A Double Dose of “Wow!”

I haven’t been on eBay in a few days, but fortunately our friend CeeDee is forwarding me some interesting auction results all under the subject “Wow!” Here’s the first wow: Miles Davis, Miles Smiles, Columbia 9401. This is an original stereo pressing with the 2-eye label. We’ve never really watched it here at Jazz Collector because it’s never been considered a collectible. In fact, I’ve always seen it as pretty common. I think I have three copies. You can generally find them for $20 or so, right? This one was in M- condition for the record in and VG++ for the cover. Want to guess what it sold for? How about $290? Want to guess who sold it? How about bobdjukic?

This was another wow from CeeDee, but it was not from the same seller: Wayne Shorter, Adam’s Apple, Blue Note 4232. This is a mono LIBERTY pressing. The record was in VG+ or perhaps a little better condition and the cover was VG+. The price: $251.05.  Hmm.

 

DG Or Not DG, That Is the Question

Our friend CeeDee send me the following link in a fit of minor pique: Bill Evans, Portrait in Jazz, Riverside 315. There were two related sources of irritation. One was the overuse of pictures to show every minor detail of the listing. The other was the seeming incongruity between the many and varied pictures and the description of the record. The seller described it as an original deep groove pressing, yet in all of the pictures it is quite difficult to ascertain an actual deep groove. Take a look and see what you think. This one was listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $157.50.

Here’s a catch-up on some of the other records we were watching last week, starting with Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This was an original pressing offered by the Jazz Record Center. It was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $2,619. Big price. I finally landed an original copy of this record last year as part of a collection (not the Irving Kalus collection) and I’m pleased to say the entire collection cost just a bit more than $2,619. From the same auction, this one sold for a surprisingly high price:

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Watching Closely As an Auction Winds Down

I happened to go onto eBay just a few minutes ago and this auction was closing: Miles Davis, Dig, Prestige 7012. The record and cover were both in extremely nice condition, just a notch below M-. I decided to just watch and see how the action transpired in the closing minutes. It was actually quite fascinating. When I started watching, with a few minutes left in the auction, the price was in the $150 range. This was quite low, I thought, although I never considered bidding myself. I actually own two copies of this record, both in beautiful condition. As I was watching and as the seconds dwindled down, it shot up to about $250 and then, in rapid succession as the action was closing in the last 12 seconds to $350 then the final price of $463, which is about where I would have expected it to land.  If you look at the bid history, there seemed to be four bidders in the final stages and my guess is that each of them was using sniping software. The second highest bid was $458, so the next highest bid had to be $5 more, for the $463. We’ll never know exactly what the top bid may have been, but at $463 for this classic Prestige original, I would think that both the buyer and seller would be quite pleased. Yes?

Tracking Some Jazz Vinyl in Top Condition

The Jazz Record Center has a new auction up on eBay. I don’t usually follow particular sellers, but I like to follow their auctions because the records they sell are usually in beautiful condition and because they are such a highly respected seller. What they sell is often a current gauge of the market. Here are a few from their current auction, starting with: Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1549. This is an original pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is $500 and there is already a bidder.

Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain, Columbia 1480. This is an original deep groove six-eye pressing. I don’t normally think of this as a collectible record, but this one has a start price of $75. We’ll see if it generates interest. It is in beautiful, near new condition.

This is another we don’t often watch here at Jazz Collector:

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Homely Mobley, Fine Miles & Kelly’s Blues

This one looks like it’s been through the ringer: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. We know this is one of the rarest of the rare and has sold for as much as $5,600 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. This one will not approach that price. The cover looks like it’s been stored in a sewer — and the cover is listed in better condition than the record. The cover is listed as VG and the record is listed as G+. Still, it will fill a gap in someone’s collection, and for a fairly hefty price. This one is already close to $250 and there are still three days left on the bidding. If you want to see a copy of the cover, you’ll have to click the link. We don’t want to tarnish the site in any way.

This is a cover we’re happy to show: Miles Davis Volume 1, Blue Note 1501. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the Lexington Avenue address on the cover. It is listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price is $249 and so far there are no bidders with more than three days to go. The same seller is also offering this:

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And Starting 2013 With Jazz Vinyl

Happy New Year, all. Hope you get all the vinyl of your dreams this year. We start the year watching eBay, as we are wont to do. It actually seems kind of slow to us, probably not unexpected at this time of year. We’re not seeing a lot of action on the auction from the Jazz Record Center and there’s not the usual frenzy over some items you would expect. But there’s still plenty to watch, starting with: Duke Pearson, Profile, Blue Note 4022. This record looks to be in M- condition for the record and the cover,  and it has already been bid up to $273 with 14 bids. Quite impressive with five days left in the auction. More impressive still when you look at the questions below and realize it has neither deep grooves nor the ear in the deadwax.

Curtis Fuller, The Opener, Blue Note 1567. This is an original pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG or VG+ for the cover. This one has the ear, has the deep grooves, yet, unlike the Pearson LP, it doesn’t have any bids. Start price is around $300. There are five days left. It will sell.

This one is closing soon at it has a lot of bids: Read more

Back in Business Watching Collectible Jazz Vinyl

Bet you’re wondering if I’m OK. I am. Just been a busy period before the holidays. It’s been so long since I’ve posted on Jazz Collector or even been on eBay that all of the items I was watching are now closed. Which gives me a nice opportunity to give a big review, starting with:

Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. This was an original West 63rd pressing in what was described as VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It also had the original shrink wrap, if that means anything to anyone. I guess it means the cover was well protected for all of these years. The top bid on this was a very nice one, $1,136. But guess what? It didn’t meet the seller’s reserve price, so it didn’t sell. We’ve seen this one sell for as much as $1,725 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so I guess the seller had certain expectations. I had a copy of this record in very nice condition, mentioned it on Jazz Collector and was offered $1,500 to sell it. I did. Haven’t missed it since, to be perfectly honest.

Similar situation with this one from the same seller: Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This was an original West 63rd pressing. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover looked to be VG. The top bid was $717 but, again, it failed to sell because it didn’t meet the seller’s reserve price.

This one did sell and I thought it might fetch a higher price: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This one was in VG++ condition for the record and probably similar condition for the cover. It was offered by one of the top eBay sellers and sold for $1,405. A nice price, but we’ve seen this one sell for more than $3,000 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

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Jazz Vinyl That’s New To Jazz Collector

Just browsing eBay and came upon a few items I’ve never seen before. I’m always impressed, after more than 40 years of collecting jazz records, that there are still records that are new to me, for example:

Perhaps I’ve seen this before, but I dont’ recall it: Miles Davis, Porgy and Bess, Fontana 662.036. This is a French pressing and the seller says it is a 10-inch record, which makes sense if you look at the number of tracks per side. Why were the French issuing 10-inch LPs in the late 1950s, when those wars had already been fought and the 12-inch format had won? And look at the cover — it’s the same picture that’s on the American Milestones. I have to say, this looks like a pretty cool item to me. It has a start price of about $100 and is listed in M- unplayed condition.

Speaking of French pressings: Pierre Michelot and his Orchestra, Round About Bass, Mercury 125 500. This is an original French mono pressing and is listed in EX+ condition for the record (VG+++ in our terms?), and EX for the cover. This is from the same seller as the Miles LP and is also in the $100 range with no bids yet.

This an American record, and I assume it’s jazz because it is listed under jazz on eBay and because it is right in the midst of the Atlantic jazz series, but I’ve never seen it:

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Jazz For A Friday Afternoon: Miles, Cannon, Newk

Here’s a few more jazz vinyl items we’ve been watching or are watching on eBay, starting with: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This one is listed as sealed, although it seems it is not the outside cover that is sealed but the inner plastic sleeve. If that is the case, it is pretty cool, better than the cover being sealed because you can actually see the label and the record. The cover is listed in VG++ condition and the record, of course, is listed in mint, unplayed condition. There are a couple of days left and the bidding has topped $300. Seller also took a nice, clear picture, which always helps to secure a top price.

Speaking of Miles, this one got a nice price: Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note 1595. I say speaking of Miles, because after all of these years I still tend to think of this as more of a Miles record, than a Cannonball record. It’s got much more of the Miles vibe than the Cannon vibe. This one was in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $1,475.

One more Blue Note while we’re at it:

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A Day For Rare Blue Notes

Here are a few rare jazz records we’re watching this week on eBay. Today’s version will focus on Blue Notes, starting with: Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This has the West 63rd address but no deep grooves. This one is always confusing and I don’t have the Fred Cohen book in front of me. It’s an original with either one side DG or no sides DG, right? Anyway, this one is in excellent minus condition, which is, what, VG+ in our terms. The price is nearly $300 and there are still four days to go.

Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This looks like an original mono pressing with the New York USA address, as well as the ear and Van Gelder in the dead wax. The record is listed in VG+ condition and the cover is VG++. The record closes within a day and so far there are no bidders at a $189 start price.

Here’s a 10-inch Blue Note with a very cool insert:

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