Realistic Pricing. Not
I still have a few records and comments left over from the other day, so here goes.
What are some people thinking? Here’s a listing I decided to watch: Gerry Mulligan, Night Lights, Phillips 600-108. This was a stereo pressing with a promo label. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG+. If you walked into a store and saw this record for $10 and you didn’t have it, you might buy it. The seller had a start price of $126. Seriously. Not only were there no bids, but only six people looked at the listing and I think three of them were me because I was so incredulous. At least there was free shipping.
Spend 24 hours on eBay and you’ll find dozens of similar examples. The seller of this record have had more than 80 all by himself: Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh, Atlantic 1217. This was an original black label pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. A a nice record, to be sure, but a start price of $320? From a seller who calls himself “vinyl realist?” Give him credit, though. He did manage to sell a few records and get top dollar for them.
Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh…an incredible session. Even if this record is clearly not worth 419 $, it is still more understendable to pay a high price for this one in NM than for many overpriced Blue Note Liberty…
Yeah, great session but… I sold a VG- copy (conservatively graded) for $19.99 and was happy to move it. Hard to imagine paying through the nose for that Konitz/Marsh session.
It’s frustrating to see such inflated prices, but I definitely appreciate that you occasionally point out overpriced records. Keeps me thinking logically when I am really in the mode to pick up new records but the rices are just not realistic. Between that and your occasional posts about record stores that are keeping things reasonable, I definitely feel like I come away with an education. Keep up the good work!
…Speaking of inflated prices, here’s one that is just borderline delusional ! It’s a copy of John Coltrane’s classic Blue Train LP with a the “bargin” buy it now price of $5,999.00 !!!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161071643812?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D161071643812%26_rdc%3D1
…What makes this one even more “mega rare” (in the sellers words) is finding a “mega rare” buyer stupid enough to pay that price for an LP that it is not even close to a first pressing !
The Konitz Marsh album M-/M- sold for $311 in 2009, although I think the seller would be better off to list it lower and let the bidding raise the price appropriately – however we may berate it however, this listing for a high buy price seems to be the unfortunate trend – btw, agree it ie a great album
Don: you can leave out the word “borderline”
Here’s one worth watching if anyone has ever wanted a copy of the very first Blue Note 78 rpm featuring Meade “Lux” Lewis:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/First-Blue-Note-Record-Meade-Lux-Lewis-Blue-Note-1-1939-12-/350839206508?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item51afa5726c
You just get tired of these people on eBay not knowing their stuff. I see this all the time, and sometimes I just can’t help myself but sending them a note explaining that it’s not a 1st pressing or sometimes a much later pressing, just so nobody gets fooled. They usually remove their incorrect and comepletely off the grid descriptions. Maybe I’ve saved some poor unsuspecting soul their hard earned cash, huh?
For what it’s worth I’ve tracked that Mulligan for a few years now and it is one of his “rarer” sides. I’ve never found one in person, despite the bins at all my local shops spilling over with Mulligan. So the price may be justifiably (relatively speaking)inflated in terms of its rarity, but as far as anybody giving a crap about Gerry Mulligan records it’s pretty crazy.
@ Don-Lucky: I saw that one, too. I would have loved to own that 78. I have one at home from Blue Note: Sydney Bechet, but that’s about it. My turntable plays 78 anyway, so it’s a joy to have these fragile gems 😉
As to Night Lights, PopSike has a stereo pressing promo that sold for $136; mono pressings as high as $204 – 44 sales listed which would seem to be saying that it isn’t all that rare
Sorry, Japhy, but I sort of like Mulligan; the early quartet recordings with Baker are classics – I’m a bit puzzled why someone who has “tracked” this Mulligan for a few years, also thinks anyone giving a “crap” about Mulligan records is crazy