Rare records recently auctioned.. Elvis, Mobley, Furry Lewis, etc.

[Josh]

It's not every day you find Sun 209 up for grabs, let alone a mint, unplayed copy of it! But that's just what one lucky buyer snagged —albeit for one darn pretty penny — in this edition's roundup of online auction action.

$10,987 —Elvis Presley, "That's All Right" b/w "Blue Moon of Kentucky" 45. So just how does one score a mint, unplayed copy of this 1954 record? According to the seller, it's all who you know. This copy of Sun 209 came from the personal collection of Sun Records Promotion Manager Cecil Scaife, who had received a box of 25 copies directly from Sam Phillips back in the 1950s.
The 45 is housed in its original brown stock paper sleeve and is guaranteed original and unplayed, according to the seller. The labels, which have the push marks caused by the equipment at Plastic Products (the pressing plant that manufactured Sun records at the time), are also listed in mint condition, with raw flecks still flaking off the spindle hole.

The seller did disclose that this 45 had been offered for auction previously, but that winning bidder opted against completing the purchase due to high tax rates for international shipments.

$7,000 —Fresh Blueberry Pancake, "Heavy" LP. This privately pressed demo copy is one of only 54 copies of this 1970 psych demo LP that were pressed. The professionally cleaned and play-graded record comes in at Very Good ++, while the jacket comes in at VG+. According to a listing at Allmusic.com, this work by the Pittsburgh power trio comprised of singer/bassist Tony Impavido, guitarist John Behrens and drummer Geoff Rydell "is now much sought-after among collectors of plodding, monolithic acid rock."

$5,500 — "Georges Enesco plays Bach," 3 LPs. Classical music collecting is alive and well, if the Market Watch activity in recent weeks is any indicator. According to the seller, this item is "the holy grail of classical LPs," as it is an original Continental pressing from 1950, numbers CLP 104/105/106. A insert was included, and red-felt-and-gold-print box itself is in "perfect" condition.

The featured discs and contents are: Disc 1 : TA 33 016 (1) and TA 33 021(6) : SONATA No. 1 in G Minor + PARTITA No. 3 in E Major; Disc 2 : TA 33 020 (3) and TA 33 017 (4) : SONATA No. 3 in C Major + PARTITA No. 1 in B Minor; Disc 3: TA 33 018 (2) and TA 33 019 (5) : SONATA NO. 2 in A Minor + PARTITA No. 2 in D Minor.

$5,101 — Hank Mobley, "Hank Mobley" LP. This isn't the first time our buddy Hank has showed up in Market Watch, and we suspect it won't be the last. According to the seller, this is the original RVG-stamped deep-groove "P"-pressing of Hank Mobley's rare, self-titled Blue Note 1568 and one of several original Blue Notes for which the labels do not match: Side 1 has the West 63rd NYC label while Side 2 has the West 63rd New York 23 label with the centering mark over the "i" (in "Microgroove").

While many versions of this record have been seen with West 63rd NYC labels on both sides, no copies have been found to have the New York 23 address on both sides or Side 1 alone, the seller said. The vinyl is in near-new condition (but the seller doesn't give a formal grade), and the cover has three sharp corners and perfect seams, but slight foxing on the edges of the back slick, according to the description.

$5,100.69 —The Lonseome Drifter, "Eager Boy" b/w "Tear Drop Valley" 45.
Record buyers love their rockabilly, and this goodie on K records (K 5812) drew plenty of attention; there were 15 bids before the winner was determined.
This record was advertised by the seller as yet another "holy grail that never gets offered," especially given its Mint-Minus condition.

$4,500 — Furry Lewis, "Judge Harsh Blues" b/w "I Will Turn Your Money Green" 78. Apparently Blues Images' John Tefteller isn't the only collector who appreciates a good Furry Lewis record (see page 62 for an in-depth look at Furry's song "Good Looking Girl Blues).

The seller didn't have much to say about this record — "In our opinion, the greatest of all Fury (sic) Lewis records" was pretty much it. Apparently, the artist's body of work speaks for itself. This copy of Victor 38506 grades at Excellent Plus condition, the seller says.

$4,010.73, Tinkerbell's Fairydust, "Tinkerbell's Fairydust" LP. This 1969 Decca first pressing of "Tinkerbell's Fairydust" popped up twice in this edition's roundup, with identical descriptions, seller information and photos but different selling dates and amounts (26 bids on June 6 for $4,010.73 and June 7 for $2,911.) Not sure if the first winning bidder bailed or if someone tried to "flip" this LP, but either way, it's here twice.

The seller's description (well, both of them) stops just short of calling this record a unicorn, but says this is "one of the rarest LPs you will ever see" and it is "seriously rare," "simply impossible to find" and "virtually never turns up for sale." The record was just described to be in "brilliant condition," which the seller interpreted to be VG+, and "clearly hasn't been played much at all." Both descriptions also indicate that the record bears the "Factory Sample — Test Press" label. The Cat. No. is SKL 5028 and the record is a U.K. Stereo first pressing.

$3,173.45 — Johanna Martzy, J.S. Bach unaccompanied violin sonatas, Vol. 1 and 2, LP. These "absolutely pristine condition" copies of Volumes I and II feature Johanna Martzy performing. Both are marked as promo copies, and the records appear to be in unplayed, Near-Mint condition, according to the seller's description.

$2,800 — The Beatles, "The Beatles and Frank Ifield - On Stage" LP. Rounding out our countdown are The Beatles (c'mon ... you knew they'd show up at some point). Featured is the rare portrait cover copy of "The Beatles and Frank Ifield - On Stage" on Vee Jay LP 1085 from 1964. The cover grades at a strong VG+, while the labels and vinyl grade at VG++.  

Source: http://www.musicstack.com/articles/early-elvis-45-on-sun-lights-uponline-auction-circuit