Tag: Popsike

Starting Points for Rare Jazz Vinyl

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I haven’t been watching eBay as diligently during the summer as I normally do, and I haven’t actually sold anything on eBay in more than a dozen years, so this observation may be dated, but . . . . is it just me, or are sellers consistently putting a higher start price on their auctions of rare jazz vinyl? I was just updating my watch list and flagged several titles that had high starting prices and no bidders. At first I assumed it was all from a single seller. But when I opened up the listings, they were all from different sellers. Here are some of those records, starting with Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This was an original red label pressing. If you can read through the seller’s tome and ‘tude, eventually you can find the condition of the record, which was listed as NM-. The cover was described as “pretty nice-very nice” and the picture shows a pretty clean front cover, with wear on the top and some old tape on the back. To me, pretty nice-very nice translates to VG+. The bidding start at $800 and so far there are no takers. Read more

Heavy Hitters, Hefty Prices

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All of the jazz vinyl auctions I was watching in my queue are now over, so let’s start catching up with those, starting with Roland Kirk, Triple Threat, King 539. Although I’m a big Kirk fan, this is a record that has eluded me over the years. This was an original pressing listed in VG condition with “light noise hiss, crackle & an occasional pop.” Cover was listed as VG, with shelf wear and a partial seam split. This was from the seller 1molecularrman, who’s been on quite a run for the past few months. The run continues. This one sold for $1,300 on the noise. Read more

From the InBox: Sun Ra, Sonny Stitt, Swiftly Flow The Bucks

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Let’s start by looking in the Jazz Collector inbox to see what treasures and wisdom might be awaiting us. I see that our old friend CeeDee has a few links for us, starting with another WOW: Sonny Stitt Plays, Royal Roost 2208. This was an original deep groove mono pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The cover pictures could indicate some optimistic grading. The final price was $760. It went from $219, which is pretty high for this record, to the final price in the last few seconds of the auction. There were 12 bidders altogether. This has to be the highest price ever for a Stitt on Roost record. So, let’s swing over to Popsike and . . . . Indeed, it is not just the highest price for a Stitt on Roost, it is the highest price for any Stitt. Hey, it’s a great record and he was a great player. Read more

Volumes of Jazz Vinyl

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I’ve been back in New York for the past week or so, but haven’t had a chance to visit any record stores. If you had a few days in New York, where would you shop these days? If you were shopping on eBay, here are some of the items you may have considered, starting with Pete LaRoca, Basra, Blue Note 4205. This was an original New York USA pressing that looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover, although the seller listed it as VG++ (it wasn’t). When we wrote about it last week, the bidding was in the $750 range. The final price was around $1,190. I kind of assumed this would have been the highest price ever for this record, but according to Popsike a copy last summer sold for $2,375. There were also a few others that ended up in the $1,000 bin, so my assumption was not quite accurate. Read more

A Modern Jazz Quintet

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Let’s go back to the eBay watch list and catch up on some jazz vinyl auctions that may be of interest to the Jazz Collector masses, starting with Chet Baker, Chet, Riverside 299. This looked to be an original blue label deep groove pressing featuring, among others, Bill Evans on piano, which usually seems to generate added interest from collectors. This looked to be graded in EX condition for the record and the cover. The final price was $1,187.  Per Popsike, this is the second highest price ever recorded for this record. In 2018 a mintier copy sold for $1,225.

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Oddballs and Ends

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I think CeeDee may be prodding me to post more. Yes, my friend? Anyway, he’s been sending me links with little notes. Here are the latest. This one is titled “another one from my ‘Greatest Misses’ list:” East Coasting by Charlie Mingus, Bethlehem 6019. This was an original red label pressing, featuring Bill Evans on piano. Is this the only recorded instance of Mingus and Evans together? The record and cover were in VG+ condition and the final price was about $286. Here’s one titled “This oddball LP has been fetching good bids for some years, so don’t pass it up the next time you’re browsing:” The Louvin Brothers, Satan is Real, Capital 1277. The record and cover were in VG+ condition and the price was $363.88. I have no idea what this record is and why CeeDee sent me this link. I have a feeling I am better off in my ignorant bliss, but I have a feeling someone, perhaps Mr. CeeDee, will provide an answer. Read more

In the Mailbox: Yikes, Yowzas & George Benson’s Collection

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Got a few emails from our friend CeeDee, starting with The Booker Ervin Quintette, Cookin’, Savoy 12154. This looks like a red label, but it’s not clear. Some of the photos look red, some look maroon. Not sure this record had deep grooves, but there are none in the picture. This copy was in Ex condition for the record and the cover and sold for about $558. The previous high for this record was $175, according to Popsike. Read more

Get Happy with Freddie Redd and Jazz Collector

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You would think that someone collecting jazz records for more than 50 years, as I have, and who had been obsessed with finding a clean copy of Shades of Redd, as I have, would have known about the following record, as I have not (until now): Get Happy With Freddie Redd Trio With Guests, Nixa Jazz Today Series, NJL.19. Not only have I been unfamiliar with this title, I am also unfamiliar with the label. So, excuse me for a moment, while I look at the record and do a search. A quick perusal tells me this is a Metronome Recording, Made in England and, as described on the label, is an “unauthorized public performance.” The trio is Freddie Redd, Tommy Potter and Joe Harris and the guests are Rolf Ericson and Benny Bailey. Based on the liner notes I would place the record in the late 1950s, maybe 1958 or 1959? Now to Popsike, Google and beyond. Read more

Patterns, Icons and Socks

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Here are some of the items in our eBay watch list, starting with Gil Melle, Patterns in Jazz, Blue Note 1517. This looked to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing in M- condition for the records and VG++ for the cover. The final price was $2,716. That is the highest price ever recorded for this album, according to Popsike. I own a Japanese pressing of this LP and, frankly, I’ve never listened to it, but somehow I get the sense that it is the label and not the music or the artists that makes this record so coveted among collectors. Maybe next time I get a chance, I’ll put it on the turntable. FYI, the highest price for any of the Melle Prestige records was $544 – and that wasn’t even the one with Kenny Dorham, Gil’s Guests. That one has had a top price of $381. Read more

Really, McCoy!

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I realize it’s a long gap between posts when readers send me links to records that have sold  recently on eBay. It’s like a gentle reminder that you are still out there, which I appreciate. This link came to my in box yesterday from Aaron: McCoy Tyner, The Real McCoy, Blue Note 4264. This was an original mono Liberty pressing from the seller Carolina Soul. It was listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. I’ve never purchased from them, but based on the prices they get and their descriptions of the records, I have a sense that they are pretty conservative with the grading. Is that true? In any case, this record sold for $336, with the following note from Aaron: “Hi Al, Not sure if you saw the latest auction for an original mono McCoy Tyner The Real McCoy but it brought back memories of your post from 2014 (Really, McCoy?) when it ‘sold for $171.05, quite a high price for a later Liberty.’” To Aaron and all: In hindsight, I probably misjudged the rarity of and interest in this record back in 2014, particularly the original mono version. According to Popsike, there have been many instances of The Real McCoy selling for more than $200, with a top price of $406. Read more

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