maybe a pressing of early 1958 instead of 1955…and the music is still great. My impression grows that the guys at BN just took what they have available (covers, lables, stampers) and have not expected that some collectors will discuss these details 50 years later…at least I have quite a lot of in-betweeners (pressings with a mix of 2 periods) From my point of view these “imperfections” are very charming….
GW, I have of course read all the comments and discussions about labels and original 1st or 2nd pressings here on Jazzcollector.com, so I’m aware of the fact that at the pressing plants they used what they had laying around, sometimes old and new labels mixed even; hence the difference in addresses on certain Blue Notes. It was more or less related to Aaron’s initial comment, since he actually states that the pressing in question has never been produced by anyone (an original US green label stereo pressing of Giant Steps), while Blue Notes in fact sometimes may contain various labels from various eras. It’s super entertaining for a rookie like me to read all these highly informative comments and by showing my photos to others, I learn valuable things of my own few Blue Note originals 🙂 On another note (pun intended): the eBay link to the Miles Daves in my first comment shows a pristine pressing… Even the labels show no sign of usage and the spindle hole looks unused. I’m curious what it will fetch!
Mattman, The Netherlands.