Today on eBay: Does Sonny + 4 = 100?

I’m playing with the idea of doing a post or a series of posts on the topic: “100 Records I Would Keep If I Could Only Keep 100 Records.” It’s sort of a growing fantasy to shed possessions and keep only what is necessary. I bring this up because one of the records that would certainly make the Top Ten of my list is currently available on eBay: Sonny Rollins Plus Four, Prestige 7038. This is an original New York pressing on the vinyl. But is it the original cover, or is the original cover the one with the red and purple design? Let’s see who knows the answer out there. In any case, this one looks to be in nice condition, VG++, and is currently a bit more than $100. 

Other items we’re watching:

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Today on Ebay, February 10, 2009

Pretty quiet on eBay today, although there are a few nice items, as always. We at Jazz Collector have a few auctions closing today, including: Art Farmer with Sonny Rollins, Prestige 177. This is a 10-inch LP. It’s in VG/VG+ condition and is currently in the $30 price range. We’re also selling this nice jazz guitar LP: Johnny Pisano and Billy Bean, Take Your Pick, Decca 9212. This is an original pressing that’s in VG+/VG++ condition and it’s also in the $30 range as of now. We’re also selling LPs with autographs by Woody Herman, plus George Barnes and Bucky Pizzarelli, so please, take a look. 

Among other items, there’s an original pressing of Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This one looks to be in VG++ condition. the current price is $282, but it has yet to meet the seller’s reserve. As a buyer, I’m not a big fan of reserve-price auctions. I’d rather the seller set a high base price if he

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Ellington and Trane on Broadway; Plus Serge Chaloff With and Without Sonny Clark

Some more for the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, Impulse 30. This was an original white label promo copy. It was in M- condition, both record and cover. The price was $326. We’ve actually seen this go for slightly higher before. Interesting — I went to a play with Mrs. JC the other day (Mrs. Jazz Collector, not Mrs. John Coltrane), and they were using 1960s mood music between scenes. One of the tracks was from this album, In a Sentimental Mood. After the fourth note, I was able to identify it. Not difficult really — it’s a very recognizable version. Excellent play, by the way: The American Plan. Worth seeing if you’re in New York.

We were watching these two LPs from Serge Chaloff and questioning how big a difference the presence of Sonny Clark was have on impacting the price. Quite a bit, it turns out:

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Today on Ebay, January 19, 2009

Things are kind of slow on eBay today, but there are definitely a few items of interest for those of us in the Jazz Collector world. Of particular note are several Blue Note test pressings from the seller Bluenotesound, which, we believe, is affiliated with Mosaic Records. This one is of the Jackie Mclean Quintet, listed as Blue Note BST 84116. It was recorded in 1962 — the record has the date 9-2-62 — but wasn’t released until the 1970s. It features Kenny Dorham and Sonny Clark and, according to the seller, Blue Note only issued 25 test pressings of each LP, so it would be extremely rare. In addition to this Jackie test pressing, there are two other test pressings available: Leo Parker, Rolling With Leo,  and a copy of the Sam Rivers LP Dimensions and Extensions. All of these are in near mint condition. It’ll be very interesting to see the final prices. 

Among the more conventional jazz collectibles are:

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Some $1,000 Records

As we were writing the latest post, we noticed that Jazz Collector has been keeping an eye on some records from the past few weeks that sold for more than $1,000. This is always an interesting barrier, so here are some of the records that crossed it:

Sonny Clark, Dial S For Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This was an original pressing, of course. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. Price: $1,401

Hank Mobley, Hank, Blue Note 1560. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The vinyl was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. Price: $1,275

Donald Byrd, Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill, Transition 17. This was an original pressing with the booklet. The record was M-, the cover was VG+ and the booklet was M-. The price was $1,913. 

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Today on eBay, Nov. 20, 2008

Here are some interesting items closing today on eBay: Most of you have probably noticed this one, since it’s a featured listing: Curtis Fuller Volume 3, Blue Note 1583. This is an original pressing. It seems to be in VG+ condition, both record and cover. This one has Sonny Clark on piano and is a pretty nice collectible. The current price is $340. 

If you’re desperate for a copy of Eddie Costa, House of Blue Lights, Dot 3206, there’s one closing soon on eBay for a Buy-It-Now price of $420. The record is M- and the cover is VG+. 

Euclid Records is back again with some nice items, including this one: Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige 7020. This is an original New York pressing with the original orange cover. Careful readers will note that Jazz Collector recently posed the question to our audience on the orange cover versus the yellow cover and one of our readers reminded us that if it’s orange it must be original. This one is in near mint condition and is currently priced at $629. 

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Another Chance at Some Choice Items

A few of the items Jazz Collector was watching the past few days have now been re-listed with Buy-It-Now prices. These include the test pressing of Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note 4040. If you want this, it is now priced at $1,500. We’ll keep an eye on it to see if it sells. As we mentioned yesterday, a similar copy of Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091, sold for $1,950.  Other newly reslisted “Buy-It-Now” items from this reseller include Sonny Rollins Quartet, Prestige 137. This 10-inch LP is priced at $99.99. Also, The Julius Watkins Sextet, Volume Two, Blue Note 5064. This 10-inch LP featuring Hank Mobley is also available for $99.99.

Tracking Some Blue Note Test Pressings

I’ll soon post an item looking ahead to some of the nice items on eBay the next couple of days. Before that, I wanted to point you out to a couple of very interesting items from this past weekend. The seller Orto had two test pressings of nice Blue Note LPs. One was Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. This one was dated 12/04/ 1961, about a month after the session was recorded. Very cool item. It sold for $1,950.  The other was Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note 4040. This was also dated one month after the recording session, and it has a stamp on it and it’s in near mint condition. The top bid on this was $830, and it did not meet the seller’s reserve price. The Hubbard LP was listed first, and I get the feeling when it did not meet the seller’s reserve, the bidding on the Sonny Clark LP increased. If you didn’t see these items, they’re worth a look.

Prices: Sonny’s Crib, House of Blue Lights and More

Working today to update the Price Guide, and here are a bunch of the items I’m putting it. I’m not attaching links to any of these because they’ve all already appeared on the site. If you want to look at the record, just do a search and find the original post.

This one had the highest price of all the ones we’re entering: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This was an original pressing in VG++/VG+ condition. Price: $1,524.99

Eddie Costa, House of Blue Lights, Dot 3206. This was an original pressing in VG++/VG++ condition. Price: $355 Read more

Today on EBay, October 9, 2008

Quite a slow day on eBay today — tomorrow as well — but we’ve been able to find some interesting items worth watching. Here goes:

The seller Stereojacks has some nice items up today, including: Sonny Rollins, Way Out West, Contemporary 3530. 

The seller goodrecordsnyc has several Mosaic boxed sets, including: The Complete 1959 CBS Charles Mingus Sessions, Mosaic MQ4-143. This includes Mingus’ Columbia LPs, with classic tracks such as Goodbye Porkpie Hat, Better Git It in Your Soul and Fables of Faubus. Read more

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