Missed Opportunity

[relyles]

As my father used to say, when you are slow, you blow. Yesterday I received the following email from my local independent retailer which survives primarily on used CD sales:

Just received 14 Mosaic used Jazz CD Box Sets

 

All 4-7 CD sets

 

Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers 1960’s

 

Lee Morgan/Wayne Shorter Vee Jay sessions

 

Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orch complete recordings

 

Gerald Wilson Orch complete recordings

 

Phil Woods Quartet recordings

 

Johnny Hodges Verve recordings

 

Jimmy Giuffre Atlantic recordings

 

Serge Chaloff sessions

 

Duke Ellington complete Reprise

 

Duke Ellington complete Capitol

 

Jack Teagarden complete Roulette

 

Jack Teagarden complete Capitol

 

Bix Biederbecke/Jack Teagarden/Wayne Trumbauer 1924-36

 

We’re here Tue/Wed/Thur see you

 

Bobby Hackett complete

 

None of these sets were priorities for me when they were first released, or items I have felt compelled to seek afterward for a number of reasons. Nonetheless, I figured I might be able to catch a good deal on sets such as the Blakey, Woods, Wilson, Jones/Lewis, Shorter/Morgan or Giuffre, which I at least have an interest in. I spent time this morning debating whether to leave work early and researching reviews on the sets I might want. The store officially opens at 11:00, but the sole proprietor is usually there earlier. I thought about getting there early, but ultimately decided to get there when I knew it was open. I also thought about calling and asking him to hold a couple of sets for me, but I didn't. Both decisions proved to be huge mistakes. When I walked in the door someone else was at the register with two piles of the sets. He purchased everything except the Woods, Chaloff, Hackett and Teagardens. 

To give you an idea how much of a lost opportunity this was, I purchased the Woods set for $28. All of the sets were in like new condition and all were priced for less than when originally issued. I doubt he charged more than $40 for any set since I suspect he priced them all at around $7 per disc. He does not know the value of some of these among collectors, plus he does not like to price anything in the store too high.

Oh well ... maybe next time.

Edited October 1, 2019 by relyles

[HutchFan]

Oh man. That's some tough luck.  

 

[JSngry]

Carpe diem, bro.

[Justin V]

Argh.  If they still have the Teagarden Roulette or the Hackett, I can recommend the former.  The latter would depend on your appreciation of mood music; I acquired 4/5 of the set and kept the small-group discs (3&4) while selling the mood-music ones (1&2).

[Pim]

Ouch that hurts!

[Brad]

Live and learn. Wonder if the buyer will flip them. Some of these sets you can buy on eBay at a low price, if you're patient. 

[carville]

Well my friend you snooze you lose! It's happened to me there too.

 I've been acquainted with this store owner and store since 1984 when I first got my driver's license. Some of the best bargains of my (music collecting) life found there. Probably the best single day was around 1989-90 or so? My brother was in there in the morning (I was working for some extra $$, it was a Saturday) and said the owner had a bunch of records I might like "Sun Ra and some other stuff". Of course I flew over there. I found around 25 original mint Byg/Actuel titles, all of the Sun Ra on ABC impulse stuff and a dozen or so rarities (Shepp, Bill Dixon, Cherry). I got 45 or so lps for $300. A fortune for me then, but well worth the price at most any given point in time. What pains me the most is that all the Sun Ra Saturn stuff had been there just a few hours earlier. And who knows what else....

 

[Soulstation1]

[Justin V]

On 10/1/2019 at 5:15 PM, carville said:

I got 45 or so lps for $300. A fortune for me then[...]

Heck, that is a fortune for me now.  

[carville]

On 10/10/2019 at 9:24 PM, Justin V said:

Heck, that is a fortune for me now.  

True. It was huge for my then 22 year old self.