While you’re flipping through your latest stack of jazzy gems,you might want to listen LIVE to a cat who’s been there,done that: Lou Donaldson,having his birthday week celebration at the Village Vanguard,an 11/3 broadcast!
Ceedee, this is certainly one NPR broadcast I can’t wait to listen to ! I caught Lou for a few sets down at the ol’ Vanguard this past spring. He was amazing as always. The best part is the artists who just show up to jam / pay their respects, such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Roy Hargrove and Champion Fulton… This is going to be a great show !
Did anyone else catch the lou Donaldson set from the Vanguard on NPR / WBGO last night ? Lou’s still got it, and Pat Bianchi really smoked on the B3 as always. The quartet included Randy Johnson on Guitar and Fukushi Tainaka on Drums. These guys really play well together and are certainly worth the trek down to the village if you ever get the chance. Happy Belated Lou !
Is there a section of this site for scores? Today I found a copy of Joe Henderson Our Thing in the $1 bin at Amoeba. It’s a Mono deep groove with the New York address. I would grade it at G but it plays fantastic. I would love to hear about finds bargains or otherwise.
Vinylmartyr, nice score! I picked up a VG purple label copy of Eric Dolphy’s New Jazz album “Out There” at Amoeba’s in Berkeley for $3 a few years back.
Aaron that is one I don’t have but I obsessively look for. I saw a copy at the Pasadena flea market for $100 about a year ago that a regret not buying.
Dave — If you don’t want the Jackie’s Pal for $200, I’ll take it, assuming it’s in decent condition. Seriously. I’ve only seen the prices of the rare records going up in the eight years I’ve been doing Jazz Collector, so I’m assuming these are safe purchases. Great music, too.
I have a remastered vinyl LP Test pressing of of Miles Davis Quintet’s Prestige recording of Relaxin’ still factory Sealed.
What I know: It was remastered by Doug Sax at RTI – Record Technologies – in 1996 (for Analogue Productions) from an analogue tape and from the it is believe (from seller description) that there are (approximately) 10 test press copies.
What I don’t have a clue about: what is the value of this record?
I just read your post. By what you describe, I’m pretty sure that that test pressing is pretty valuable. Doug Sax and RTI are all high quality. Relaxin’ is a well sought after record. A test pressing for Analogue productions, and only 10 avaliable…I really can’t give you an exact value. Do you know if it ever was released?
Ricardo,
I’d imagine the 33rpm AP test pressing would be in the $50 range and will sound identical to the regular $25 stock pressing. The two best sounding versions are the 45rpm Analogue Productions pressing mastered by Steve Hoffman/Kevin Gray and the original RVG pressing.
can’t imagine:I was tempted to offer the complete 10 and 12″ blue note 5000 and 1500 series plus my adlib dials and intro but I still miss some thousands.can you help me ?
forgot:if you help me I’m gonna have this gem perfectly sliced in two and let you choose which side you like most.
so we are gonna have a 400k half record each !
but what a record !
here and there I’ve seen some requests for records:I would be pleased if Al could start a place for want/disposal lists from us all.I’m sure we could fill some void in our collections without cutting our veins on Ebay.thanks.
this is a sad today story:yesterday saw dexter gordon doin’ allright that looked nice.I even asked if it had 47 west on both sides,which is really rare, and no deep groove and the address on back cover.start price $ 9,99.got the answer today at 6.44 pm while helping my kids in their homework and missed it.
the record had everything to be original and quite rare.
NO BIDS and no reserve,but closed.
tragic but missed it.
strange it didn’t move a leaf in our world.
That’s crazy about the Dexter. I didn’t see it because when I search I tend to have my price filters higher. I paid $60 for this one in similar condition. Surely would have bought another for $10.
dottor,the only reason I missed this is because my filter is for “mono” and “lp” in the heading,neither of which this listing showed. In other words..”D’oh!”
DaveS. Good move. Sounds like a great deal and those are certainly great records. I’m sure whatever else you would have spent that thousand bucks on wouldn’t have given you half the pleasure these beauties will give you for many years to come.
I cleaned those 5 on my VPI and they sounded great.
Also lowered my cost per record today as I found an old Chicago DJ who relocated to Atlanta and had about 5,000 records across all genres.
Picked up McLean 4,5,6 and Waldron 2, both 50th street (not flat edge) for $20 each. Here Comes Louis Smith VG/VG+ for $15. Plus another 30 or so random Riversides, Prestiges, Savoys and BNs also VG/VG+ condition. All told $200 for the 35 records. Hopefully they clean up nice and aren’t too noisy.
FOR 10″ LOVERS
barney kessel,vol.2,contemporary c 2508:is for sale now with 4 different covers.
grey with red lettering,grey with yellow lettering,blue with yellow or red lettering.
so we have four editions of an almost local 1954 label for a,then,almost obscure guitarist.
any light for first pressing ?
for those of you in the netherlands (or germany or belgium).
Sony rollins is amsterdam,this wednesday, and still tickets for sale!!.He’s playing in the ‘Concergebouw’.I got my camera and taperecorder with me.
“In your honest opinion, which lps would make the top 25 rarest jazz records in a ranking position .” Rockies-uh,first two questions of my own: What were you smokin’ when you came up with that question… and where can I buy some? (lol)
1.- I was reading the comments and was appreciating the rarity / selling prices of some lps such as( SRollins on Prestige 7079 or Hank Mobley on BN 1568 or Lorraine Geller at $1500 etc..
2.- I thought that it would be pleasant to have a perspective of a jazz fan/connoisseur/expert on the subject.
Please, give me your opinion/ranking
think this could be very interesting:what is really rare vs what is really expensive.Sometimes,rare and expensive are synonymous,sometimes not.
j mclean ad lib is expensive,but the record appears continuosly.this means that it shouldn’t be so rare:surely it’s really sought after.
c baker chet is back on italian rca,the one with the triple folder is much rarer:how many times have you seen it ?
c hamilton on sesac,the one with eric,seldom appears:it’s surely rarer than mobley’s bn’s,but it’ll never go over one grand,or at least until now.
how many b evans first riverside with photo cover in a year ?
how many 1540,1544,1550 or 1560 in the same time ?
these are only examples of:
rare and expensive
not so rare but expensive
not so expensive but rare
I could go on,but would like to hear from us all.
rockie:by your busines card you look an investor.
it’s not a fault and sorry if I’m wrong.
Not that there aren’t lps that are high on collectors lists,Rockies,but the image of someone trying to put 25 of them in order of “worth” strikes me as hilarious(still). What’s it worth to YOU is the question-unless,as suggested,you’re just “buying to sell”. When I first started collecting-and trading-with the late Leon Leavitt,I remember a few that were “always good for me”,as he used to put it. Kenny Dorham on New Jazz(Quiet Kenny),Duke Pearson(the two-trumpet date Hush,i forget the label-Jazzline(?). Dolphy’s Out There,Tina Brooks True Blue,Tommy Flanagan Overseas,Ray Bryant on Signature. Al Haig on Mint(I thought it just so-so). The funny thing about it-well,maybe not so funny-is that some are still as eagerly sought after 30 years later. I say “not so funny” because a few of those lps mentioned were MINE-that is,until I started trading with Leon. Yeah,I know..please kick me hard-right HERE! At the time,however,I couldn’t even BEGIN to imagine the kind of prices those lps were getting from overseas buyers. Well,at least my minty mono copy of Mel Torme’s Swings Shubert Alley has a prominent place on my wall! (“Leon,you son of a …”) My motto:buy what you like,sell what you don’t like…and then buy more of what sells of anything! This,of course,does NOT include those Craig Hundley lps you’ve been holding onto all these years!
thanks for your comments and suggestions.As any collector , you would like to own a piece of history.
Like a painting, people hook them on the wall and appreciate the art.Mostly museums carry the rare ones. In my case, I’m passionate about jazz.I’m a collector,enjoy the good stuff ,definitively not a reseller.
As we speak, I’m listening to Stanley Turrentine BN4069 with Grant Green, Horace Parlan etc..great music,NM copy..
With the group’s sugestions, I will be increasing my jazz knowledge.Thanks to all of you.
Never know, one day ,I could open a museum.
thanks
Hi Everyone, quick question based on some eBay observations over the past few days. In trolling through some Coltrane listings I saw two auctions by sellers with strong positive feedback, each of which contained a description that didn’t jibe with the photos posted. Both of these discrepancies revolve around the use of the term “original pressing” so perhaps there’s some wiggle room, but I still found it egregious. One was a listing for A Love Supreme that claimed “original” but was actually a late 60s reissue with the red band around the outer edge of the label. The second case, worse, in my opinion, was for a copy of Blue Train. The seller claimed “Original LP” in the item description, and then down below wrote: “This is the original LP release,” and called it a “first pressing.” The photos, however, show “Division of Liberty Records” quite clearly on the label. To get to the point, do you think such dealers are clueless or being deceptive, and if the latter, just who do they think they’re going to fool?
old but unresolved question,please have a look at:https://jazzcollector.com/reader-forum/#comment-41526
maybe I’m too severe but I think it works.
over 90% of Ebay descriptions are at least incomplete,inaccurate when not misleading.Some are clearly fake.
seldom,incomplete leads to a positive surprise:opposite is the rule.
What sets me off if when a supposed/considered serious seller gives info as you wrote.
trane 1577 liberty original first pressing.
new york deep groove,one sided dg,no deep groove.
one sided NY with 47 west 63rd other side.
both sides 47 west.
or one sided 47 west 63rd NYC and 47 west 63rd New York 23 on the other.
all these with different cover address:47 west or 43 west.
how many are these original first pressing ?
none:the real one should be 47 west 63rd New York 23,both sides,dg,ear,rvg;cover 47 west.
I’m still looking for this.
I.M.H.O. a seller has all the rights to talk about “original pressings”, “first issue” etc. But he should, eventually on request, supply all the photos, with clear images. Very often a part of the label is shown, coming out of the sleeve. This is done to save on picture costs, and in most cases, to hide the truth.
A seller who has a real gem to sell will proudly show everything in order to convince his buyers.
One should never give credit to cheap slogans, but judge on the facts and draw one’s own conclusions. Caveat emptor.
dottore: does 1577 really exist with New York 23 suffix on the labels? I saw one of 1558 recently. I for one am very satisfied with my “original” small lettered 47W63 copies of 1577 and 1558 and am not prepared to pay outrageous amounts to have a “first” pressing. Did you know by the way that there is an other criterium to judge the originality of #1577? It is in the colour of the letters on the front sleeve.
While you’re flipping through your latest stack of jazzy gems,you might want to listen LIVE to a cat who’s been there,done that: Lou Donaldson,having his birthday week celebration at the Village Vanguard,an 11/3 broadcast!
Oops-here’s the link-http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90611896
Ceedee, this is certainly one NPR broadcast I can’t wait to listen to ! I caught Lou for a few sets down at the ol’ Vanguard this past spring. He was amazing as always. The best part is the artists who just show up to jam / pay their respects, such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Roy Hargrove and Champion Fulton… This is going to be a great show !
Did anyone else catch the lou Donaldson set from the Vanguard on NPR / WBGO last night ? Lou’s still got it, and Pat Bianchi really smoked on the B3 as always. The quartet included Randy Johnson on Guitar and Fukushi Tainaka on Drums. These guys really play well together and are certainly worth the trek down to the village if you ever get the chance. Happy Belated Lou !
Is there a section of this site for scores? Today I found a copy of Joe Henderson Our Thing in the $1 bin at Amoeba. It’s a Mono deep groove with the New York address. I would grade it at G but it plays fantastic. I would love to hear about finds bargains or otherwise.
Vinylmartyr, nice score! I picked up a VG purple label copy of Eric Dolphy’s New Jazz album “Out There” at Amoeba’s in Berkeley for $3 a few years back.
…Hey Ceedee, check out this video feed showing the whole Lou Donaldson set at the Vanguard the other night: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-at-the-village-vanguard
Aaron that is one I don’t have but I obsessively look for. I saw a copy at the Pasadena flea market for $100 about a year ago that a regret not buying.
seller maxt412 has a DG black label Giants Steps for sale with a starting bid of 500 usd.
Serious Question:
I came across a seller who has some very nice, first pressing items, but he also has some sense of what they are worth.
Would you pay, say 50% of what these peak at on eBay?
For example, Hank Mobley 1540 Flat Edge: Would you pay $700 for this? Or Jackie’s Pal Prestige 7068 for $200?
Thoughts?
Dave — If you don’t want the Jackie’s Pal for $200, I’ll take it, assuming it’s in decent condition. Seriously. I’ve only seen the prices of the rare records going up in the eight years I’ve been doing Jazz Collector, so I’m assuming these are safe purchases. Great music, too.
the NM DG black label Atlantic, Coltrane – Giant Steps – sold for 1385 usd.
what about this one ?
IT HAS LOTS OF SCUFFS, BUT SINCE IT IS A DEEP GROOVE LP, THEY DON’T KILL THE MUSIC.
http://cgi.ebay.com/LD-3-LOU-DONALDSON-3-SOUNDS-LP-JAZZ-BLUE-NOTE-/160503479892?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item255ec0be54
know what I mean ?
Need some of your expertise …
I have a remastered vinyl LP Test pressing of of Miles Davis Quintet’s Prestige recording of Relaxin’ still factory Sealed.
What I know: It was remastered by Doug Sax at RTI – Record Technologies – in 1996 (for Analogue Productions) from an analogue tape and from the it is believe (from seller description) that there are (approximately) 10 test press copies.
What I don’t have a clue about: what is the value of this record?
Regards
Hey Ricardo,
I just read your post. By what you describe, I’m pretty sure that that test pressing is pretty valuable. Doug Sax and RTI are all high quality. Relaxin’ is a well sought after record. A test pressing for Analogue productions, and only 10 avaliable…I really can’t give you an exact value. Do you know if it ever was released?
Cheers
testing!
Ricardo,
I’d imagine the 33rpm AP test pressing would be in the $50 range and will sound identical to the regular $25 stock pressing. The two best sounding versions are the 45rpm Analogue Productions pressing mastered by Steve Hoffman/Kevin Gray and the original RVG pressing.
Some folks mentioned records that are undervalued,ignored,etc. Here’s one that’s a favorite-an Art Blakey NOT on Blue Note-Plays Music From Golden Boy. Smokin’!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ART-BLAKEY-Plays-Selections-Golden-Boy-STEREO-M-/110606972601?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item19c0b076b9
Klaus: Relaxin’ was issued in a Analogue box with the five M.D. quintet LP’s.
another great finding:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lili-Ivanova-My-Friend-BalkanTon-ULTRA-RARE-LP-Bulgaria-/250720690807?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item3a601e2277
printed in the 80’s and G condition,both cover and record
and we complain about a few thousands……..
sorry but I can’t have link active today
thanks,it works.
ah,we can have it now with some discount !
Hey,dottor-if 1980’s Bulgarian POP isn’t worth 800k+,I ask you..what IS?
can’t imagine:I was tempted to offer the complete 10 and 12″ blue note 5000 and 1500 series plus my adlib dials and intro but I still miss some thousands.can you help me ?
forgot:if you help me I’m gonna have this gem perfectly sliced in two and let you choose which side you like most.
so we are gonna have a 400k half record each !
but what a record !
dottorjazz: saw the Balkan record: indeed, what are we complaining about?
By the way, Modern Art – Art Pepper on Intro went for $ 1978.
here and there I’ve seen some requests for records:I would be pleased if Al could start a place for want/disposal lists from us all.I’m sure we could fill some void in our collections without cutting our veins on Ebay.thanks.
Dexter Blows Hot and Cool
just picked up AUL-207 a reissue from 70’s by DOOTO . sounds much better than my red vinyl original. Look for it!
this is a sad today story:yesterday saw dexter gordon doin’ allright that looked nice.I even asked if it had 47 west on both sides,which is really rare, and no deep groove and the address on back cover.start price $ 9,99.got the answer today at 6.44 pm while helping my kids in their homework and missed it.
the record had everything to be original and quite rare.
NO BIDS and no reserve,but closed.
tragic but missed it.
strange it didn’t move a leaf in our world.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e11051.m43.l1123/7?euid=32b753052456436f8b5ad3d315d0d14e&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D260692474645%26ssPageName%3DADME%3AX%3ARTQ%3AUS%3A1123
That’s crazy about the Dexter. I didn’t see it because when I search I tend to have my price filters higher. I paid $60 for this one in similar condition. Surely would have bought another for $10.
Brought out the wallet today on some of those pricey items I was looking at November 7.
Spent $1,000 and bought 5 (gulp) records. All in VG++ shape. All definitely first pressings.
–Kenny Burrell 1521. Lex. Flat Edge. Kakabuchi cover
–Rollins 1540 Lex. Flat Edge. Kakabuchi cover.
–Horace Silver Further Explorations. No “R”
–Newk’s Time 4001. No “R”
–McLean New Soil 4011 No “R”.
He wanted $900 for the Mobley Flat Edge 1540 and $600 for Jackie’s Pal 7068. Just too rich for my blood despite really wanting them.
Hanging out at this website has desensitized me to the crazy prices paid for these pieces of vinyl.
dottor,the only reason I missed this is because my filter is for “mono” and “lp” in the heading,neither of which this listing showed. In other words..”D’oh!”
DaveS. Good move. Sounds like a great deal and those are certainly great records. I’m sure whatever else you would have spent that thousand bucks on wouldn’t have given you half the pleasure these beauties will give you for many years to come.
Thanks Al.
I cleaned those 5 on my VPI and they sounded great.
Also lowered my cost per record today as I found an old Chicago DJ who relocated to Atlanta and had about 5,000 records across all genres.
Picked up McLean 4,5,6 and Waldron 2, both 50th street (not flat edge) for $20 each. Here Comes Louis Smith VG/VG+ for $15. Plus another 30 or so random Riversides, Prestiges, Savoys and BNs also VG/VG+ condition. All told $200 for the 35 records. Hopefully they clean up nice and aren’t too noisy.
The Dexter Gordon-doin’ allright-that I missed recently has resurfaced,it seems. Along with a number of other goodies,look for wants of your own at this relable seller…
http://cgi.ebay.com/Jay-Jay-Johnson-Vol-2-Blue-Note-1505-DG-Lexington-RVG-/380288614965?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item588af7c235
FOR 10″ LOVERS
barney kessel,vol.2,contemporary c 2508:is for sale now with 4 different covers.
grey with red lettering,grey with yellow lettering,blue with yellow or red lettering.
so we have four editions of an almost local 1954 label for a,then,almost obscure guitarist.
any light for first pressing ?
Which is the original Jimmy Smith Crazy!Baby cover? The yellow print or the blue-green print?
Thanks,
Dave
Good morning Al,
interesting and educating to read all the comments.thanks for the forum.
Question for all of us :
In your honest opinion, which lps would make the top 25 rarest jazz records in a ranking position .
thanks
daveS: i have crazy baby with one-sided deepgroove BUT with newyork adres, so i guess a sec. press. this one has the blue/green cover/letters
for those of you in the netherlands (or germany or belgium).
Sony rollins is amsterdam,this wednesday, and still tickets for sale!!.He’s playing in the ‘Concergebouw’.I got my camera and taperecorder with me.
that is: soNNy rollins and concerTgebouw.
“In your honest opinion, which lps would make the top 25 rarest jazz records in a ranking position .” Rockies-uh,first two questions of my own: What were you smokin’ when you came up with that question… and where can I buy some? (lol)
Hi Ceedee.
1.- I was reading the comments and was appreciating the rarity / selling prices of some lps such as( SRollins on Prestige 7079 or Hank Mobley on BN 1568 or Lorraine Geller at $1500 etc..
2.- I thought that it would be pleasant to have a perspective of a jazz fan/connoisseur/expert on the subject.
Please, give me your opinion/ranking
thanks
think this could be very interesting:what is really rare vs what is really expensive.Sometimes,rare and expensive are synonymous,sometimes not.
j mclean ad lib is expensive,but the record appears continuosly.this means that it shouldn’t be so rare:surely it’s really sought after.
c baker chet is back on italian rca,the one with the triple folder is much rarer:how many times have you seen it ?
c hamilton on sesac,the one with eric,seldom appears:it’s surely rarer than mobley’s bn’s,but it’ll never go over one grand,or at least until now.
how many b evans first riverside with photo cover in a year ?
how many 1540,1544,1550 or 1560 in the same time ?
these are only examples of:
rare and expensive
not so rare but expensive
not so expensive but rare
I could go on,but would like to hear from us all.
rockie:by your busines card you look an investor.
it’s not a fault and sorry if I’m wrong.
Music From the Connection on Felsted is rare. have not seen one on EBAY in a long time
the Felsted album features Tina Brooks!
Not that there aren’t lps that are high on collectors lists,Rockies,but the image of someone trying to put 25 of them in order of “worth” strikes me as hilarious(still). What’s it worth to YOU is the question-unless,as suggested,you’re just “buying to sell”. When I first started collecting-and trading-with the late Leon Leavitt,I remember a few that were “always good for me”,as he used to put it. Kenny Dorham on New Jazz(Quiet Kenny),Duke Pearson(the two-trumpet date Hush,i forget the label-Jazzline(?). Dolphy’s Out There,Tina Brooks True Blue,Tommy Flanagan Overseas,Ray Bryant on Signature. Al Haig on Mint(I thought it just so-so). The funny thing about it-well,maybe not so funny-is that some are still as eagerly sought after 30 years later. I say “not so funny” because a few of those lps mentioned were MINE-that is,until I started trading with Leon. Yeah,I know..please kick me hard-right HERE! At the time,however,I couldn’t even BEGIN to imagine the kind of prices those lps were getting from overseas buyers. Well,at least my minty mono copy of Mel Torme’s Swings Shubert Alley has a prominent place on my wall! (“Leon,you son of a …”) My motto:buy what you like,sell what you don’t like…and then buy more of what sells of anything! This,of course,does NOT include those Craig Hundley lps you’ve been holding onto all these years!
Hi Ceedee,Jack,DotterJazz and Rudolf
thanks for your comments and suggestions.As any collector , you would like to own a piece of history.
Like a painting, people hook them on the wall and appreciate the art.Mostly museums carry the rare ones. In my case, I’m passionate about jazz.I’m a collector,enjoy the good stuff ,definitively not a reseller.
As we speak, I’m listening to Stanley Turrentine BN4069 with Grant Green, Horace Parlan etc..great music,NM copy..
With the group’s sugestions, I will be increasing my jazz knowledge.Thanks to all of you.
Never know, one day ,I could open a museum.
thanks
Hi Everyone, quick question based on some eBay observations over the past few days. In trolling through some Coltrane listings I saw two auctions by sellers with strong positive feedback, each of which contained a description that didn’t jibe with the photos posted. Both of these discrepancies revolve around the use of the term “original pressing” so perhaps there’s some wiggle room, but I still found it egregious. One was a listing for A Love Supreme that claimed “original” but was actually a late 60s reissue with the red band around the outer edge of the label. The second case, worse, in my opinion, was for a copy of Blue Train. The seller claimed “Original LP” in the item description, and then down below wrote: “This is the original LP release,” and called it a “first pressing.” The photos, however, show “Division of Liberty Records” quite clearly on the label. To get to the point, do you think such dealers are clueless or being deceptive, and if the latter, just who do they think they’re going to fool?
Kevin
old but unresolved question,please have a look at:https://jazzcollector.com/reader-forum/#comment-41526
maybe I’m too severe but I think it works.
over 90% of Ebay descriptions are at least incomplete,inaccurate when not misleading.Some are clearly fake.
seldom,incomplete leads to a positive surprise:opposite is the rule.
What sets me off if when a supposed/considered serious seller gives info as you wrote.
trane 1577 liberty original first pressing.
new york deep groove,one sided dg,no deep groove.
one sided NY with 47 west 63rd other side.
both sides 47 west.
or one sided 47 west 63rd NYC and 47 west 63rd New York 23 on the other.
all these with different cover address:47 west or 43 west.
how many are these original first pressing ?
none:the real one should be 47 west 63rd New York 23,both sides,dg,ear,rvg;cover 47 west.
I’m still looking for this.
I.M.H.O. a seller has all the rights to talk about “original pressings”, “first issue” etc. But he should, eventually on request, supply all the photos, with clear images. Very often a part of the label is shown, coming out of the sleeve. This is done to save on picture costs, and in most cases, to hide the truth.
A seller who has a real gem to sell will proudly show everything in order to convince his buyers.
One should never give credit to cheap slogans, but judge on the facts and draw one’s own conclusions. Caveat emptor.
dottore: does 1577 really exist with New York 23 suffix on the labels? I saw one of 1558 recently. I for one am very satisfied with my “original” small lettered 47W63 copies of 1577 and 1558 and am not prepared to pay outrageous amounts to have a “first” pressing. Did you know by the way that there is an other criterium to judge the originality of #1577? It is in the colour of the letters on the front sleeve.