Al:

My jazz collecting the past 25 years has morphed mainly to jazz autographs. There is something about a genuine signature that makes an item come alive: This was actually in the hands of Billie, Bird, Trane, etc. One must be careful to not obtain a fake, but I have mainly dealt with reputable dealers, and over time, I have become more savvy in finds on sites such as eBay.

I did bid on this Coltrane item, but exited the bidding when it went above $2000.

The prizes of my collection are signed photographs, some contracts, some personal letters, etc. To give you an idea of some of my prized items, here is a partial list:

Jelly Roll Morton (very hard to find – I have 2, one of which is sheet music)

Bix Beiderbecke

James P Johnson (photo)

Charlie Christian

Fats Navarro (photo)

Clifford Brown (photo, Study in Brown album)

Booker Little

Serge Chaloff

Charlie Parker (2 photos, a note to Chan, a contract, a signature by his entire quartet)

Lester Young (2 photos, one 78 RPM record)

Coleman Hawkins (multiple photos, cancelled check)

Django Reinhardt (photo, concert program)

Wes Montgomery (photo)

Thelonious Monk (photo, concert program)

John Coltrane

Bud Powell

Bill Evans (photo, high school yearbook)

Billie Holiday (photo, 2 separate contracts regarding the rights to her autobiography, one signed Eleanora Fagan, copy of Lady Sings the Blues)

Lee Morgan (beautiful signed photo, paper with all 5 members of Blakey group, contract for club engagement)

Wardell Gray (10″ LP)

Bennie Moten (78 rpm)

Chet Baker (photo)

Charles Mingus (Mingus at Monterey album, photo)

Ma Rainey (royalty agreement)

Like all financial transactions, especially collecting, the price is determined by supply and demand. Some iconic figures are in high supply (Louis, Duke, Ella), but their iconic status keeps their value to at least a modest level. Iconic figures that died young (Bix, Bird, Trane, Billie) command very high prices. Then there are figures that died young that are only known to the ever-shrinking jazz market rather than the general public (Clifford, Lee Morgan, Wardell Gray, Christian, Fats Navarro). Their items are very rare, but prices aren’t at the level of the Bird, Trane items, possibly for this reason. Some more obscure figures command even less interest (Allen Eager, Wade Legge, Joe Albany, Freddie Webster).

The “what” factor values a photo, letter, or official document over a scrap of paper, napkin, etc. Until recently, a signed record album was not as valuable. However, this has changed lately, as evidenced by the recent Coltrane auction. I have seen some signed Miles Davis albums go higher than I would expect recently.

The one “signature” in my collection that turns out to be a fake is Art Tatum. There was a signed contract for chattel mortgage for a Plymouth automobile. The item came from Arline Tatum, Art’s sister. The address on the contract was his home in Toledo (I have been by the home). The signature was somewhat messy, and signed Arthur Tatum. I couldn’t let this slip by my hands, but have been suspicious. Over the years, with the help of databases on ancestry.com, I have seen a signature of Art Tatum, Sr., Art’s Father, on a marriage license, and WWI draft card, which matches the signature on my item. Further research of multiple contracts, a personal check, and Art Tatum, Jr.’s marriage license are all marked with an X. Oh well………………

Someone like you would understand the thrill of the hunt for items such as these. After a while, one becomes more selective and discerning, and don’t feel bad letting an item get away when the price is too high.

Bill

By the way, I enjoy your website.

My reply:

Fantastic. Do you mind if I post your reply on he site, preferably with your name?

I don’t go out of my way to collect autographs or other ephemera, but I am happy when I come across them. Among my most prized possessions is an copy of Sonny and Hawk, with the following signed by Sonny:

“12/13/63. To my friend at ‘A+ P’ with Holiday wishes to you & yours Sincerely Sonny R.”

A & P was a local supermarket chain. I also have an original 78 of Moody’s Mood For Love, signed by James Moody and am original Birdland program signed by Stan Getz.  — al

Here’s another seller that is optimistic with a start price of more than $1,400 for this record: Elmo Hope, Meditations, Prestige 7010. This is an original New York yellow label pressing listed in EX+ condition for the record and Ex/Ex+ for the cover. I’m like Bill W. on the previous post. I’m never sure what Ex or Ex+ means, although I’m assuming for this record the condition is either M- or pretty darn close to it.

And now we have Jutta Hipp, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5056. This is an original 10-inch Lexington Avenue pressing listed in Ex condition for the record and M- for the cover. There is mention of a tiny scratch on one track, which may be the reason there are no bids yet. The start price is $300 and there’s more than a day left on the auction.

Red Rodney, Signal 1206. This is an interesting one because of the condition. There’s a nice clear picture of the cover, which may give the impression that the cover is in nice condition. However if you look closely and read the description, the cover is in only G condition. And the vinyl is only VG. Despite the condition issues, however, the bidding is already more than $400. I guess this LP is in greater demand than I would have realized.

This is another one that’s getting up there in price, somewhat to my surprise: Booker Little, Time 52011. This is an original mono pressing with the deep grooves and gatefold cover. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The bidding has already topped $250 and the auction closes later today. Perhaps my previous comment about a soft market was premature.

Blue Mitchell, Blue’s Moods, Riverside 9336. This is an original stereo pressing with the black label. The record looks to be in VG++ condition and the cover is probably VG+ or slightly better. Bidding is in the $270 range and there are still more than two days to go.

Billy Bauer Plectrist, Norgran 1082. This is an original yellow label pressing. The record is listed in VG++ condition and the cover is VG. The start price is $150 and so far there are no bidder. I’ll be interested to see if this sells at that start price. There’s always been a kind of separate market for jazz guitar LPs — not just the jazz guys, but the guitar guys and especially the jazz guitar players. I wonder if there is still that interest in a guy like Billy Bauer and/or of there’s still strong interest in Norgran as a label. Something we’ll keep an eye on for the future as well.

One of our regular readers pointed this one out to me, thinking the price was inordinately highly, but I’m not sure I agree. For original Blue Notes in M- condition, there seems to be no limit these days: Horace Parlan, Up and Down, Blue Note 4082. This one sold for $665.55.

This one was still sealed, but was it the original seal? If so, how would you be able to tell?

Booker Little, Out Front, Candid 8027. The seal was loose, which, I assume was how the records were packaged in 1961? When did the tight vacuum seal come into vogue? This one went for $365.

Some day, although not this day, I will add an original copy of this record to my collection: Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowing In From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This one was in VG++ condition for the record and the cover and it sold for $919.

I expected this to fetch a higher price but, as I said earlier, I think the picture of the back cover was out of synch with the description: Jackie McLean, Capuchin Swing, Blue Note 4038. This was listed in M- condition and sold for $331.

This is a real nice record that doesn’t have the cachet of a Blue Note or a Prestige, but has excellent personnel, a nice cover, deep groove, etc.: Booker Little Four, United Artists 4034. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The price was $118.25.

This is one of those that can stir up more debate about what, exactly, is an original pressing:

Sonny Rollins Volume 1, Blue Note 1542. This one had the West 63rd Street address, with the deep grooves and RVG. In my mind this is not an original pressing, because the first batch of these that came out of Blue Note had the Lexington Avenue address. I know it’s an early pressing, but not a first press. Does that make it less collectible? Absolutely. This one sold for $300 in VG+ condition.

Finally, there was this: The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume One, Blue Note 1505. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the flat edge. It was in M- condition for the record and VG+ or VG++ for the cover. It sold for $233.50. Does this mean the market prices are coming down? Perhaps, but as we’ve seen for years, the market is cyclical and prices on eBay are always dependent upon who happens to be bidding at that particular moment.  For example: In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we have one incident of this record — without the deep grooves — selling for more than $1,500. That, to me is an eBay aberration.

Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing with the Andy Warhol cover. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. Price: $360.

Booker Little Four, United Artists 4034. This was an original pressing. The record looked to be in VG+ condition, the cover VG+ as well. Price: $104.70

Grachan Moncur III, Evolution, Blue Note 4135. This was an original mono pressing in M- condition, vinyl and cover. Price $235.83

Among some of the nice items that just sold today are:

Bud Powell, Bud!, Blue Note 1571. This was an original pressing. The record was M-, the cover was VG++, the price was $271.

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia  8163. This was an original stereo pressing that sold for $328. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG+. 

John Jenkins, Clifford Jordan and Bobby Timmons, Jenkins, Jordan and Timmons, New Jazz 8232. This was an original purple label pressing in VG++ condition, both cover and vinyl. Price: $153.50

Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet, Blue Note 1509. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record and cover were both in VG++ condition and the price was $227.50.

Finally, this beauty: Thelonious Monk, Brilliant Corners, Riverside 226. This was an original white label pressing in M- condition. The price was $421