Starting Points for Rare Jazz Vinyl

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.

Chet Baker in New York, Riverside 12-281. This is an original blue label pressing listed in M- condition for the record and M- for the cover. The starting price is $500. The seller does mention that there “might be a slight musty smell” which is typically not a very attractive quality for a record in supposedly M- condition.

Dexter Gordon, Go, Blue Note 4112. This looks to be an original New York pressing. The record is listed in Ex condition and the cover is VG+. The starting price is $850. For the record (pun intended) the highest previous price for Dexter Gordon Go was $760, according to Popsike.

J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This is an original pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The starting price is $800, with no bidders. This is from the seller 1molecularrman, who has several other nice items on sale now, most of which also had high starting prices but have already attracted some interest from buyers. Or, at least the listing on eBay shows a bid. These include: Miles Davis, Relaxin’, Prestige 7129. This is an original New York pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and cover. There is one bid at $500; and, Thelonious Monk with Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075. This is also a New York label original, listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price was $600 and there is one bidder.

Finally, we are watching a couple of Horace Parlan Blue Notes that are closing today: Horace Parlan, Movin’ and Groovin’, Blue Note 4028. This is an original West 63^rd Street pressing listed in VG+ condition for the record and EX for the cover. Bidding is around $565. From the same seller is Horace Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This is also an original pressing, listed in VG+ for the record and VG for the cover. Bidding is at $710.