As prices have been rising for original Blue Notes, we’ve also been watching prices rise, although not as drastically for later pressings. We had an eye on this one: Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil, Blue Note 4194. This was a stereo pressing with the Liberty label. The record as M- and the cover was VG++. It sold for $38. I couple of years ago, these Liberty pressings were selling in the $20 range, so there has been movement, as you would expect. When I first started collecting jazz in 1970 or so, if you went into a local store such as a Sam Goody, these were the pressings you would typically find. If I had been prescient, or if I had the money, I would have bought them all.

This seller was trying to take a shot with a record of similar vintage: Hank Mobley, No Room For Squares, Blue Note 4149. This didn’t have a description of the label, but it did clearly show in the picture that it was a Liberty pressing. He tried with a start price of $100. There were no bidders, and it has now been listed for around $50, with the same pictures. Presumably there will still be no bidders, but you can never tell. This seller’s feedback rating, by the way, is 98.8 percent.

This one is hard to figure:

Sonny Rollins, The Sound of Sonny, Riverside 241. This looks like an original white label pressing, quite rare, with the deep groove. It was sold by a reputable seller and  it was described as VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $89. I would have expected it to sell for more. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve had copies of this record sell for more than $500, and VG+ copies sell for something in the range of $400. The key on this was the language “surface noise” in the description. VG+ and surface noise connotes potential listening challenges. As a seller, I also use the term “surface noise” when appropriate. While it deflates the value, it results in fewer dissatisfied customers. By the way, I still have some records of various vintage closing today, including this beautiful original by Stan Getz, which still has no bids, to my surprise: Stan Getz At the Shrine, Verve 8122. You can see my stuff for sale by clicking here.