Jack White made headlines last week when he announced that he was the bidder who spent $300,000 for the acetate of Elvis Presley's original single, a 7" pressing from Sun Records featuring "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," and that his label Third Man Records would be releasing copies of the recording for Record Store Day 2015. That inspired us to check out what the highest-priced albums on eBay were at the moment, and readers ate it up, so we've decided to try it again, looking at every LP priced at more than $1,000 on the online auction site at the moment. From least to most expensive:
Note: The listings featured below are as of publication time.
07) Lightnin' and The Blues by Lightnin' Hopkins...$1,000 from 5 bids
Bluesmen are often the most sought after of music providers on eBay, and the older you get the better. This collection from Texan Lightnin' Hopkins was released during 1959. Although that was his first year to release anything, Lightnin' and The Blues was technically his third release, all within 12 months, and all on different record labels. The seller claims it to be THE rarest blues record in existence (fighting words), estimating that less than 150 playable copies still exist. If you'd rather get a cheaper version, Mt. Vernon Records rereleased this original Herald release.
06) Peckin' Time by Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan...$1,025 from 18 bids
Any original pressing from the blue Note label is bound to bring in the bids, as this seller is finding when it comes to Peckin' Time, a collaboration between saxophonist Hank Mobley and trumpet player Lee Morgan. The release came during the wonderful hard bop era and 1958 would also feature the legendary releases Moanin' (Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers), Cool Struttin' (Sonny Clark) and Something Else from Cannonball Adderly. One thing those albums didn't have however was a most excellent album cover, which Peckin' does, featuring the title, performers and record label number printed in brutal stencil upon a traveling case.
05) "A Hard Days Night / Things We Said Today" by The Beatles...$1,073 from 5 bids
The only performer to land a record worth more than $1,000 both weeks thus far has been The Beatles, a sensible enough candidate for the honor. We can tell this one is coming from the band's homeland of the UK due to the currency conversion performed by the site for us. Although the user notes that this original pressing of the 1964 single has been lightly used, it looks about as slick as a new LP could, with a glossy sheen that you can see yourself in...a record collector's dream. Even if you own the American version of the single, this might be worth the splurge as it features different art and a separate B-side ("Things We Said Today" in the UK and "I Should Have Known Better" in the U.S.A.).
04) Hank Mobley by Hank Mobley...$1,136 from 15 bids
Hank Mobley is certainly our most popular performer of the day and it's no surprise that the same seller hawking Peckin' Time is also behind this offer. Just like with the blues, and any old music, the older the record the better. This album was also less well received than Peckin', so what's the story? Turns out Mobley's self-titled tenth album was an extremely limited pressing, limited to 500 copies. The seller, also the one behind the aforementioned Hopkins album, doesn't hold back with the blockbuster language here, noting it as "the pinnacle of hard bop, probably the rarest and most coveted jazz album in history." Again, these words are questionable but at least the owner is sticking to them. Despite having brought in $1,136 worth of bids thus far, the reserve—or minimum amount required for the transaction to go through—had not been met as of publication.
03) Modern Art by the Art Pepper Quartet...$1,225 from 4 bids
Another classic release that could easily be confused for a new edition. Art Pepper and his quartet released Modern Art during 1957, but that collection has been forgotten about in the wake of a 1988 reissue from Omega Records that included five new tracks. Indeed any of Pepper's originals on Aladdin Records will be tough to find. The titled of this album, technically, includes the addition of The Complete Art Pepper Aladdin Recordings, Volume Two, a humorous piece of paradox for those who understand the meaning of "complete." Those expecting experimental music based on the title alone may be disappointed to hear pieces from the repertoire of Richard Rodgers, Broadway extraordinaire.
02) Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen...$1,625 from 11 bids
Whoa there hard charger: Don't expect to go over to your dad's house, take his copy of Born to Run and sell it for thousands of dollars on eBay. This is a rare test pressing that features a darker tint to the photo of The Boss leaning on Clarence Clemons and, more notably, a totally different typeface. While the copy in your parents' record collection probably has a thin, sans serif font, the test pressing features a flashier and splashier typeface more in line with Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet. And yes, that IS enough to drive prices through the roof. Once again we have user "bobdjukic" to thank for the description of the album as "insanely rare," and then again as "monstrously rare." Drink less coffee before posting items on eBay sir. In case you were interested in selling the regular ol' copy of Born to Run online, expect to get somewhere between $2 and $10, depending on quality.
01) "Old John Hardy" / "The House Carpenter" by Clarence Ashley...$1,753 from 17 bids
If you tuned in last week, you know that we got up to $3,500. We're sorry that prices haven't been as high this week. Nonetheless, the no. 1 finisher still features a new element: 78 RPM. These aren't the records in your parents' basement but the ones in your grandparents' basement and, unlike the last generation of records, there could be a pot of gold gathering dust in your grandparents' collection. Today's example is the single "John Hardy" and B-side "The House Carpenter" played by "hillbilly" folk musician Clarence Ashley, noted for his banjo and vocals. Two reasons why this piece might be interesting to own: A) It's rarity is attested to by the fact that this is the first time it's ever been featured on eBay and B) it come directly from the collection of noted San Diego record expert Ken Swerilas, who passed away in January at the age of 82.
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