A Mini Adventure in Jazz Collecting
I think, and hope, I will never get over my passion for buying records. A couple of years ago, I decided I had too many records in the house. I was spending too much time looking at them and organizing them, and less time playing them. Plus, they were taking up more space than we had originally planned, of course, because that’s what record collections do when they multiply. So I took about 2,000 records out of the house and put them into storage with the idea that these will eventually be sold. I wrote about it here at Jazz Collector and have had many inquiries, but so far I’m not ready to do anything with these records. The point of retelling this story is this: Even though I have more records than I want, and certainly more than I will ever need, I am still buying more records and bringing them into the house. Because that is what I do and what I like to do. Buy records. The other day, I had a chance to go into a good record store where I had not been for a long time. I was, as has often been the case for many years, dragging The Lovely Mrs. JC along for the adventure. Before we got to the town and to the store, I told her “you know I’m going to buy records. I don’t know what, I don’t know why, but I do know that, yes, I will be buying records.”
The record store in question was Hudson Valley Vinyl in Beacon, New York, which is somewhat along the way from Manhattan to The Berkshires, and it was pretty easy to convince The Lovely Mrs. JC that, “oh, wouldn’t Beacon New York be a lovely place to stop for lunch. Oh, and by the way, there happens to be a record store there.” It’s a very nice store, well organized, a nice inventory and fair prices. I can see where Clifford is a big fan, because they have a fantastic selection of free jazz. I am less of a fan and collector of that genre of music, but the store has a broader selection, and I like buying records, so I bought a few, because, well, that’s what I do.
There was a copy of Pres and Sweets on Verve, and I thought I could upgrade my cover. I put the record on when I got home. Is it just me, or does Pres sound pretty bad on this record? Like, they were happy to get a few takes out of him, but he certainly was not playing his best. I also got a mono pressing of Lookin’ at Monk! By Lockjaw Davis and Johnny Griffin. This was an upgrade for me and when I put the record on the turntable, I was not disappointed. Solid record. Finally, I picked up an original Fantasy record of Fatha Hines playing Fats Waller. This was an original red vinyl pressing from 1956, very nice cover, liner notes by Ralph J. Gleason, and, what the hell, it was only $10. Also a nice record, with some surprisingly refreshing guitar by Eddie Duran.
Anyway, it was fun to go to a nice record store. As for the rest of the day, we never did have that lunch in Beacon New York. I guess we’ll have to do that next time.
Are my eyes fooling me ? A post where the “Blue Note” is not mentioned ? Are we slipping into darkness ? Is this the end of an era? I am shocked and confused, did I read correctly that a Jazz record could be had for $10 and it merits praise …
Glad you had a good experience at one of the best stores there is…
Enjoyed this column Mr. A. Refreshing change from the high price spread. At least for me. Found myself having too many regrets seeing lps I sold for $20.00 getting $1000’s.
Anyway, I always liked visiting record stores when I was a collector, remember fondly Saturday afternoons going through the racks, perhaps talking with another searcher also perusing records, or searching through stacks of 78’s, No search for rare deep grooves or P’s or Buddy Bolden cylinders, just looking for music one thought one would like.
Thanks for bringing such moments to my mind again.
Maybe the Pres and Sweets is a too relaxed session for it’s own good. But I like it – and a gorgeous cover art too!
lennib – that’s how the real ones still do it! 😉
Thanks for this refreshing column, leading us away from Blue Note (Art Klempner) and Prestige madness… ..into a world of never-materialized lunches and real record stores (lennib). I’m now actually listening to some jazz in my micro-man-cave. Much affordable reissues, between 56 and 46 years old.. ..much becomes relative.
I’ve loved going to record stores since I was in my early teens circa the late 80s…always fun and exciting to see what you would turn up..the thrill was real. I really loved the pre-internet days of record stores..when it was your knowledge versus the store owner’s knowledge and genuine deals and discoveries were plentiful. Maybe it’s just the stores in my town but the explosion of eBay and discogs and the general mass appeal of records has took the fun and life of local record stores. Anything half decent is priced at a popsike high despite not even being in nice condition. For me the thrill is long gone…but you’re right Al even as I approach 50 I still can’t resist the urge to pop into a record store whenever I’m on vacation somewhere see one!! It’s just different now…30 years ago I’d often walk out of a record store with a bag stuffed with used records…now I am genuinely shocked if I find one nice used record in a store.
Alas if I lived in a major American jazz city things might be a lot different…
It’s been a minute, but I remember the Princeton Record exchange would not sell on the web, they had the covers by the counter and you had to ask to see the record. Maybe times have changed, but that was fun. I loved going there. Their dollar bin was always full of surprises too (though I wasn’t collecting jazz at the time).
I think PREX is starting to do some IG sales via one of their main employees.
Hello—
Dad and mom were both jazz instrumentalists. He was from Philly and she was from Iowa.
He played with Cab Calloway before joining the Merchant Marine in WWII. She studied with Dexter and Mingus in LA during the war. Raised around music, I now have an interesting collection of vinyl and 78’s I need to let others enjoy. I will share my lists with those who have specific interests or general interest in a collection in not only records but autographed items as well. Thanks
@mark you’re so right. The internet has almost completely sucked the fun out of in-store shopping. As recently as ten years ago, I could still go into the big shop in my town and come out with a handful of at least reasonably-priced treasures (if not downright deals). Now it all goes straight to their eBay store, even the “scratch and dent” stuff, and the Jazz racks are 70% new pressings with the other 30% being the stuff nobody wanted 10 years ago and still don’t want now.
That said, I took a page from Al’s playbook when I came across a sealed 180g 2LP repress of Ben Webster “Ballads” for only 10 bucks. I can count on two hands the number of represses I’ve bought, but nothing beats a Webster ballad, and I knew I’d enjoy listening to it, so I got it.
The internet changed collecting dynamics for buyers and sellers. A buyer has an enormous selection of valuable records just fingertips away, but purchase prices are generally whatever the market will bear. Sellers literally have a worldwide audience to sell into, at ever higher prices. Good (and bad) for both sides. In a broad sense, the internet has democratized the flow of information, and made it easier to connect with other people. Anyone with an internet connection can determine the fair value of anything…including that dusty pile of LPs inherited from a deceased relative. A prospective seller now knows exactly what their LPs are worth, and no longer has to accept a pennies on the dollar offer from a dealer. Dealers now have to compete with the internet to purchase collectible stock, and collectors now have to compete against other collectors to find that holy grail. Consider the perspective of a well known NYC dealer- this was relayed to me in conversation- They could put a valuable LP on the shelf and it may sit there for weeks, while it is examined by collectors, lookers, and the curious. Each time someone looks, but does not buy, there is a risk of damage. OTOH, this same LP can be sold online, at FMV, and proceeds will be in hand within a few days. If the dealer wants to survive, it becomes and easy decision to make.