Sold Date: July 21, 2019
Start Date: May 30, 2019
Final Price: $249.99 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 140
Buyer Feedback: 18

Original 1961 first mono pressing with blue & silver microgroove Riverside labels. Jacket intact but with tastefully applied tape to the seams and some signs of water damage. Record still shines, play-tested beautifully on our system with steady pops and some surface wear but no skips. Overall a great collector's copy of this truly essential jazz rarity. Stored in an archival-quality poly sleeve & shipped promptly in damage-proof packaging.
Sleeve: G Record: G

If you're looking for a pristine audiophile copy, you may prefer a new reissue. But for fans in search of an original first pressing of this all-time classic, we are sad to let this one go. We're grading conservatively because of the visual wear, but it's still an enjoyable listen on our in-house setup (with a heavier Shure m97x cartridge and anti-static brush tip).
We grade according to the Goldmine Standard:
VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+):
VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.
VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking.
Very Good (VG):
VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.
VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won’t be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written or it or stamped a price tag on it, too.
Good (G), Good Plus (G+) or Very Good Minus (VG–):
Good does not mean bad! But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably. A Good to VG– cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters written across the front to deter theft.
POOR (P) and Fair (F): Poor and Fair records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them. Covers are so heavily damaged that you almost want to cry.