New Ones For The Jazz Collector Price Guide
Here is some more jazz vinyl that will go into the Jazz Collector Price Guide:
When did this become a $100 record: Barney Kessel, The Poll Winners, Stereo 7010? This was an original pressing with the black label. The vinyl was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The final price was $97, so it wasn’t officially a $100 record. Still, I had no idea that Kessel was this collectible. I’m not complaining about it, since I do have all of his records on Contemporary, just a bit surprised by this one. In any case, it will be making its first appearance in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.
Also premiering in the Jazz Collector Price Guide will be: Bill Jennings, Enough Said!, Prestige 7164. This was an original yellow label pressing with
the deep grooves and it was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $163.50.
We’ve seen this one sell for decent prices before, but never for this much: Wilbur Harden, Mainstream 1958, Savoy 12127. This was an original pressing with the blood red label. It features John Coltrane on tenor, which is why it is a well regarded collectible, at least to these eyes and ears. This copy was in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $360.55.
And here’s yet another one that seems to have reached a new peak: Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Impulse 35. This was an original stereo pressing with the orange label. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $111.10
I really think collectors have noticed the quality of these pressings on the “Stereo” label. They truly sound fantastic. For my collector $$$, the Contemporary and Stereo labels and the engineer (Roy DuNann) have a sound every bit as distinctive and good as that achieve by the Blue Notes and Mr. van Gelder. Unrelated to this Barney Kessel record – in my opinion, the recorded piano sound achieved by DuNann is far superior to what van Gelder ever got out of a piano in his studios.
Interesting perspective. I have a nice Hampton Hawes Contemporary mono on eBay now and it just got its first bid at $30.
Al:
Funny, I found that auction listing this morning and…
Don’t recall if you allow links here or not (if you don’t please don’t ban me, I will learn my lesson), but here is a nice article about Mr. DuNann —
http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/402roy/
Brian
Links are great, as long as they’re legitimate.
OK. Thanks Al. Here’s a link for anyone who wants to see someone pay $700 for Dave Brubeck’s Time Out. Guess the guy who won this couldn’t get to the local salvation army bin where there is always a copy of this and was not interested in the 100 other copies for less than $25 on ebay. Ebay doesn’t let you see much on winning bidder’s info; but the winner seems to have bid up many other items in this sellers auctions to unparalleled prices.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160387741201
How about a nice 70s reissue on UA (think it was previously reissued three or four other times) of Hank Mobley for $450 with the same winning bidder (and a second bidder who drove up many of the other prices in this series of auctions) —
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=160387744804
Last perplexing example —
$350+ for a second or third state reissue of Paul Chambers on Liberty —
What am I missing?
http://cgi.ebay.com/PAUL-CHAMBERS-BASS-ON-TOP-RARE-BLUE-NOTE-MONO-LP-RVG-NM_W0QQitemZ160387486048QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item2557d6d160
It is staggering, isn’t it? We’ve talked about this seller before and how he is able to get incredible, incredible prices — and how he is also able to get more page views than anyone else. If I could get $450 for my UA Blue Notes and Liberty’s I’d be ready to give up my day job.
I believe the first record I won on ebay was a neil young promo from this seller. I was fooled into spending big bucks from the explanations. How they explained the tarnish on rear jacket, the 1-10 scale of the ringwear. Also they have a genius discount system which makes people think they are getting a deal.
For awhile I just assumed that mint records still had various marks, until I won a mint record from another seller. I don’t mean to bash this guy, but I hope he has at least a dozen kids to put through college to justify all the exaggerations in his listings.
Not trying to bash anyone either. But when I see a Miles Davis Miles in the Sky go for near $200 in VG++ condition that is, at the same time, available in NM unmarked condition with a Buy It Now for $26 just three listings down, my curiosity is piqued. When I see the same few bidders bidding astronimical prices on records that are off the curve, my curiosity grows. Then when I see many of the same “rare” records being sold by the same seller in subsequent auctions I really start needing to know… what happened here? I wonder if I reached out to the number 2 bidder on the 70s Mobley reissue (who’s last bid was about $440), if he’d like my copy for $400, if he’d even reply.
If you go to that sellers “Other Items”, click to format them for “Completed Items” and then arrange them in high price to low price order, it really is a breathtaking little tour you can take.