Odds and Ends and eBay

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When I was buying and selling regularly on eBay a few years ago I would monitor the listings religiously. Every day I would go through all of the listings, one by one, page by page, and I pretty much never missed a thing. These days, I’m more likely to do occasional searches and focus on items I’m most interested in. Last night I had some time, so I went through my old routine of listing by listing, page by page. Here’s some of the jazz vinyl I watched.

Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz, Diz and Getz, Verve 8141. This was an original pressing with the trumpeter logo. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG+, although it seemed to have original shrink wrap. The start price was $29.95. There were no bidders. Really? When I started collecting this would have been a nice commodity, hard to find, great artists, great collectible label. And it’s got quite a nice cover to boot. Now it’s not worth thirty bucks? Wow. How about Stan Getz and Chet Baker, Stan Meets Chet, Verve 8263. This one says “trumpet logo” in the headline, but there’s no picture of the label so I actually have to wonder if it is original. The record was listed in VG++ condition, close to M-, and the cover was VG+. The price was $57.

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Spring is in the Air and We’re Pining for Blue Notes

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I’m watching a bunch of Blue Notes on eBay, many of which I have in later pressings — Japanese, United Artists — but all of which having me pining for originals. Here are a few:

This is from a seller who has a bunch or rare original Blue Notes closing tomorrow, including: Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This is an original pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for the record and the cover, based on how the seller describes his grading system. There have already been more than 20 bids and the price is now hovering in the $550 range. Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This is also an original pressing. The record is VG++ and the cover is M-. The price is now $432. J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing.  It is listed in what seems to be VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price is now in the $300 range. There are more from this seller if you want to do a search.

This is from a different seller and is also quite appealing:

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Watching Jazz Vinyl Prices on The Rise

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we were watching on eBay:

Clifford Brown Quartet, Blue Note 5047. This was an original 10-inch Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover looked like it was probably VG++. The price was $900.12. That’s the highest price we’ve ever recorded for this album in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Speaking of new highs, this was one from the recent Jazz Record Center auction: Grachan Moncur III, Some Other Stuff, Blue Note 4177. This was in M- condition and sold for $775.43. As we’re seeing pretty consistently, these later original Blue Notes are really increasing in value. I had sold a copy of this record for around $500 a couple of years ago and that was, by far, the highest price we’d seen up to that point.

Sonny Clark Trio, Time 70010. This was an original pressing rated VG++ for the record and VG+ for the cover, even though the headline stated it was M-. Pretty interesting/deceptive move by the seller. It sold for $699.99.

Look at the price on this original Riverside:

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Tracking Jazz Vinyl: New Jazz and A Blue Note

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

George Wallington, The New York Scene, New Jazz 8207. This was an original pressing with the purple label and the deep grooves. The record was described as looking VG but playing much better, which is often the case with these LPs that were pressed on heavy vinyl in the 1950s. The cover was VG+. The price was $218.50. With some records, you never forget exactly where and how you purchased them. This is one of those records for me. I was in one of my favorite record stores on Long Island, years ago, and there was a 25 cent discard bin. I usually ignored it because it was mostly junk in poor condition. This one day I happened to look through it and, boom, there was this record. I pulled it out, figuring it must have been either cracked or completely scratched up. It was in perfect mint condition. Somebody made a mistake. Whenever I’d go into that record store after that, I’d always make sure to check the 25 cent discard bin. And, wouldn’t you know it, a couple of years later I found an original Prestige Bennie Green LP, also in nice condition. I still have both records in my collection.

Jackie McLean, Capuchin Swing, Blue Note 4038. This was an original deep groove pressing and was listed in VG++ condition for the record and M- for the cover. It sold for  $407, which is a little bit surprising because we’d expect this record, in this condition, to fetch more than that. Although, to be fair, the $407 is the highest price we’ve seen for this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. So, the question is, why does this record, an excellent record indeed, not get the same prices as some of the other rare Blue Notes of the same era?

Jazz Vinyl: Andy Warhol Cover, Two Sabus & More

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Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay:

There was that Kenny Burrell LP with the Andy Warhol cover: Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1543. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing in VG+ condition. It was also noteworthy that a previous owner had the lack of foresight and/or stupidity to write his name on the cover. A Warhol cover. Mmmmm. Bad move. I would imagine the writing on the cover had some impact on the price, but perhaps not. It sold for $1,155.

There there were the two copies of Sabu, Palo Congo, Blue Note 1561. This was the one that was in M- condition with a $999 start price. It wound up getting six bids and selling for $1,358.01. The other copy, Sabu, was VG+ for the record and VG for the cover and had the misprint of two Side One labels. Some people find those to be more interesting because they are more rare. As for me, I much prefer to have the proper labels on the proper sides. This copy sold for $460.

This one is from the seller funkyousounds, who is generating a lot of discussion on the earlier post, and how has a large number of highly collectible items closing in the next few hours:

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Watching Some Tempting 1500 Series Blue Notes

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Here’s a Blue Note you don’t see too often on eBay and now there are two for sale at the same time. This one will sell: Sabu, Palo Congo, Blue Note 1561. This is an original pressing in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG for the cover. The auction ends tomorrow and the bidding is now in the $150 range with four bids. This one may not sell at all: Sabu, Palo Congo, Blue Note 1561. This one is an original pressing in near mint condition for both the record and the cover. There are more than two days left on the auction and no bidding yet. The start price is $999.99.

Blue Note 1561 would fill a gap in my personal collection and so would this: Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1543. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing — the last of the Lexingtons — and it is listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. This is one of the Burrell’s with an Andy Warhol cover. The price is currently at about $200 with a day and a half or so to go. Hmmm. Tempting.But then again, it’s always tempting to try to fill in the gaps, isn’t it?

Here’s another temptation:

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Tracking Some Jazz Vinyl Favorites

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

Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition. It sold for $550. I recently purchased a copy of this record for $300 in condition that was perhaps a little bit less than VG++. It’s more than I have traditionally paid for records, but I’ve always liked this one. And $300 seemed like somewhere between a fair price and a bargain.

Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, Prestige 7047. This was sold by one of our regular readers. It was an original New York pressing.The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was M-. Frankly, I thought it would fetch a higher price. For some reason, I’ve been thinking about my Rollins records and I have come to the conclusion that, all things considered, this is my favorite. I love all the quartet tracks and then, of course, you have Sonny and Trane in their primes playing with great passion and respect for one another. And Paul’s Pal to open Side 2 — does it get any better than that? I don’t think so.

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Autographed LPs: Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Bill Evans

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I was curious to see how some of those autographed records from the Jazz Record Center would do on eBay and the results are now in. There was definitely a strong demand.

Chet Baker Quartet, Jazz at Ann Arbor, Pacific Jazz 1203. This was an original pressing with a Chet Baker autograph on the cover, signed and dated from 1973. The record looked to be in M- condition and the cover was probably VG+. The price was $461.

There were several LPs autographed by Miles Davis in the auction, including: Miles Davis, In Person, Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, Columbia 8470. This was an original stereo pressing with the six-eye logo and it was in M- condition all around: In fact, it was described as being in “amazing” condition. It was signed on the back by Miles in red ink. It sold for $566. Also, Miles Davis, Bags Groove, Prestige 7109. This was a later pressing with the blue labels. This one was signed not just by Miles, but by Sonny Rollins as well. It looked to be in VG++ or M- condition and it sold for $195.50. If I had this cover, I’d get rid of the blue-label record and replace it with one with yellow labels, even a New Jersey yellow label. It would just feel better to look at the cover knowing there was a yellow-label pressing inside. Just part of my own insanity, I guess.

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Somebody Really Likes Ike

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Sorry we haven’t posted in a few days. Been busy reorganizing my records. Again. Here are some items we missed on eBay:

So when did Ike Quebec become an artist whose records would approach the $1,000 bin? How about this one: Ike Quebec, It Might As Well Be Spring, Blue Note 4105. This was an original New York USA pressing that was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for, get ready, $887.

This one broke into the $1,000 bin, but not as a surprise: Helen Merrill, Emarcy 36006. This was an original pressing, with Clifford Brown on trumpet and the blue writing on the back label. Despite some mentions of surface noise, the seller listed the record as M- for both the record and the cover. I suppose a record can have a couple of pops or a drop of surface noise and still be M-, right? I mean, few of these records from the ’50s are absolutely perfect. Anyway, this one sold for $1,035. Then again, for $1,035 maybe there’s shouldn’t be any pops or clicks when you listen.

This one had five or six clicks on a feelable scratch and the cover had a cut-out hole, which I kind of hate and rarely have ever seen on original Blue Notes: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This one was rated in VG+ or VG++ condition (based on the description, VG+ sounds more accurate) and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $643.80. All things considered, I think that’s a pretty hefty price.

 

Rare Autographs: Bill Evans, Charles Mingus

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A Bill Evans autograph. That’s one of the items on the latest auction from the Jazz Record Center. To me it’s kind of cool to have, but not sure how it fares in the collectibles market. There was that letter from Bill Evans to John Coltrane that sold for $38,000 several years ago. A friend of mine spent a few hundred dollars for a high school yearbook signed by Evans. Anyway, this is a copy of the record Bill Evans, Trio ’65, Verve 8613. It is a second pressing signed on the front by both Evans and Chuck Israels. The start price is $100 and so far there are no bidders.

From the same auction is an Autographed Letter From Charles Mingus on the stationery of Debut Records. It is to a fan/customer who was complaining about a specific pressing in his recording from the Cafe Bohemia. A rare, very cool find indeed. This one is priced starting at $500 and there is already one bidder.

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