Watching Jazz Vinyl Prices on The Rise
Been away from eBay for a few days. Here’s some of the jazz vinyl we missed:
Hmm, this one doesn’t normally get the Jazz Collector prices, particularly the stereo version: Jimmy Heath, The Thumper, Riverside 1160. This was the original black label stereo version. The record was in M- condition and the cover was probably VG++. It sold for $163.50 but there were only two bidders, which raises a bit of an alert with me. This one was from the same seller: Cannonball Adderley Quintet at the Lighthouse, Riverside 344. This was an original deep groove mono pressing. The record and cover were in M- condition and, again, there were two bidders. The top bid was $88.
There were still a few more we were watching from the jazz5060/Music Matters auction, including a few that went for quite high prices, compared to what they normally fetch. For example:
Art Farmer, Farmer’s Market, Prestige 8203. I always found this one to be an interesting curiosity because of the number in the 8200 series. This was a short-lived series and I’m not sure what Prestige was thinking at the time. Perhaps one of the Prestige experts out there — hello, Rudolf — has more information. This was a review copy with the original yellow label and it was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for a whopping $707. This one also got a very high price, all things considered: Mal Waldron, The Quest, New Jazz 8269. This record features Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin, a nice combination indeed, Mingus alumni, and it was in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $630. Our previous high for this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide was $170
Referring to the Jimmy Heath, Al, you say, and I quote: “there were only two bidders, which raises a bit of an alert with me.” Your remark makes me curious, so please elaborate on that ‘alert’ thing.
I sometimes get a little skeptical when a record goes for a higher price than normal and there is only one or two bidders. Not saying that anything untoward happened here, but the skepticism comes from the possibility that the market for the record was soft at the starting price and the seller used a shill bid — from a friend or a separate eBay account — to create an artificial demand.
Al,your lack of faith in the milk of human kindness is gut-wrenching…or maybe it was something I ate.
Farmers’ Market – PRLP 8203. In the beginning the 8200 series was supposed to be a Prestige budget label at $ 3.98 list price. The period in time was 1958 around the issue of Soultrane 7142. Very soon, after a few issues, up to 8204/5, the label and code changed to NJ with the violet label. So 8203 exists in yellow/black fireworks label and, almost simultaneously, the violet NJ label, always deep groove. Thereafter came a period of violet labels without deep groove and a cover without broad spine, the first two issues having a broad spine with the title and catalogue number printed on it. The first two issues, yellow and violet labels, are very collectible records, with great music indeed.
It’s funny thinking of $3.98 as being budget. I punched that into an online inflation calculator. That’s around $29 in today’s dollars. With the average cd prices around $10-15, prices of music have gone down. Unfortunately very little comes out these days on par with Farmer’s Market.
Mike — for an original Blue Note these days, it looks like $398 is a budget price.
Very true. Very very true. At least in terms of real money, the prices of new music have gone down. The general quality is lacking as well unfortunately.
BTW,does anyone know where the “jazz5060/Music Matters” seller has gone? Listing under a different name,perhaps?