A Triple Play of Rare Jazz Vinyl

Kenny DorhamI went to eBay to peruse the jazz listings and right off the bat saw three of the rarest of the rare jazz vinyl, each of which will probably sell for at least $2,000 this week.

First up is Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This is an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover, and it is being offered by the Jazz Record Center, so there is the added assurance of a top seller. Bidding is already close to $2,200 and the auction is closing later today.

The second one that came up is also from the Jazz Record Center: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is probably M- or VG++, depending upon how you feel about a small number written on the back. The bidding for this one is in the $1,700 range.

Finally, there is:

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A Few For the Jazz Collector Price Guide

hankLet’s catch up on some of the earlier jazz vinyl auctions we were watching on eBay, starting with Hank Mobley All Stars, Blue Note 1544. This was an original pressing with the New York 23 labels and deep grooves. The record was listed in probably VG++ condition and the cover was probably VG++ as well, with a small cut-out hole, which you don’t often see on Blue Notes of this vintage. The record wound up selling for $1,009.

Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. This was an original New York USA mono pressing in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $567, which is the highest price we’ve recorded for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Art Taylor, Taylor’s Tenors, New Jazz 8219. This was an original purple label pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $394. Read more

The Lasting Value of Blue Notes. Or Not

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailJazz Collector is on WordPress and, as such, I have access to a bunch of statistics on the site. I mention this because I noticed yesterday that there was a spike in viewership and many of the readers were looking at a trio of articles I wrote in 2010 when my friend Red Carraro passed away. Original articles are here, here and here. Anyway, I dug a little deeper and the new viewers came from this site, Steve Hoffman Music Forums. There’s a whole discussion going on there about Blue Notes and prices and why collectors pay so much for them and whether the market will continue to rise or whether it will eventually plummet and die. Worth taking a look, and perhaps worth continuing over here. For my part, I am of two minds. Read more

Lady in $atin and $tereo

BillieHere are a few more jazz vinyl auctions we are watching on eBay. This one is from the seller bobdjukic and it is always suprising: Billie Holiday, Lady in Satin, Columbia 8048. This is a six-eye stereo pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It is always surprising in that this seller is somehow able to get collectible prices for this record, where no one else can. This one is already at more than $120. And the explanation is . . . ?

This is from the same seller at, at this point, it is actually priced at less than the Billie Holiday record: John Coltrane (et al), Tenor Conclave, Prestige 7074. This looks to be an original New York yellow label pressing. The seller lists the record in VG++ condition and the cover as well, but it seems clear from the pictures of the cover that the real condition is VG+. Perhaps why the bidding is relatively low, at about $115 with a few hours left on the auction.

I now have duplicate copies of this great Blue Note and will be figuring out my next step once I get a chance to grade and listen to both copies:

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Rare Insanity

HankWe will ring in the new year with a few nice jazz vinyl auctions we are watching on eBay, starting with a big one: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is a close-to-original pressing (original in my eyes) in that it has the deep grooves and West 63rd Street addresses on the labels. Some are sticklers and demand that one side have a New York 23 label. This one is in M- condition for the record and Ex for the cover, which is probably VG++ in Jazz Collector parlance. the bidding has already topped $2,500, but it has not yet reached the seller’s reserve price.

The seller bobdjukic as back with another batch of insanely rare records and he brings up an interesting question on this one: John Coltrane, My Favorite Things, Atlantic 1361. He claims this is an original stereo pressing with the blue and green labels and the white fan logo. I’ve actually never know the keys to identifying an original My Favorite Things and I’m certainly not about to trust this guy. Perhaps someone out there can shed some light, mono and stereo? This one is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price is already more than $100. Three are additional interesting items from this seller, which I will be watching for future posts. Stay tuned.

 

A Blue Note Monday

Candy jazz vinylHere’s some nice jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay now, starting with: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This is an original pressing listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It is a relatively new listing, with more than six days to go, but the price is already in the $800 range with 16 bids as of this writing. Has the makings of a bidding frenzy, perhaps.

Charlie Rouse, Bossa Nova Bacchanal, Blue Note 4119. How often do you get to write the word “bacchanal?” This one is in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It is an original pressing and there are four days left on the auction. Bidding is in the $190 range.

Hank Mobley, Workout, Blue Note 4080. This is an original New York USA pressing listed in Ex condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The auction closes later today and the bidding is in the $350 range.

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Another Adventure in Jazz Collecting, Baltimore Part 5

jackie3So I was carefully handling the first record in the first box, Miles Davis Volume 2, Blue Note 5022. I had once owned this record in poor condition. It was so poor, in fact, I didn’t even want it in my collection, so I sold it on eBay. This one in my hands, under the light, an original pressing, 767 Lexington Avenue, I don’t think it was ever played. Maybe once, on the day that Uncle Bruce purchased the record, which was August 20, 1954. I know that because Uncle Bruce clearly marked the date in pen “8-20-54” on the back of the record, in the upper left corner. There was also the original price of the record in pencil on the upper right corner in the back: 3.75.  Otherwise, the cover was quite clean, a little bit of splitting at one seam, a little wear on the front. For eBay I would grade it as VG++. For me, as a collector, I would grade it as very sweet.

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Another Adventure in Jazz Collecting, Baltimore Part 2

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailI had thought I was finished buying collections. I had gotten so much joy out of buying the Irving Kalus collection last year, I thought nothing else would compare. It was such a nice collection I didn’t think I’d ever be able to top it, so why try? I’d hardly bought a record at all in more than 18 months. I had passed on every inquiry coming in to Jazz Collector. I was happy and content with the collection I had amassed during the past 40-plus years of being a jazz collector. I am not a dealer, I am a collector, proudly so, and I have no aspirations to be a dealer. My site is Jazz Collector, not Jazz Seller.  It’s been about three years since I even sold a record on eBay. So what would I do with even more records?

Yet here I was with this list of records sitting in front of me. And it was an odd list.

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Three Tenors

boydSo many records, so little time. Here are some of the jazz vinyl auctions we are watching on eBay:

Rocky Boyd Quintet, Ease It, Jazztime 001. This is an original pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It features Kenny Dorham on trumpet and we’ve seen a copy sell for nearly $700 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. This one is at about $330 with a day and a half left on the bidding.

The seller vinylrealist is back with some nice items, including: Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Message, Prestige 7061. This is an original pressing in VG++ condition for the record ad M- for the cover. Seller took some very nice pictures, which always helps the listings. This one has a start price of about $900 and a buy-it-now price of about $1,200. So far there are no takers at either price. Did anyone notice that this seller commented on Jazz Collector recently to explain his pricing strategy? I was surprised no one commented.

Here’s another beauty:

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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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