Emarcy | jazzcollector.com

Looking at Some Non-Auction eBay Jazz Vinyl

June 26, 2013 Al 4 comments

When I search on eBay, I typically set my filter to look only at auctions and not at records with buy-it-now prices. This has been particularly true when doing searches for records to post on Jazz Collector. For some reason, today I decided to look at buy-it-now auctions and was surprised to see how many nice collectible jazz records are available for a set price, even compared to those available by auction. This is somewhat of a trend on eBay: According to a recent survey less than 15 percent of listings on eBay are auction-only (Are eBay Auctions A Thing of the Past?). Anyway, here are some of the collectible jazz records you could buy today at a set price on eBay:

Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024. This is an original pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price is $1,000.

I thought this one my be reasonable, until I looked more closely at the listing: Helen Merrill, Emarcy 36006. The seller has it listed as a “first edition” in Ex+ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. We’ve seen this record in the $1,000 bin many times, so the $599 price seemed all right. But the back cover does not have the blue writing, so it is not a first press.

And here’s a beauty that I can’t imagine will sell at the asking price:

Blue Note

Today on Ebay, January 25, 2009

January 25, 2009 Al Leave a comment

It’s like a smorgasbord of nice collectible jazz vinyl on eBay today. We’ll try to point to a few of the more interesting items. Here’s one that really caught our eye: Charlie Parker, Bird on 52rd Street, Jazz Workshop 501. This is an original pressing in what the seller describes as M- condition, both vinyl and cover. It’s really rare to see a copy of this record in this condition. The current price is about $160. We’ll see what it goes for. Here’s one going for a high price even though the record is listed in VG condition and the cover is VG-: Helen Merrill, Emarcy 36006. This is the LP with Clifford Brown. The current price is $231. This seller, Eclecticpicks, has a bunch of nice items, closing pretty soon, including: Miles Davis Volume 2, Blue Note 1502. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing. Both the record and cover are listed in VG+ condition. The current price is $170.

Today on eBay, January 14, 2009

January 14, 2009 Al Leave a comment

Yet another slow day on eBay today. It’s interesting because prices remain high, but the number of listings for high-end collectibles has been slow for at least a week now. Perhaps it’s just an aberration. We’ll keep watching at Jazz Collector to see how long it lasts and see if there’s anything more than coincidence to it. Perhaps it’s a rare chance to pick up a bargain or two, based on a few of the items we’re watching, such as:

Donald Byrd, Off To The Races, Blue Note 4007. This looks to be an original pressing. The picture shows a West 63rd Street address on the label, but it shows only one side. Also, the seller doesn’t actually grade the condition of the record, but, based on his description, it looks to be at least VG+, perhaps better. So maybe this will be a bargain for someone. It is now priced at $33.76. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide, we’ve monitored this record at around $125 in this condition and as high as $344 in M- condition.

We’ve always like the cover of this next one, with a caveat:

A Mint Curtis Fuller, Autographs from Herbie Mann and Maynard Ferguson

October 20, 2008 Al Leave a comment

Among the interesting items on eBay the next couple of days, are a couple that we at Jazz Collector are offering under our nom d’ebay AJDoctor. This one is particularly interesting: The Curtis Fuller Jazztet with Benny Golson, Savoy 12143. We had this album in our collection for many years and it was sealed and we never opened it. When we decided to sell it, we figured we’d have to open it to see if it was an original pressing. We didn’t expect it to be, but it was. An original, red label pressing, unplayed. It’s also some pretty solid music, with Lee Morgan and Benny Golson on the front line with Fuller.

Tommy Flanagan Overseas, On Prestige

May 5, 2005 Al Leave a comment

Time to catch up on some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay the past few days. Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134, finally sold yesterday for $850. It was like an expensive suit that kept getting marked down. First it was on last week for a start price of $1,100, then this week was on for a Buy it Now price of $950. Last year, as we mentioned before, a nice copy of the same LP sold for $2,414. At $850, the Flanagan LP wasn’t even the highest priced item to sell so far this week. That honor, at least among the items we’ve been watching, goes to Read more

Autographs Redux

May 2, 2005 Al Leave a comment

Since I wrote about collecting autographs recently, I’ve been keeping a watch on eBay for autographed LPs and other items. Generally, my theory holds that, with some notable exceptions, autographs don’t dramatically increase the worth of a collectible. Here’s a case in point: A few weeks ago an autographed copy of the Barry Galbraith LP Guitar in the Wind, Decca 9200, sold on eBay for $41 in VG condition, not much more than what a non-autographed copy might sell for.

But, then again, there are the exceptions. How about this one: An original copy of the Clifford Brown and Max Roach LP Study in Brown, Emarcy 36037, autographed by Clifford. Read more

Billie Record, Warhol Cover

June 15, 2004 Al Leave a comment

More eBay watching today. Here are some of the items and dealers we’re keeping an eye on for you:

Billie Holiday at Jazz At the Philharmonic, Clef 169. This is a 10-inch LP with the beautiful illustration on the cover that is either by David Stone Martin or Andy Warhol. We looked in our price guide for earlier mint copies of this LP and it sold twice recently, for $610 and $325. This copy is also near mint and was only in the $70 range as we posted this.

Lots and Lots on eBay

June 14, 2004 Al Leave a comment

Back from another weekend away, so it’s time to see what happened on eBay the past few days. We were watching auctions from a group of dealers that had some amazing records. Here are some of the dealers and their wares. You can do a general eBay search on completed items for any of these dealers to see more.

Here are items sold by the dealer Jazz5060. This dealer also has a bunch of great records for auction now.

Charlie Persip, Jazz Statesman, Bethlehem 6046, in M-/M- condition. Price: $157.50

Walter Benton Quintet, Out of this World, Jazzland 28, in M-/M- condition. Price: $449

Zoot Sims, Stretchin’ Out, United Artists 4023. This was a promo copy in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $460

Freddie Hubbard, Goin’ Up, Blue Note 4056, in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $349.95

The Return of Howard McGhee, Bethlehem 42 in M-/M- condition. Price: $676 Read more

Filling in Some Blanks

May 26, 2004 Al Leave a comment

As we go through records preparing to sell them on eBay, we always seem to find a few that fail to list the accompanying musicians. When this happens, we go through our source material to try to fill in the blanks. Among the resources we use most often are The Jazz Discography by Tom Lord, which we have on CD-ROM; various Internet sites, such as The All Music Guide; plus several discographies we have in our collection, including those for Blue Note, Savoy, Prestige, Verve, Clef and Norgran.

Whenever we find this information we will post it on the Website. So here are some of our recent findings: Read more

“Charlie Yardbirdaronee”

May 13, 2004 Al One comment

My friend Dan called the other day. He’d just bought a copy of “Slim’s Jam”, the original 78 on the Bel-Tone label, featuring one of Charlie Parker’s early recorded solos recorded in December 1945 when he was in Los Angeles. Dan paid 40 bucks on eBay for the 78. I don’t have a copy of the 78, but I do have the cut on the original Savoy 12-inch LP, The Genius of Charlie Parker, Savoy MG-12014, so I put it on. This is a classic, of course, featuring Slim Gaillard introducing each of the musicians in his own inimitable style: “Here comes Zutty in the door with his brushes . . . This is a fun, Jack McVouty and his tenor.” And, inevitably, “Charlie Yardbirdaroonee,” who, as we soon learn, was “ havin’ a little reed trouble.”

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