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The Incredible Rise of the $1,000 Jazz Record

September 14, 2009 Al 17 comments

The $1,000 bin truly doth runneth over days. It’s quite an interesting phenomenon.

Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. A few years ago, I bought a copy of this on eBay in similar condition for about $300. At the time, I thought I was overpaying. A few weeks ago I sold a separate copy on eBay for about $325. It was in nice condition, with a VG+ cover. This was not a record I ever expected to see in the $1,000 bin. This copy sold for $1,313.

Here’s another one I never expected to see sell for more than $1,000: Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’s Else, Blue Note 1595. This is a nice record, but has never been among the higher-priced Blue Notes. The highest price we had previously recorded for this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide was around $400. This copy was in mice M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,475.

This one almost entered the $2,000 bin:

All Things Considered, Some Surprising Prices

August 22, 2009 Al 4 comments

Time to catch up with some of the items we’ve been watching this past week. We will do this in a few posts throughout the weekend. We’ll start with some of those items sold by the seller bobdjukic, who’s clearly got something going on that enables him to get wacky prices as well as staggering numbers of page views.

We’ll start with Thelonious Monk, Monk’s Music, Riverside 1102. This was a later stereo pressing, with that gold stereo stamp that many of the Riverside’s carried. Clearly not an original, which was a white label mono. One time on eBay, an original copy sold for more than $3,000. We chronicled it on Jazz Collector and it created quite a stir. See here. In any case that price for a mono was an aberration, just as we feel the price here for a stereo is an aberration. This copy, in M- condition for the record and cover, sold for $413.55. The seller actually wrote this in his listing: “Monstrously rare stereo pressing, many times rarer than the mono.” Yikes. The other amazing thing about this record: It had more than 1,700 page views in eBay. Yikes again.

Speaking of second pressings, there was the copy of John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This was the one with the bulls-eye label, that was characterized as being of the same provenance as the black label. This record

Jeepers Creepers, Where’d You Get Those Eyeballs?

August 13, 2009 Al Leave a comment

If you’ve been on eBay this week, you’ve probably noticed the listings of the seller bobdjukic, who has a few hundred records listed, not all jazz. He’s a seller who often puts up nice stuff. I’ve never bought from him, so I don’t know his reputation. One thing I do know: His listings get noticed. I was glancing at the listing for Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This seems to be an original pressing in less than VG condition with a cover that’s just in G or G+ condition. Not great by any means. I was not surprised at the $100 price tag — nothing about Blue Note prices surprises me anymore — but by the number of page views the item received: It has a staggering total of 1,579 views and there are still four days to go. In all the years I’ve been listing on e-Bay, I’ve never had a single record receive that kind of viewership. I’m not sure what this guy does to attract eyeballs, but whatever it is, it is working.

Et Tu, Johnny Griffin?

July 18, 2009 Al 3 comments

Here’s an interesting newcomer to the $1,000 bin: Johnny Griffin, Volume One, Blue Note 1559. This is a great record and, as a rare Blue Note with a great roster of artists, it is not surprising that this would sell for a high price tag. This particular copy, in M- condition for both the record and the cover, sold for $1,380. What was interesting to me about this record was the way in which the seller chose to list it. He listed it as “Blue Note 1559 Lee Morgan Hank Mobley.” He also purchased a subhead, which mentioned the presence of John Coltrane as a sideman. Notice how the seller never even mentioned Johnny Griffin, who was the leader on the date.

For the Price Guide: Duke Jordan, Dex, Jackie

May 3, 2009 Al 10 comments

Some more for the Jazz Collector Price Guide. I’m keeping pretty busy with this stuff.

Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was M-. The price was $589.90.

Leonard Feather Presents Bop, Mode 127. This was an original pressing in VG++/VG+ condition. The price was $80.

Warne Marsh, Music For Prancing, Mode 125. This was also an original pressing in VG++/VG+ condition. It sold for $68.

Dexter Gordon, One Flight Up, Blue Note 4176. This one already has received some discussion on the

For the Price Guide: Mobley, Trane, Griffin, Green

April 23, 2009 Al Leave a comment

I’ve been quite remiss lately in updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide. I’m hoping to get caught up in the next few days. When I do get caught up, here are some of the items I’ll be entering. None of these has a link, by the way. They are just in bold-face type.

Hank Mobley, Roll Call, Blue Note 4058. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street logo. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $677.

Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This was an original New York pressing in VG+ condition, both record and cover. The price was $296. Great record.

John Coltrane, Ballads, Impulse 32. This was a mono pressing in M- condition, both

Catching up With a Few More Warhol Covers

March 19, 2009 Al 3 comments

We’ve been watching prices for albums with covers by Andy Warhol. Here are a few more that sold recently on eBay:

Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This was an interesting one in that the record was listed as in only G+ or VG- condition, which means it is probably something most of us wouldn’t put on our turntables. The cover was listed in VG+ condition. It sold for $311.

J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding and Bennie Green, Trombone by Three, Prestige 16-4. This was an original pressing and a very rare 16-RPM LP. It was in VG++ condition, both the record and the cover. The price was $290.

Another Dolphy Collectible; Some LPS on eBay Today

March 2, 2009 Al 2 comments

Last week we were watching the record Eric Dolphy in Europe, Debut 136, which eventually sold for $1,375. This weekend there was another nice European rare Dolphy for sale: Eric Dolphy Last Date, Fontana 681-008. To my knowledge, this was an original pressing originally issued in Holland. This one was in beautiful M- condition and sold for $596.50.

While I’m here, I may as put in a reminder that we have a few records for sale on eBay today. Here are a couple:

Mundell Lowe, New Music of Alex Wilder, Riverside 219. This is an original

Another $1,000 Item, Plus A Few More

February 13, 2009 Al One comment

We were right in predicting that this record would surpass the $1,000 barrier: It was in near mint condition and it is a rare Blue Note and it was being sold by Euclid Records. We’ve seen it sell for more than $900 previously in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so it was no surprise that this copy sold yesterday for $1,563.

Here are some of the other items we’ve been watching that will be entered into the Price Guide:

Wes Montgomery, Full House, Riverside 434. This was an original blue label pressing. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. The price was $255. This is always one of the higher priced Montgomery collectibles, ostensibly aided by the presence of Johnny Griiffin on tenor.

Bobby Hutcherson, Happenings, Blue Note 4231. This was an original New York USA pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $221.40.

Paula Castle, Love Lost, Bethlehem 1036. This was an original 10-inch pressing in M-

Another eBay Debate: What’s The Value Of A Dealer’s Reputation?

February 2, 2009 Al 13 comments

We know we’ve sparked debate with our chronicling of prices of high-end collectibles sold on eBay (see, The Great eBay Debate). We still believe that this, by far, is the most accurate depiction of the market, because it is the market, worldwide. However, we also recognize that there are certain variables within eBay that effect record prices. One of the most critical of these, is the quality and reputation of the seller. We bring this up because we were updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide this weekend and we were logging in a couple of records that went for pretty high prices versus what they’ve sold for in the past. The two records were: Horace Silver, Finger Poppin’, Blue Note 4008. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in M- condition. It sold for $247.50. The other

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