On eBay: Watching Some Prestiges

Here are some interesting items we’ll be watching this weekend.

Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This is an original pressing. The vinyl is listed in M- and the cover looks to be VG++. I went years and years without ever seeing a copy of this record, always to hear about it in legend as one of the rarest of the rare. It’s funny, isn’t it, how there seems to be a nice copy of this record on eBay every couple of weeks? I think it’s a function of eBay and potential sellers realizing that can get top dollar for the record, so they look to flip it. I don’t have an original copy in my collection, but I’ve survived this long without it, so I think I’ll be OK. This one is more than $1,300 and it still has not reached the seller’s reserve price.

Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Second Message, Prestige 7082. This is an original pressing and it looks to be in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. This is being offered by Academy LPs in New York. It’ s funny, I went into their

store on 12th Street in Manhattan last weekend. They had a copy of Benny Green, Walkin’ And Talkin’, Blue Note 4010, hanging on the wall. I asked to take a look at it. It was in nice shape, but the asking price was $400. The highest we’ve seen for this in the Jazz Collector Price guide has been less than $300, so it was certainly no bargain, even though it was in nice condition. I talked to the clerk for a few minutes, not Woody the guy who runs the jazz buying, but another guy. He said they had recently purchased a nice large collection and had put most of the items out in the store. So, I was a bit surprised to see this Mobley LP on eBay. Nevertheless, the guy in the store told me the still usually put their best stuff out in the store first and it usually sells very quickly. This Mobley is currently at about $215 with another day left.