Catching up On Jazz Vinyl Auction$$$$$
Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with Sonny Rollins, Rollins Plays for Bird, Prestige 7095. This was an original New York yellow label pressing. The record was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. It sold for $430.55. This was one of the records in the batch from the seller carolinasoul, which seemed to capture the attention of a number of readers. A few other items of interest from this auction: Roy Haynes, Out of the Afternoon, Impulse 23. This was an original mono pressing with the orange label. The record was M-. The cover was VG+ and it had a cut-out hole, which always diminishes the record in my eyes. This one was undiminished to others however and sold for $334. Red Garland, All Mornin’ Long, Prestige 7130. This was an original New York pressing with the original cover. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+ with writing on the back. The final price was $709.99.
There were also final closing prices for some of those Charles Mingus records sold by the seller Funkyousounds. The prices, as expected, came in quite high. Charles Mingus, Blues and Roots, Atlantic 1305. This was a later pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $409.99. Charles Mingus, The Clown, Atlantic 1260. This was also a later pressing in M- condition with shrink wrap. It sold for $360. Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um, Columbia 8171. This was a stereo pressing with shrink wrap. It had the six-eye stereo able and was in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $401. These Mingus prices are pretty amazing. I think they are an aberration, not a trend. Something about this Dr. Herb Wong collection has appealed to certain bidders for whatever reason.
I hope those Mingus prices are an aberration as he’s one of my favorite artist and I’m still missing a few of his albums 🙂
Also that Roy Haynes album looks like a second pressing. Shouldn’t the first have AM-PAR on the label?
Yes GST
The Haynes is a second with a “a-#-a” and an “inc” on the label. It is a lot to spend on a second, but not the only example of big $$$ being spend on second pressings lately. Ignorance is bliss.
Outside of Saxophone Colossus, I believe the other Prestige Rollins lps are real bargains. In a few years, I think “Rollins Plays For Byrd”, “Moving Out”, “Tenor Madness” & “Plus 4” will all be selling for much higher prices. Meanwhile, the Herb Wong lps continue selling at insane prices. A recent example is the excellent Yusef Lateef lp on Impulse, “A Flat, G Flat and C”. In the last few months on Ebay, very nice copies sold for $9 / $11 / $36 / $13 & $21, while the Herb Wong copy sold for $208. …and there were 15 bidders fighting over this.
That Haynes album is good and has been going up price wise. I recall seeing the Lateef A Flat…at a now closed local store for $60. It was all I could do not to laugh at the gal who priced it, confidently at that. At the time she said, well I know a guy who will pay for it, and I thought, well he is an idiot, isnt he?
I got Lateef’s “A Flat, etc.” from Dusty Groove over the holiday for $17. Very nice condition too. People are silly.
And yes, the Haynes is probably a THIRD press to be honest. Am-par, then ABC-paramount, then ABC-paramount with the A-##-A designation. Sigh. I have a mint original stereo than does it nicely for me. But that album is pretty rare in any form, and it is a killer good listen, except when Roy says his own name in the beginning of a track for whatever reason. That’s just weird. Kind of anticipates 90’s hip-hop, if you think about it.
And these Mingus prices MUST be an abberation. All of my nice Mingus originals (Candid, Mercury, Columbia, UA, etc) were all under $40 and purchased within the last few years. The Herb Wong collection has SO MANY nice records in great condition, it can make people a little nuts. Plus, if they’ve got money to throw around, heck, good for them.
I like the “Roy!” “Haynes!” bit on that LP. Great record; I have a 70s black/red label pressing and would love an original, though it’s hard to justify (for me) the kind of coin it goes for these days.
I was lucky enough to snag a really nice Am-Par stereo copy of the Roy Haynes for $60 last year. I was expecting to pay a lot more and was baffled that a second or third press stereo sold for $80 a few days later
I have a NM original of this one, but never listened to it. Can’t even remember where and when i got it. I only hope they did not forget Kirk in the forest afer shooting the photo cover (sorry).
If you never listen to it I can provide a home where it would be played many times Michel 😉
Regarding the need for original Impulses – my 2 cents are that there is very little or no sound quality difference between the AM-Par, ABC and the 2nd label design (mostly black).
Shaft, I have heard few of the 2nd label design, but as far as Am-Par vs. ABC, i tend to agree. impulse had top-notch engineering and pressing in place. i collect originals because they are interesting and neat historically, not necessarily because i think the sound quality is superior. though it sometimes is.
Michel, you MUST listen to it! thankfully, they remembered kirk, although he has “how the hell did i get here” expression on his face. I also love that they made henry grimes carry his damn bass out to the forest, and tommy flanagan looks like he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. and apparently roy only plays one cymbal.
clifford, i guess it is charmingly whimsical, but it seems so odd. like… why do you have the urge to yell your own name while drumming?
i got my original at the princeton record exchange a little while ago when i lived in that area. they posted a video of a huge collection they bought, and i RACED over, even without having had a shower, to grab the roy haynes. great score. only $50.
I’ve seen those Princeton Record Exchange videos. Very jealous of those that live close. Excellent score GTF. I’m still on the hunt to replace my MCA copy.
While it doesn’t totally explain Mingus atlantic LPs going for high prices, I do think the more out there stuff has been increasing in price generally. Not 1958 Blue Note smoking jazz prices, but getting higher all the time. There must be increasing interest in the eccentric end of jazz these days (look how popular Sun Ra has gotten for example).
I would guess that the more eccentric albums are less and less eccentric to younger listeners as the years pass, and that some of the classic bop albums seem more and more pedestrian. So we see rising prices for albums by Sun Ra, Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, etc. Guess it’s time to stock up on Anthony Braxton LPs!
Also, don’t forget that “free jazz” has been around for as long or longer than most of the folks posting here have been alive. A lot of these sessions are classics and have stood the test of time (not to mention being downright excellent records). Not to mention the simple fact that rare records are rare records, no matter how “palatable” the content might be, and for that fact alone there are always people willing to pay the price for originals.
I recently sold my sealed Lateef “A flat…” on discogs for $150. it was crispy clean Mint. I’m not shocked at any of the prices funkyou is getting for the collection. He posts a lot of items that will generate the multiple bidders who want to buy multiple items, so that pushes prices up.