You don’t see too many jazz records selling for more than $1,000. Here’s a recent Gil Melle, Patterns in Jazz, Blue Note 1517, that sold for $1,225. It helped that the record was in mint condition, was an original and was being sold by a highly reputable dealer. Back when I was doing the site regularly, there was huge discussion when a copy of Monk’s Music, Riverside 342, sold eBay for $3,061.50. Here’s what I wrote at the time: Read more
In our newsletter last week we re-raised the question about why a copy of Monk’s Music, Riverside 242, recently sold on eBay for more than $3,000. Here are some of the early responses:
“Hi. Great newsletter by the way. I buy a lot of LPs from Atomic and watched that auction in disbelief. I corresponded with the Atomic crew after the auction asking them if there was something special I didn’t know about this particular LP and they said they were blown away at the price and had absolutely no explanation. My explanation is someone’s pocketbook is bigger than their brain Read more
I was sitting at work yesterday, taking a little break and browsing on eBay, when my friend Dan Axelrod called.
“Are you watching eBay?”
I told him I was.
“Did you see the Monk record?”
I did a quick search and there it was: A copy of Monk’s Music, Riverside 242, by Thelonious Monk. It was an original white label pressing in near mint condition being sold by Atomic Records. What was unusual about the listing was not the record itself, but the bidding. When Dan called the bidding had passed $2,000. When the record finally sold, the price was $3,061.50. It looked like a bidding war among four buyers.
Dan and I weren’t the only ones intrigued – amazed – by the bidding: This record was viewed 1,215 times, which is more than I recall for any other jazz record.
“I didn’t even realize this was one of the heavy hitters,” Dan said.
Neither did I.
I did a quick search of the price guide at Jazzcollector.com. We had one copy listed with the white label. It was in VG++/VG+ condition and sold for $366 in March. Inflation? Rising prices? Condition? Is there any rational reason why this record would sell for more than $3,000?
If you have an explanation, send a note to us. We’ll explore this one in greater detail next week when we send out our next newsletter.
Back from another weekend away, so it’s time to see what happened on eBay the past few days. We were watching auctions from a group of dealers that had some amazing records. Here are some of the dealers and their wares. You can do a general eBay search on completed items for any of these dealers to see more.
Here are items sold by the dealer Jazz5060. This dealer also has a bunch of great records for auction now.
Charlie Persip, Jazz Statesman, Bethlehem 6046, in M-/M- condition. Price: $157.50
Walter Benton Quintet, Out of this World, Jazzland 28, in M-/M- condition. Price: $449
Zoot Sims, Stretchin’ Out, United Artists 4023. This was a promo copy in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $460
Freddie Hubbard, Goin’ Up, Blue Note 4056, in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $349.95
The Return of Howard McGhee, Bethlehem 42 in M-/M- condition. Price: $676 Read more
Another day, another thousand or so records on eBay. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to go through them all and it may as well be me. Here are some of the items we’re watching over the next couple of days: Don Sleet, All Members, Jazzland 45
After you click this item do yourself a favor and click “View Seller’s Other Items.” You will see some great records in great condition that will sell for high prices.
This is another dealer with some good items this week. Art Taylor, Taylor’s Wailers, Prestige 7117
One of these days we will get this record, but not this week. The price tag of $450 is already a little too steep. Read more
I couldn’t sleep again the other night so I went into my music room and started poring through the batch of 115 Downbeat and Metronome magazines I bought at the WFMU Record Show in New York last week. Most of the magazines are from the 1940s and 1950s, with a few Downbeats from the 1960s thrown in. I love these things because they give you a real view of the history of jazz as it was happening. I’m always surprised that so few people seem to be collecting the old magazines. It’s okay, because the prices are always reasonable and it would be nice if they stay that way. Anyway, over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing some of the interesting items I find as I go through the magazines. Here are a few snippets: Read more
Today we turn things over to some readers. We appreciate all of your letters and the great support we’re already getting from the community after just two weeks. If you sent us a note and we haven’t replied, it’s just because we’re a little overwhelmed right now. Here are some of the things our readers have shared with us:
“It’s great to read your newsletter. I feel the same way about my father as you do about being introduced to jazz. I was hearing jazz at my house as a kid way before I migrated to my generation’s rock music. I eventually came back to jazz I my 20s and have stayed there since. Read more
