Some More Beautiful Jazz Vinyl

Here’s one I forgot to put on my want list the other day: Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This one is an original Lexington Avenue pressing listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. Great crystal clear cover picture that makes the listing quite enticing, don’t you think? This was one of the first Blue Note records I ever purchased, back in the early 1970s, but, of course, in those days the record available in the bins at Sam Goody’s was a reprocessed stereo Liberty pressing. And that’s what I’ve had all of these years. This particular copy will not likely be the replacement: The bidding has already neared $500 and there are are still more than four days left on the auction.

Here’s another beauty from the same era, similar black and white cover with some yellow type: Hank Mobley with Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1540. This is also an original Lexington Avenue pressing. This one is in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The pricing is now at $1,100 but it hasn’t reached the seller’s reserve price.

Let’s get away from Blue Note for the next couple:

Read more

Jazz Vinyl Today: Signal, Norgran, New Jazz

Here’s some jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay that is not Blue Note, starting with: Duke Jordan, Jazz Laboratory Series, Signal 101. This is an original pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. You don’t see these too often. This one is priced at about $130 with a couple of days to go.

Here are a couple of nice Norgrans: Lester Young, Lester’s Here, Norgran 1071. This is an original yellow label pressing and it is listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The current price is about $180. Then there’s this gorgeous one with the David Stone Martin cover: Lester Young, Norgran 1022. This one is also an original yellow label pressing and is in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price is about $160. I do have one small nit-pick for the seller, who I believe is Looney Tunes up in Boston, where I have spent many an idle afternoon and many a dollar. I wish they would use the whole picture of the cover, back and front, on their listings. I get the sense the use a scanner, which doesn’t show the whole image. I’d prefer seeing the whole thing as a potential bidder and also, as Jazz Collector, I’d like

Read more

On The Hunt: Sonny Clark, Jutta, Prez

Let’s catch up on some more jazz records we’ve been watching on eBay, including these from the Jazz Record Center auction this week.

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This was an original West 63rd pressing that looked to be in at least VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,525. We’ve seen Sonny’s Crib and Cool Struttin’ consistently break the $2,000 and even the $3,000 barrier, but this is the highest price we’ve recorded for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.   

Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that looked to be in beautiful M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. The price was $2,678.

Lester Young Collates Number Two, Clef 124. This was an original 10-inch pressing with the nice cover by David Stone Martin. It looked to be in M- condition for the record

Read more

Jazz Vinyl Update: A Smattering of 10-Inch LPs

Let’s catch up on some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Thelonious Monk Trio, Prestige 189. This looked to be an original pressing, a 10-inch LP, of course, and it was in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $227.50.

Here’s another 10-incher: Howard McGhee, Volume 2, Blue Note 5024. This one was VG+ for the vinyl and between VG++ and M- for the cover. When we were watching it it was in the $150 range and it didn’t really move from there, selling for $159.50.

This 10-incher didn’t sell at all: Lester Young and his Tenor Sax, Aladdin 706. This one was in VG- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price was $99.99 and there were no bidders.

May as well stick with the 10-inch theme today: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Volume 3, Blue Note 5039. This was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the vinyl and sold for $229.

Jazz Vinyl on eBay: Some Blue Notes & A Nice Norgran

I logged onto eBay last night, found a number of interesting records to watch and, with great pride, was able to go to sleep without slipping into the temptation of placing any snipe bids. Progress, right? Anyway, here is some of the jazz vinyl we were watching that closed yesterday:

John Jenkins, welcome to the $1,000 bin: John Jenkins and Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was an original deep groove West 63rd Street pressing and it was in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover. It was a reputable seller, there were 11 bids and more than 450 page views and the price was $1,136.55. Not bad in a soft market if, indeed, this can be called a soft market.

Actually, perhaps in retrospect I should have put in a snipe for this one: Sonny Red, Out of the Blue, Blue Note 4034. This was an original pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. Quite a fair price, depending, of course, on what VG+ means to the buyer and seller. As we’ve learned long ago, VG+ is in the eye of the beholder. I had this record once upon a time but traded it away in a lopsided trade that favored the other guy. Not sure what I was thinking at the time, but I’m more knowledgeable now. So this is one that got away. Getting it back for $283 or so, which is what this one sold for, would be quite a coup in my eyes.

Read more

Catching Up: More Warhol Madness

Time to catch up on some jazz vinyl sales on eBay:

This one made the $1,000 bin with plenty to spare: Conte Candoli, Cool Gabriels, Groove 1003. This was an original pressing and, of course, the main feature is the cover illustration by Andy Warhol. The record was VG-, the cover had splits on the top and the bottom, yet it still sold for $1,825. The Warhol market is driving these prices quite high, but this one seems to do even better than the Blue Notes in better condition. It must be harder to find? Or perhaps the Warhol collectors are more enamored with the artwork?

This one was not an original pressing, at least not in the way we think of originals as “first” pressings: Sonny Rollins Volume 1, Blue Note 1542. This one had the West 63rd Street address, plus the deep grooves and ear and all the other markings of an early pressing: But a first pressing would have had the Lexington Avenue address. This one was in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $334. Quick question: I know most collectors prefer Blue Notes over Prestiges in general but, musically, to me the Sonny’s on Prestige are far more preferable and inventive than the Blue Notes. How do other collectibles feel about this?

Read more

Jazz Vinyl on eBay: Mobley, Clark, Trane, Pres, Chet

Another day, another couple of thousand jazz records on eBay. Here are some of the ones we’re watching:

Hank Mobley, No Room For Squares, Blue Note 4149. This looks to be an original pressing, with the New York USA label and the ear, and it is listed in M- condition for the record and what looks to be VG++ for the cover. You may recall that a recent copy of this record sold for $1,009. I’m sure the seller here, Atomic Records, noticed as well. This one is currently in the $130 range but has yet to meet the seller’s reserve price.

Sonny Clark, Dial S For Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This is an original pressing with the West 63rd label, deep groove, etc., and it is listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The current price is around $425 and there is still one day left on the auction.

This one doesn’t usually go for a big price, but it is in nice condition and it is a promo copy (it’s also a fantastic record, musically): John Coltrane, Live at Birdland, Impulse 50. This has the white promo label and is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It has one bid, but the price is $198.

Read more

On eBay: Three More Tenors

Here are some of the records worth watching now on eBay:

Sonny Rollins Plus Four, Prestige 7038. This is a New York pressing with the first cover. I would assume the cover is a kakubushi cover, but if I were to actually bid on this record — I won’t — I would definitely ask first. This is a great record, of course, with Clifford Brown and Max Roach and this copy is in M- condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. This is also listed as a promo copy and I’m not sure if that does anything to enhance the value. Anyway, this one is at about $230 with less than two days to go.

Here’s a nice 10-inch Blue Note:

Read more

Adventures in Jazz Collecting: The Auction, Part 5

All right, let’s do some more of this Jazz Auction stuff. So, by this point in the auction I have purchased eight lots and I am clearly on a roll and forgetting about the 17 percent surcharge and figuring, “What the heck, I’m already paying for shipping, let’s buy some more records.” And so I did.

Gerry Mulligan, Seven LPs. Price: $46.80. Why? There is no good answer to this question. I certainly have all of these LPs, and probably don’t even want to keep all of these LPs, and there is probably not that much of a market for these LPs on eBay. The best of the records, from a collectible standpoint, is The Gerry Mulligan Songbook on World Pacific. There’s also a nice Mulligan on Emarcy with Zoot Sims. There’s a copy of Mulligan and Stan Getz on Verve, but it’s an MGM pressing. Really, there was no rhyme or reason to bidding on these — and actually winning — other than the adrenaline rush of buying more records.

Sonny Rollins, Three RCA Victor LPs and Lester Young For LPs. Price: $93.60. This fits into

Read more

Adventures in Jazz Collecting: The Auction, Part 3

Guess what came in the mail yesterday? Remember that Jazz Auction in which I participated a few weeks ago. Well the records are here and now I can tell you how I did. Remember, I bid blind on these records, based on the written descriptions, and I gambled on quite a few of the packages. I was competing with a bunch of sellers/dealers who were at the scene and had the opportunity to physically view the records. Also, I paid an extra 17 percent above what I bid because that was the fee taken by the auction house. In any case, here are the results, part one of three: Live vicariously through me if you please. The prices listed below include the 17 percent extra fee, so they are the amount I actually paid for each package. Also, the listings as I describe them below are similar to the way they were listed in the auction itself.

Wes Montgomery, Full House. Price: $70.20. This is an original blue-label Riverside

Read more

1 2 3 4 5 6