Reserving Some Jazz Vinyl (Or Not)

Byrd copyHow desperate are you for one of the rarer of the Blue Notes, Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590? This looks to be an original pressing with all sorts of issues. The cover is VG and the record has two skips. Hmm. Someone has bid $300 for the record but the seller has a reserve price that has not yet been met. Seems like the seller  can’t afford a camera so perhaps that’s why he’s holding out for a higher price.

Here’s another one with camera issues: Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This looks to be an original pressing with the New York 23 labels. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is listed as VG++ or M-, although it would be hard to tell from the cover picture, which seems as if it was taken in a coffin. This bidding has topped $500 for this record, but, alas, it has also not reached the seller’s reserve price.

The same seller put up a fine picture of this record: Donald Byrd, Byrd Jazz, Transition 5. This is an original pressing

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And Yet Another Jazz Vinyl Update From eBay

trumpets jazz vinylI am going to get through my Watch List and update the Jazz Collector Price Guide. I really am. I think. I will post a few more in a second, but first I want to point everyone’s attention to the comment from the buyer of the Hank Mobley Blue Note 1568. Perhaps we will less ready to throw stones, those of us who who live in vinyl houses. It is also not often that we get comments from female readers, so welcome to Caroline.

Now, onto the Watch List and the Price Guide:

Art Farmer, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman, Three Trumpets, Prestige 7092. This is an original New York pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and perhaps a drop less for the cover. It sold for $338.58. I happen to have a spare copy of this record sitting in my closet, if anyone is interested. I also have a spare copy of this one: Lou Donaldson, Swing and Soul, Blue Note 1566. This was an original pressing listed in VG condition for the record. The cover looked like it was probably VG+. The record sold for $127.50.

This one fetched quite a nice price, breaking into the $1,000 bin:

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Back to eBay: Monk, Byrd, Pepper

Before posting the previous video, I did have a watch list of nice jazz vinyl on eBay. So let’s see how some of those auctions turned out:

monkThere were those nice items from Euclid records, including The Unique Thelonious Monk, Riverside 209. This was an original white label pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $463.50. Also, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075. This was an original New York yellow label pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $768.88. One more: Donald Byrd, Byrd in Hand, Blue Note 4019. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $515.

This one sold after several attempts:

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A New Standard for United Artists Blue Notes?

monkHere’s another selection of jazz vinyl we are watching on eBay, starting with Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This is clearly marked as a United Artists pressing. The seller lists it as a 1968 pressing, which I think he’s just making up. As far as I know these United Artists Blue Notes were originally issued for the Japanese market in the late 1970s or early 1980s. In any case, this is in VG++ condition for the record and the cover and is currently at a price of $78. Is it possible that these United Artists Blue Notes are increasing in value to the point where they are becoming collectibles? Or is it perhaps an aberration, some bidders not knowing, some not caring, some not reading the listing carefully enough?

Our friends at Euclid Records have some very nice records on eBay now, including The Unique Thelonious Monk, Riverside 209. This is an original white label pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. This one is already in the $250 range with nearly four days left on the auction. Here’s another:  Read more

Four Classics From the Jazz Collector Era

quiet kennyBack in the business of watching eBay — not much of a business, is it? — and here are some items on the watch list, starting with Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This looks to be an original pressing with the purple labels and deep grooves. The record is described as VG++. The seller loses a little credibility when he describes the cover as “VG+  to maybe VG++” when it is clearly VG+ at best. There’s a bit more than a day left in the bidding and the price is only in the $560 range. I say “only” because this record will likely get bids over $1,000 if, indeed, the bidders believe the condition is really VG++. In any case, the price will have to get higher, as it has yet to reach the seller’s reserve.

Here’s a nice one from Atomic Records with a $1,000 starting price: Hank Mobley With Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1540. This is an original Lexington Avenue flat-edge pressing with the frame cover. It is quite a beauty, in M- or VG++ condition for the record and M- for the cover.

Here are a couple of nice 10-inch Blue Notes priced somewhat optimistically, at least from the sellers’ perspectives:

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Big Bids, Some Sell, Some Don’t

threeBack in action after a long, lovely Labor Day weekend. When I last saw everyone, I had a bunch of items on my eBay watch list and many of these have subsequently been sold, so let’s see how they did:

Lou Donaldson, Wailing with Lou, Blue Note 1545. This was an original pressing with the New York 23 address. It was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. You would have expected it to sell, particularly with a top bid of $1,030. But, alas, a purchase did not take place because the record failed to meet the seller’s reserve price. Interesting because the $1,030 would have been the highest we’ve ever recorded for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.  The same seller had a few more than got nice bids but didn’t get to the reserve price, including: Donald Byrd, Art Farmer and Idrees Sulieman, Three Trumpets, Prestige 7092. This was only in VG+ or VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The top bid was $306.50 but, again, no sale.

These two got nice bids and did sell:

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Speculating on Some Rare Jazz Vinyl

LeeHere are some jazz records we’re watching on eBay, starting with this beauty: Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This is an original deep groove Lexington Avenue pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. There are more than two days left in this auction and the bidding is already more than $1,100. Think this one will surpass $2,000? I do. I’m sure the seller hopes I’m right.

Not sure what to make of this one: Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236. This is an original purple label pressing with a couple of oddities. One, it has a “Preview Copy” stamp on the back, which looks original. But is also has a cutout hole through the cover and the label. Usually the cutout hole was used for returned copies, not preview copies. I can’t recall owning any other Prestiges with both a Preview Stamp and a cutout hole. Perhaps Rudolf, who had the rare distinction of buying copies directly from the Prestige warehouse, can shed some light on this?

Wonder if this one will sell:

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A Few for the $1,000 Bin

I must update the $1,000 bin this morning because it swelled up somewhat unexpectedly over the weekend.

Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 399. This was an original promo pressing with the white label. The record was probably VG++ or maybe M- and the cover looked to be about VG+. It sold for $1,151. Wow.

Donald Byrd, Byrd’s Eye View, Transition 4. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. What’s more, it not only had the original booklet, the labels were actually still attached, which is almost unheard-of for an original Transition. This one sold for $1,044. This seller had a couple of others in the $1,000 bin, including: Kenny Dorham, Round ‘Bout Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, Blue Note 1524. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,335.  And . . .  Read more

Three Prestiges and One Bizarre

Sorry, took a break for the Memorial Day Holiday weekend here in the states. Back to eBay and jazz vinyl. Someone sent me a link to this listing under the subject “bizarre auction:” Grant Green, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Blue Note 84202. This was a stereo Liberty pressing in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. The seller had a feedback rating of 96.6 percent. The start price was 99 cents and then there seemed to be a two-person bidding war, hiking the sale price to $415. Bizarre indeed.

Not so bizarre for this one: Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This was an original New York yellow label pressing. The record was listed in EX condition and the cover was probably VG. It also had a promo stamp on the back cover. It sold for $428.

Another Prestige from the same era: Jackie McLean and John Jenkins, Alto Madness, Prestige 7114. This was also an original New York yellow label, listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It also had a promo stamp on the back cover. The price was $325.

And this one:

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Five For the Watch List

I just spent some time perusing jazz vinyl listings on eBay and, my, I was able to fill up my watch list quickly. Here are some of the items, starting with: Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, et al, Motor City Scene, Bethlehem 6056.  This is a rare one you don’t see very often. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing a copy of this record in any store or any collection. This one is in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. It closes in a couple of hours and the bidding is at $450.

 The Return of Art Pepper, Jazz West JWLP 10. This looks to be an original pressing in VG+ condition for the record and probably VG or a little better for the cover, based on the seller’s description. It also closes today and the bidding is in the low $200 range.

Temptation is back: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This looks to be an original pressing listed in Ex condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. There are two days to go and the bidding is in the $250 range. Father’s Day is in a few weeks. Hmmm.

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