Fairly Common LPs, Uncommon Prices
Many of you in the Jazz Collector audience complain about the seller bobjdukic, but you have to give the guy credit – whatever he does, he is able to get prices that no one else can dream of. I’m watching several of his auctions now and am pretty amazed at where the bidding is going. He must have regular customers who trust him and are well satisfied with what he delivers. Here are a few cases in point: Stan Getz, Getz. Gilberto, Verve 8545. Was there a more popular, more widely produced jazz album in the 1960s? Could you waltz into any record store now (if you can find one) and find a copy of this record in reasonable condition? This one has 11 bids and is currently priced at $219 with more than a day to go. Miles Davis, “Four and More,” Columbia 2453. Again, this is a great record, but not all that uncommon. This one has been bid up to more than $100. Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago, Mercury 60134. This is a stereo pressing. Again a great record, but not that hard to find, even in nice condition. This one has been bid up to $178.50.
I was checking these auctions out myself, and we’ve been discussing ‘bobjdukic’ in another thread. I don’t get it myself. He makes a fortune. I have all three of these albums and picked them up for under $20 a piece within the last couple of years. If someone wants to pay me these crazy prices, they are yours 🙂
Wow, that’s amazing. Getz/Gmaybe ilberto is great, but very common. Maybe not so much in EX or NM condition, but they’re certainly out there (maybe even at your local store) and I would have thought $10-20 for a clean copy.
don’t forget that in the US and some european countries those albums where sold at that time, but in the rest of the world they almost didn.t. So if you live in the Ukrain, or australia or peru or seira-leone, not to mention Birma, it is not normal to find even a common record as the Getz in your local store…
Even in Amsterdam ,The Netherlands, there is so much less for sale then the US.
Nevertheless, the price for the getz is “insanely” high…
I used to hate him but… i changed my mind….I think the guy has a particular talent to sell each and every record (even the most common) as if it was unique. He has the abilility to raise interest on every record he sells. And here’s a part of its success. Plus a bunch of loyal customers that never fails to bid on his record. Bob Djukic has also good sense of humor and derision in describing his auctions, and i appreciate it much more than, say, Music Matters and its team of somewhat arrogant know it all
@Michel : I’ll concede a little. Bob does have a great presentation. Big Bold Headlines. Lots of crisp clear pictures. Even showing the paper sleeves in most cases. His listings must cost him some coin. But, my gosh, who is paying these astronomical prices? $410.00 for Adderley ‘In Chicago’! Is it a fluke? Could I list my great copy tomorrow and get the same amount? Most definitely not. So, my question is. Is ‘bobjdukic’ auctions good for the vinyl market? Will higher prices for common items create a situation then where the rarer records also increase in value. Thus, making the market only available to those that have a higher disposable income. I remember a discussion on another topic here, where some thought that as we travel further away from the time this music was made that a decrease in interest would deflate the market. Seems to me the interest isn’t waning. I’m just not so sure it’s a good thing.
At Cazoon: You may point in a right direction, but my opinion is another. There’s still a huge market out there, where you can get nice copies of rarer records for a small amount of money. Guys like Bob count as a single phenomenon, I wouldn’t say that they destroy the market, since people don’t get in biddingwars because of that particular record, but because of him being the seller. I’m always amused of buyers paying big bucks for a certain record, where there are some more copies for less buy it now prices on ebay at the same time. So it has to do with the seller, not with the records.
People who are really destroying the market are the ones, that can pay $1000 for rare records, because you won’t have a chance to get the record any time soon for less.
But one thing I’ve learned: starting with collecting Blue Notes I found out, that there are beautiful records on other labels you can easily collect for less money. The music is great an I deeply enjoy it instead of some Blue Notes I always thought of being better, just because they were Blue Notes. Nah, I leave these to the big boys and enjoy my collection of Jazzlands, Cameos, Riversides and whatsoever.
@ Cazoon. Agreed fo the question “are BobD auctions good fot vinyl market” ? . ButI mean that i was impressed by his skills as a seller and promoter of is auctions. But the vinyl market has two protagonists : seller and bidder. I think crazy prices for very common items (such as this Adderley) are bidder’s fault. It would be interesting to know if they realize what they are actually do when bidding 200 $ for a Getz / Giberto record. I assume they know what they do. So there must be something i missed…
I have woken into another universe today…..
Getz/Gilberto…..
WOW. he must be laughing himself to the bank.
Who is bidding on this for this sort of money?
This one just don’t add up.
They guy is a genius if he gets bids like this on records like that!
Hmm…interesting views,all. To me,bobdj is pure ‘American hucksterism’ at it’s best(worse?) The graphics are an interesting mix of ad copy greatest hits,”NO pinholes,NO clipped corners,NO promo markings,NO…”(repetition)and over-the-top adjectives “INSANELY rare” (make it BIG!),with colors that engage the eye even as the written word tells you that this lp is one… you… MUST… own. He’s the engaging,seemingly knowledgeable salesman that always has you leaving the store with the suit you never knew you needed.
As for the crazy prices for commonly seen lps,I agree with maarten-commonly seen WHERE? Where you live changes your perspective(natch),and most rare lps find their way overseas,do they not? Besides,when I can get $50-100 for,say,10 lps I don’t care to listen to,it makes it a lot easier for me to then spend $100 or so on something I’d like to find-like a mono copy of Sam River A NEW CONCEPTION on Blue Note. Perhaps,thereby,starting the cycle all over again.
Given I would never buy from him, he is good for the rest for us. Makes a item that I own (e.g., thousands of jazz records) all the more valuable.
If I were still buying off eBay (which I can no longer afford to do), it would not be good for me. The real reason I don’t buy off eBay any longer is that sellers have learned more about how to list and there are no longer any hidden gems out there worth taking a chance on.
I think one of the ways he gets his prices is by using shills to inflate the bidding. If they happen to win, he cancels the transaction and starts again after a discreet period of time.
@Bill…hum…Shills would be an option. I have wondered that many times. But I’ve never seen listing cancellation on his auctions.
http://www.ebay.com/csc/bobdjukic/m.html?_ipg=&_from=&_nkw=&LH_Complete=1&_armrs=1&_sop=3
Beware of heart attack
I agree with maarten and ceedee, it makes a point, if you do not happen to live e.g. in the metropolitan NYC area. It’s pretty much not possible to get your hands on that much rare records in Europe, so you may view the whole scene from a different viewpoint. I would be much more into bidding, if I wouldn’t have to pay expensive shipping costs all the time.
So bobdjukic could offer free shipping…at least 😉
Michel,re:heart attack-thanks for the warning! I stopped reading after 3 pages or so,as my skin began to turn a strange shade of GREEN. I had to turn myself away from the screen before this affliction would recede. Perhaps his webpages should come with an advisory of sorts? (Translation:”WAAAH! WAAAH!I want bids like that,too!”)
I think bob is a fraud (dishonest descriptions) and there is some money laundering going on or something. Just doesn’t add up otherwise. How come the market sets a price and then he doubles it on nearly every item? You can do that once, or twice, but every time? Fishy indeed.
«There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about».
from one of my idols, Oscar Wilde.
we’re talking about Bob, the insane seller.
from a serious insane collector’s point of view, we can laugh at many descriptions and hyperboles, as we continue to read here.
what I can’t stand is the frequent misleading about the originality of a given record.
the systematic attempt to cheat on reissues or second or later pressings (see “very early pressing for a 70’s reissue of a 50’s record) makes me fooled.
wanna add that sometimes records are really good in details and truly original.
sometimes only.
I won’t argue on prices, as I believe anyone can throw his money as he likes.
among the many adjectives we’ve seen about him, I think that Tony’s is the most reliable.