Music Matters Definitive Blue Note 45 RPM and 33 & 1/3 RPM vinyl series (pt7)

I know what’s in the playlist for Friday. Lol

 

Welcome to the other side

 

I spun it over the weekend after all that talk in the Tone Poet thread. Totally agree with you that whole record is awesome. Reza is such a great tune. Don't think there is a weak track on the entire album.

 

I held off on the lauding in that thread because I feel like half my posts are shilling for Puttin’ it Together. But damn do I love this album.

 

I would like to see Morgan's "Search for the New Land" (regular or SRX) come down to a reasonable price someday. That LP has been well over $200 in both vinyl formulations for years. I am hearing that it might be coming out in the Classic series soon, so there is hope.

 

A copy of Basra sold in a facebook group last might for $145. Hate I missed that one, but that is truly a sign that MmJ secondary prices are dropping fast.

 

Why are the prices dropping? Is it just a cooling off of the market? Is it just with 45s, or is it with 33s as well?

 

Both. I have no idea why they are dropping. It started about 6 months ago, but is ramping up now. I have been keeping a close eye on prices and trying to jump on must haves whenever they reach reasonable prices. Snagged JuJu for $120 and Roll Call for $80 not long ago. Both minty as can be

 

I'll play devil's advocate, I don't think a one-off Facebook sale is indicative of the overall market. On Discogs, 5 copies of Basra have sold in the last 2 months. Four were between $200-350. One was a great deal at $150. I bet that listing was up for <24 hours and is likely more indicative of one seller really needing cash than the overall market for this title.

I agree that the price run-up appears to have finally stopped. And that perhaps it has become a bit easier to snag one-off "deals" in the $80-150 range that were scarce over the last 12-18 months as perhaps more people are seeking to cash out, quickly.

But there are still plenty of sales happening at very high price points.

 

Im not really talking about one off deals though

Something Else
Idle Moments
Page One
Song For My Father
Cool Struttin

these are 5 heavy hitters that have been regularly selling for $125 or less on multiple occasions in the past few months.

 

because theyve all been issued in the BNC series recently

 

I'd agree there has definitely been a BN Classic effect on titles that were released there, especially for 33 RPM non SRX.

Maybe you have a better handle on the market than me but I have been watching a bunch of 45s and haven't noticed a ton of softening.

 

My working theory is that the majority of people who were in the market for these have settled for the BNC versions, but the BNC versions have opened up the audience for collectors and eventually the people who bought the BNC versions will eventually discover the MMJ versions and drive the prices back up long term.

 

I'd love it if Blue Note bought the metalwork from MMJ and started offering small runs of these for $75 as premiums available to those who want more than a BNC. I'd pick up a few for sure.

Short of that though I'm just not biting. The BNCs get me at least 90% of the way there. I can't justify a hundred bucks extra to hear the remaining ten percent (not begrudging anyone who does though)

 

The premium really depends on the title for me. I feel overloaded in BN hard bop dates, but I'd still grab a title at the $15-20 Classics sale prices. Something like Evolution or Point of Departure are worth spending more to me for their absolute greatness and relative distinctiveness in the larger BN catalog.

Also the Classic 33s, while they might lean towards a slightly different presentation style, get closer than 90% to MMJ 33s to my ears.

 

Yeah there was definitely a time as the stock ran out I was willing to spend $200ish on the last few titles I realllly wanted like Mode for Joe, Sooth Sayer. But I'm ok now, other stuff to buy and I'm happy with the titles I do have. Looks like over the 40 titles I have I averaged $57 per title, and the most was $90 for the non-SRX repress of Adam's Apple. I'd probably buy a few more if they restocked them like that but I dont need to collect these like baseball cards. And I figure Mode for Joe is a Don Was favorite, only a matter of time before they do it as a BNC.

 

This is like a fun econ. 101 question. Introduction of a (partial) substitute product (BNC) that drives a subsequent change in tastes towards the broader product category (quality jazz reissues). Can argue different ways the equilibrium moves

 

i am sure that i am not the marginal seller driving prices here but for titles where there is a BNC i have been selling my corresponding 2x45 MMJs.

more than happy to trade ~10% of the sonics in return for not having to make 3 trips to the TT -- seems like you just get into the groove with an album and then its time to flip / change discs -- such a buzz kill!

...that plus the cash from the sale of one MMJ buys a fair number of BNCs and TPs.

YMMV

 

I've been debating doing that for Open Sesame and Real McCoy, how do you feel the BNCs are of those two?

 

i did not have those two ...but for an example of my experience, the two most recent BNC for MMJ swaps i did were for evolution and destination out! and to tell you the truth it was only possible to tell a difference when doing an A/B listening -- and it was subtle as both BNCs are very high quality masterings / pressings.

now when i put on theses BNCs i enjoy the albums every much as i did the MMJs.

fwiw: this strategy has funded much of my 2022 LP purchaces ...so, a win / win from where i sit

 

I respect the idea of trading 10% of the sonics for not getting up so much (and cheaper prices) but I’m not sure what 10% means in practice. Going back to Puttin’ It a together for example, what would 90% of that record sound like and would we all be raving about it? I don’t know, and I doubt it.

 

agreed -- just used the 10% number that was put forward up-thread by @Crush87 ...the "actual" number is of course subjective and dependent upon the title, listener, system, and many other variables.

as they say, YMMV

 

You don’t really need to imagine what 10% sounds like

Put on a MMJ then put on the BNC. People still rave about the BNC sound…

 

I don't have the MMJ of Real McCoy but the BNC is sub-par, imo

 

Why do you think so? Is it just the sound, in general, or is this compared to other copies of the same album?