Jazz Collector | For Those Who Love Jazz | eBay auction results for Classic Jazz LPs

Blue Notes, 78s and Idiocy: Happy Friday

January 26, 2018 Al 17 comments

This record, like a lot of later Blue Note pressings, has increased quite a bit in value the past few years: Bobby Hutchinson, Happenings, Blue Note 4231. This was an original pressing with the New York USA label and it was in its original shrink wrap, which seems to have some appeal to collectors, although I’m not sure why. Perhaps because of the added protection for a record that is probably 50 years old? Anyway, this one was probably in M- condition for the record and maybe VG++ for the cover and sold for $299.99. Not one of my favorite Blue Note covers. I typically like the covers that feature the artists.

Here’s a rare Blue Note that did not sell:

Guest Column: “Unholy Grails?”

January 24, 2018 Al 17 comments

We have another guest column for you. I will let it speak for itself, although I will admit upfront I’ve never owned or listened to any of the records discussed here.

The Unholy Grail of Jazz Albums
By Lynn E. McCutcheon
najp@embarqmail.com

Perhaps some of you have heard about the so-called “Holy Grail” list of jazz albums. It consists of some of the rarest and most desirable jazz albums ever made, with an emphasis on LPs made mostly in the 1950s and 60s. There are a large number of entries from the 1500 Blue Note series, a fair number from the 4000 series, and a sprinkling of entries from lesser known labels such as Transition, Signal, and Jazz West. On the rare occasions when these are offered for sale, they command prices that exceed the budget of many collectors.

At another extreme we have some very nice albums from the same time frame that seemingly no one is looking for – records that might fall under the heading of “Unholy Grail.” To my knowledge, all of these are rare, but let me know if you think some of these are actually more common than I think they are. I hope to list and describe a few of these that have fallen into my hands in the last decade or so. A caution – I tend to like MJQ, Sonny Stitt, Ben Webster, Arnett Cobb, Lou Donaldson, Chet Baker, Art Pepper, and Buddy Collette, to name a few. If you don’t care for any of these folks you may not like my list. Here are some of my favorites, listed and described in no particular order.

Newk, Gigi And Some Rarely Seen Blue Notes

January 23, 2018 Al 8 comments

Here are some of the records we’re watching now on eBay, although nothing as exciting or expensive as the ones in our last two posts: Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, Prestige 7047. This looks to be an original New York yellow label pressing. Condition is not clear from the seller’s description, but if I were bidding I would be thinking VG+ for the record and the cover. The auction closes in four days and there is a start price of $150, but so far there are no bidders. This one also has zero bids so far: Gigi Gryce and the Jazz Lab Quintet, Riverside 229. This is an original white label pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price is $250 and there are more than four days left on the auction. I’m guessing both of these records sell.

Here are a few Blue Notes you rarely see — in fact, I don’t recall ever seeing them on eBay, and I’ve looked at eBay a lot through the years, although Popsike tells me they’ve been there, I just missed them.

Heavy Hitters, Day Two

January 20, 2018 Al 13 comments

Let’s get right to it: The Hank Mobley Blue Note 1568 from the Jazz Record Center sold for $7,600. Is that a record for a jazz vinyl record? I think it is. There was an earlier copy of Blue Note 1568 that sold for $11,000, but we later ascertained that was a bogus bid and the sale didn’t actually go through as described. Unless I get better information from someone in the Jazz Collector universe, I’ll assume this is now our apex. Not a surprise, although I had the record pegged more in the $6,000 range. I actually placed a rare bid on the auction, not for the Mobley record, since I knew that would be WAY out of my price range, and it was. No, after seeing Joe L’s comment on the previous post I became somewhat enamored with the idea of owning that test pressing of Horace Silver, Finger Poppin’, Blue Note 4008. Test pressings have never been my thing, but

Heavy Hitter Day

January 18, 2018 Al 13 comments

Lots of heavy hitters on eBay this week, including a high-end Blue Note auction from the Jazz Record Center that includes this beauty: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is an original original pressing, meaning side two has the New York 23 address, which makes it the one most prized by the most avid collectors. The record is probably in VG+++ condition and the cover looks to be M-. The auction closes tomorrow and the bidding is now in the $4,000 range with 18 bids and eight bidders. Anyone want to take a guess on the final price for this baby? We’ve seen $9,000 in the past, but my memory is that was not a legitimate bid or sale. I’m guessing this one sells for somewhere in the $6,000 range. Here are a couple more from the same auction:

Not So Quiet Kenny, And More

January 11, 2018 Al 10 comments

One of our readers sent me the following link: Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original purple label deep groove pressing. The record and cover were listed in M- condition and the seller used the word “pristine” in his description. The final price was $3,617. According to Popsike, that is a new high water mark for Quiet Kenny. The reader added this note: “Of course, this LP is superb music-wise and very rare, so in today’s market maybe the price is justified?” My answer, I guess, is yes, it is justified in today’s market. And, I have to say, every time I think the market has peaked, I am always proven wrong. So, who’s not to say that someday down the road, we’ll be talking about this purchase as a bargain?

This one also fetched quite a price:

Guest Column: Blue Note Angst

January 8, 2018 Al 20 comments

Our friend Daryl Parks, who wrote a previous post on originals versus reissues, has written another piece, this one around the angst of both owning and selling original Blue Note records (and others) worth a lot of money. Here ’tis.

By Daryl Parks

Let me cut to the chase: I am selling first-press, holy grail Blue Notes this week. In our Jazz Collector community, we rarely discuss the emotions related to such sales, so I will. I’m not sure that I’m doing the right thing by selling these records. I am guess that your comments or bids will let me know.

I began to follow Jazz Collector some six years ago. A retired neighbor had given me a few pristine jazz lp’s worth a few dozen dollars, which caused me to learn as much as I could. Al and the JC family taught me more than I ever knew I wanted to know about jazz records: first editions, grooves, initials in the runoff, and more. As I knew I would never be able to afford the rarest of the rare first editions at the center of the site’s clamor (e.g., Blue Note, Prestige, New Jazz) I stood offstage with my re-issues and infrequent Impulse first presses for five years. I often dreamed about owning just one of the rare ones described and discussed. (Fast forward) Then, last year, out of the blue, I owned six. Read more

To Unseal, or Not To Unseal: That is the Question

January 4, 2018 Al 13 comments

I received an interesting question from a reader about sealed records. I am sharing my response here because: 1. It’s an interesting question and I thought it might provoke some interesting responses, and 2. When I tried to reply directly, my email got bounced and I don’t know how to get in touch with the questioner otherwise. Anyway, here’s the question:

“I have a couple of hundred “factory sealed jazz albums from late 50’s to mid 70’s. These are from a store stock I owned. I want to start selling them but I can’t tell a prospective buyer what the label looks like (ex Trumpet Verve). What is best way to offer them for sale? Many have drill holes in cover and you can see that the drill went through the orig plastic.”

And here’s my answer:

Another UK Esquire and an Audiophile Question

December 19, 2017 Al 12 comments

Back with another Esquire Prestige to start with, if you will all kindly indulge my new obsession: Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham, Gene Quill, Phil Woods, Pairing Off, Esquire 32-026. This is an original UK pressing listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It’s a another cool cover, IMHO, illustrating the instruments of the two sets of pairs, the trumpeters and altoists. It’s quite a bit different than the U.S. version, which was released as a session led by Phil Woods. Bidding is in the $120 range with more than a day left on the auction.

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