One For the $3,000 Bin, And A Few More

Let’s check in on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was a sort of original pressing in that it had the West 63rd address, deep grooves, ear and RVG but no New York 23  on one of of the sides, so perhaps sticklers will set it is less than an original. I’d be happy to have it, that’s for sure. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG+. The final price was $3,355.55.

This one did not sell: John Coltrane, Soultrane, Prestige 7142. The listing had a few inconsistencies, talking about a New York label, when this one never came with a New York label. And the condition listing was not consistent either, although it seemed that the record was probably VG++ and the cover was M-. The start price was $365 and no one was interested at that price.

Here are a couple more nice Blue Notes I was watching:

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Questionable Conditions, High Prices

Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The seller graded it in excellent, which I’m assuming is what I would consider VG+, based on the picture of the cover and the description of the record. I have a sense others had the same sense. This copy sold for $866. In better condition it would have probably broken into the $1,000 bin. We’ve seen this record sell for more than $1,500 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

There were two copies of Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568 for sale. This one was in what looked to be VG+ condition. It did not have the original cover, but the cover from the EMI-Capitol reissue. Incredibly, it sold for $2,080.55. I don’t get it — not even an original cover? I have a copy of Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041, that is in VG or VG+ condition but has no cover at all. At one point I thought of putting a later cover on it and displaying it in my collection that way, but I just couldn’t do it. It felt like cheating and I know I’d feel guilty every time I would flip through the shelves and see that fraudulent cover in my collection. Anyway, that’s me. This other one had a relatively trashed cover, and a relatively trashed record, and it sold for $666.66. As someone mentioned in the comments, even though it’s rated G+, it probably sounds pretty decent. These original Blue Notes seemed to be made out of armor in addition to vinyl.

 

 

Catching Up on Some Rare Jazz Vinyl

Looks like everybody’s been busy posting on Jazz Collector this week, except me. I do like to see that, but I like to post as well. So, here goes, with some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay:

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was the one with no New York 23 on one side and, to me, is an original, although some sticklers beg to differ. The record looked to be in VG++ or M- condition and the cover was probably VG++. The price was $3,340. Question: What do you think it would have sold for if it had the New York 23 on Side 2?

Lou Donaldson, The Time is Right, Blue Note 4025. This was an original original and it was probably in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The price was $570.

Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. This was not an original pressing, but a West 63rd pressing. It seemed to be VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $243.50.

Finally, there was the sealed copy of Waltz For Debby, Riverside 399. It sold for $590. We have seen Waltz for Debby fetch a higher price tag in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, but this is certainly top dollar. Hope the seller is satisfied — if he even opens it.

 

 

Jazz Vinyl: Four For the Money

I mentioned yesterday that there were a bunch of jazz records I was watching on eBay. Here are a few more, starting with: Paul Chambers, Go, VeeJay 1014. This was an original pressing with the maroon label. We don’t often see VeeJay records getting collectible prices, but this one has appeared before in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. The previous top bid was $189. This one sold for $255, in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. What always excited me about this record was the appearance of Cannonball Adderley as a side man, but the listing highlights Wynton Kelly instead. I guess it worked. The record fetched top dollar. Speaking of Paul Chambers, there is this: Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. This is a West 63rd pressing, which makes it a second pressing. Early and nice, and some would even characterize it as an “original” Blue Note, but definitely not a first pressing. I’m always curious to watch the market for these second pressings because they look great and sound great but, for a collector, there’s always the knowledge that, hmmmm, I don’t have an original. This one is in VG+ or VG++ condition for the record, and VG+ for the cover. The price is around $200 and so there there is one bidder, with the auction closing tomorrow.

Here are a couple for the $1,000 bin:

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Still More Adventures In Jazz Collecting, Part 2

So it came to that Monday, June 25, and I was driving down from The Berkshires to drop the lovely Mrs. JC off at her office in Great Neck and I was then to head out to Massapequa to see this record collection. And I really had no expectations about the collection and no real desire to see it and was feeling I was doing it just as a favor to the woman who sent me the e-mail to help her out because, clearly, her father loved jazz and it would be a nice thing to do. So I told the Lovely Mrs. JC, who tends to get nervous when I am around too many records, that there was nothing to worry about, that it was not a collectible collection and I would just take a look at it and give them advice and not be bringing any more records home. No problem, I said, but the look in her eyes was a familiar combination of doubt and dread.

I got to the house in Massapequa at the appointed time, put my dog Marty in a carrying bag and was greeted at the door by a muscular young man who let me in and told me his name was Adam and it was his grandfather’s collection. And then Adam’s mother appeared, and she was the one I had been e-mailing with, and introduced herself as Karen. I assumed Adam was there to ensure that I wasn’t some wacked out crazed record collecting nut, which seemed like a reasonable expectation at the time and I thought this was a wise decision on their behalf. Karen appeared to be a few years younger than me, but of my generation, and we started chatting and we had a very nice rapport because we had in common, among other things, fathers who were obsessed with jazz music and jazz records.

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Catching Up On the $1,000 (Plus) Bin

Here’s a few I missed, including one for the $4,000 bin and one for the $2,000 bin.

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was an original original pressing with the New York 23 on side 2. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover looked to be VG++. It sold for $4,617. Do you ever think about what these artists would feel about their records selling for this kind of money? This single record is a lot more than Mobley ever made for a record date and probably isn’t that far from what he got paid for his cumulate output as a leader on Blue Note. Amazing, when you think about it.

John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was also an original pressing from the same seller. It was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $2,045. That’s the first time we’ve ever seen Blue Train sell for more than $2,000 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

May as well stay in the $1,000 bin:

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Watching A Pair Of Heavy-Duty Jazz Collectibles

My goodness, here’s a jazz collectible to make the heart flutter (my heart, at least): Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, Prestige 7150. This is an original yellow label pressing, although the record itself is a reissue. No big deal, right? Except this one is autographed by, get this, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. That’s about as an impressing a lineup of jazz autographs as you could get on one record. This one is being auction by The Jazz Record Center so I would be one to trust that the signatures are original. Perhaps Don-Lucky or another autograph collector might shed more light. In any case, the bidding on this one starts at $2,500 and there is already a bid so the record will sell. If I had this one, I’d frame it for sure.

Here we go again: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is an original original pressing, based on all of our feedbacks and comments last week, and it has the New York 23 on the B Side. This one is in M- condition for both the record and the cover and, based on the seller’s description, it sounds like it’s in amazing shape. The auction closes later today, in about four hours, and the bidding is in the $2,000 range. My guess is that it goes in the $4,000 range. If it was from a seller with more history and more of a reputation using this description it would probably break the $5,000 barrier. Maybe even more. And maybe it will with this seller. We’ll see soon.

More Jazz Vinyl For the $1,000 Bin

Time to update the $1,000 bin and there is quite a lot to update, not counting some of the ones we’ve watched recently, such as the Hank Mobley 1568 and others from the recent Jazz Record Center auction. Here goes:

Paul Gonsalves, Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, Vocalion 587. This was an original British pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,593.88.

Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and it was in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $1,578.99.

This was a surprise to sell for such a high price tag: Clifford Brown Memorial Album, Blue Note 1526. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the framed cover. It was in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,567.

Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing. The cover was VG+, but the record was in VG or worse condition, based on the seller’s description. It sold for $1,376.11.

Finally, here’s one we meant to include from the Jazz Record Center auction because it was actually in the $3,000 bin:

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One for the $3,000 Bin (And A Few More)

So how did some of those jazz vinyl auctions we were watching pan out? Thought you would never ask.

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was an original pressing of one of the rarest and most valuable of all jazz records and it was sold by the most reputable of all jazz sellers, the Jazz Record Center in New York. The record was in M- condition and the cover looked like VG++. We’ve seen this record sell for more than $5,000 in the past on the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Not this time. This one sold for a mere $3,362.

Presenting Ernie Henry, Riverside 222. This was also from the Jazz Record Center and it was an original white label pressing that looked to be in quite lovely condition, M- for both the record and the cover. This one sold for $510. Great cover, isn’t it? Perfection, really, with the great picture and his eyes closed and the scripted typeface with the finger pointing to Ernie. Love it. Great record too.

This seller had a few interesting records from the Prestige New Jazz label, including:

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Real Original Originals (In Nice Shape, Too)

Here’s one that will sell for quite a lot of money this week: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is an original original pressing and it is being offered by the Jazz Record Center, which describes it as a “the original hybrid deep-groove RVG-stamped ‘P’ pressing.” This is a lot to take in, but the key word is original. The record looks to be in M- condition and the cover probably around VG+. There are close to three days left in the auction and the bidding is in the range of $1,125. It will continue to rise. We’ve seen this record sell for as much as $5,600 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, the highest price we’ve ever recorded for any single record.

What are some of the other items we’re watching from the Jazz Record Center auction. Glad you asked:

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