Today on eBay, Feb. 2, 2009

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Here are some of the items we at Jazz Collector are watching on eBay today: 

The previously mentioned Euclid Records has a few nice items up today, including Charlie Mariano Sextet, Fantasy 3-10. This is a 10-inch LP in M- condition. The current price is $76. 

Here’s another one for the $1,000 record bin, or perhaps even the $2,000 bin: Thelonious Monk, Prestige 7053. This is the one with the cover design by Andy Warhol. The record is only in VG condition and the cover is VG+, yet the price is already at $1,775. The same seller has another Warhol cover: Artie Shaw, Both Feet in the Groove, RCA 1201. This is an original pressing and it looks to be in at least VG+ condition. The current price is $71. 

Finally, here’s a pretty Norgran currently in the $50 price range: Johnny Hodges, Ellingtonia ’56, Norgran 1055. This one is in what looks like VG++/VG+ condition.

Another eBay Debate: What’s The Value Of A Dealer’s Reputation?

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We know we’ve sparked debate with our chronicling of prices of high-end collectibles sold on eBay (see, The Great eBay Debate). We still believe that this, by far, is the most accurate depiction of the market, because it is the market, worldwide. However, we also recognize that there are certain variables within eBay that effect record prices. One of the most critical of these, is the quality and reputation of the seller. We bring this up because we were updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide this weekend and we were logging in a couple of records that went for pretty high prices versus what they’ve sold for in the past. The two records were: Horace Silver, Finger Poppin’, Blue Note 4008. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in M- condition. It sold for $247.50. The other

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A Couple More $1,000 Records

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We have two more records to add to the growing list of Jazz LPs selling for more than $1,000. The first is Eric Dolphy in Europe, Debut 136. This is the original pressing from Denmark. It was in M- condition, from a very reputable seller, and fetched a price is $1,225. Also breaking the $1,000 barrier was a copy of John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was an original pressing, also in near mint condition, also from a reputable seller — Euclid Records — and it also sold for $1,225. We’ve been tracking Blue Train in the Jazz Collector Price Guide ever since we started the guide in 2004. This is the first time we’ve seen this record cross the $1,000 threshold. Part of it has to do with the reputation of the seller, a topic we plan to address in a post later today or tomorrow.

Free Record Update

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We’re still in the process of running a contest to give away a copy of Hank Mobley, Workout, Blue Note 84040 (yes, it’s a reissue, but, still, it’s free). The rules of the contest are exceedingly simple: All you have to do is post a comment anywhere on the Jazz Collector site before the end of the day on Feb. 4. At that point, we will put all of the eligible names into a hat, or maybe a bowl, and we will ask our lovely bride, Mrs. Jazz Collector, to select a winner. The winner will receive the record free, including free shipping to anywhere in the world. We do this every once in a while. We enjoy it, and we’re hoping it keeps people coming back to the Jazz Collector site. So far, it looks like we have nine entrants into the contest: Rudolf, Michel, Jason, Brian, Dan Hodina, Chris Moran, Dave Sockel, Joe Panettieri and Andrew Joseph. If you would like to add your name to this illustrious list, all you have to do is comment, anywhere, on Jazz Collector before we announce the winner on the morning of Feb. 5.

For the Price Guide: Monica Zetterlund, Sonny Criss & More

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Here are some of the items we’re entering into the Jazz Collector Price Guide. We’re not including links with these, since many of them have already appeared elsewhere on the site. 

Monica Zetterlund, Waltz For Debby, Phillips 98222. This was an original Swedish pressing, with Bill Evans on piano. The record was VG++ and the cover was M-. Price: $381

Sonny Criss at the Crossroads, Peacock 91. This was an original pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. Price: $350.

Here’s one that really surprised us: Stan Getz Plays, Verve 8133. This was an original Verve wit the trumpeter logo, but the record was originally issued as Norgran 1042. So this was not really an original, and it was not in great shape: The record was VG+ and the

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A Kangaroo-Split Cover?

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We were logging records into the Jazz Collector Price Guide the other day and we came across a term that was new to us: A Kangaroo-Split Cover? This was in reference to the LP Johnny Griffin, Argo 624. We don’t have the record, so we are going by the picture. It looks like you turn the record to the side and flip part of the cover to reveal the record, sitting in half of the jacket, as if it were a baby in the pouch of a kangaroo. We have three questions for our readers: (1) Is our description accurate? (2) Is the term “Kangaroo-Split” commonly known? (3) Are there other jazz records that have a similar cover? This record, by the way, was in M- condition and sold for $285.

Today on eBay, January 30, 2009

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Here are some of the records we at Jazz Collector are watching today:Lucky Thompson, Lucky Strikes, Transition 21. This is an original pressing, with the booklet. The record is listed as M-, the cover as VG and the booklet as M-. The current price is about $160. Art Blakey, A Night At Birdland Volume 2, Blue Note 5038. This is an original 10-inch LP. The record is M- and the cover is VG. The current price is about $150.

This seller, Sweedeedee, has a bunch of nice items closing in the next 24 hours. Here are a few: Gene Ammons, Jammin’ With Gene, Prestige 7060. This is an original New York pressing. Both the record and cover are listed in M- condition. It is currently priced at a bit over $100. Here’s a black-label copy of John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. The record is listed as VG++ and the cover as M-. The current price is about $210. And here’s one, frankly, we’ve never seen before: Eric Dolphy in Europe,  Debut 136. This is the original Danish pressing. The record and cover look to be in M- condition. The current price is $360, but we’d expect this to go for quite a bit more. 

We posted a little late today, so we missed a few items, which we’ll be plugging into the Jazz Collector Price Guide later this weekend. Among them are: 

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A Quickie Quiz

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We’re going through this process of sorting through our records and deciding what to keep and what to sell. The main reason, honestly, is just that we have too many records. It’s hard to decide what to listen to, and hard to manage with records and record players spilling over into every room in the house. Anyway, in this process we’re looking at and listening to records in our collection that have been on the shelf for years and never received a listen or a look. As we do this, we are finding some interesting things. For instance, here’s a question we’ll pose based on an album we reviewed yesterday. The album is Mundell Lowe and His Orchestra, New Music of Alec Wilder, Riverside 219. It may not be at the top of everyone’s want list, but it’s a decent record and our copy — which we’ve decided to sell — is an original white label pressing. Anyway, here’s the interesting tidbit, hence the quiz. The liner notes to this LP were written by an individual who was much better known as a singer than as a writer. Who was this individual? Ten points to the first person who gets the right answer.

Today on eBay, January 29, 2009

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Some nice items today on eBay. We’re selling a few that are closing today. The ones that have received the most attention (bids) are:  Wynton Kelly, VeeJay 3011. This is an original pressing in pretty nice shape. It has seven bids and is at $54; and Yusef Lateef, Prayer to the East, Savoy 12117. This is in near mint condition, but it is the maroon label. The current price is $87.  If you missed it yesterday, we’ll also selling our first record right off the Jazz Collector site, The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon, Jazzland 929. For details you can look at the post below. Other items we’re watching today:

Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland Volume 3, Blue Note 5039. This is an original 10-inch LP in M- condition. The current price is $235.50. Another Blue Note is Horace Parlan, Up and Down, Blue Note 4082. This is a New York USA pressing

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Item For Sale: The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon

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Okay, we’re trying something new: Selling a record right off of the Jazz Collector site rather than through eBay. Here’s the idea: We’d like to offer some records at fair prices to our readers in hopes of building some traffic and building some reader loyalty. The problem is, most of these will be one-of-a-kind items. Our plan, unless someone has a better idea, is to offer each item on a first come, first served basis: That is, whoever wants it and pays for it first, gets it. The first record for sale on the Web site is this one: The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon, Jazzland 929S. This is an original stereo pressing with the black label and deep groove. The record is in VG++ condition and sounds great. The cover is also VG++, with a very small tear on the back. The price for this record is $25. Our standard shipping rates apply: $4 for the U.S., $8 for Canada; $15 for Europe, and $17 for Asia. We’ve added an e-commerce plug-in to the site, so we hope this will work, assuming somebody wants to buy this nice LP for this very fair price. If you want to buy it, just click the article and follow the shopping cart instructions.