As much as I love collecting vintage jazz records, the truth is that this hobby can be quite challenging. The records can be very difficult to find in great condition, and they can be very expensive for a collector on a budget. Thus a significant commitment of both time and money are required by anyone wanting to partake in the greatest of joys this hobby has to offer.

For those committed to the noble cause of seeking out these records, this guide is intended to provide a broad survey of the market, to help serious collectors on a budget determine where they stand within its spectrum of values, and perhaps to help them develop a long-term collecting strategy involving things like pacing and ordering. While this guide does not serve as a traditional price guide designed to indicate what a record is worth at a particular point in time, it does aim to give collectors a rough idea of each record’s value in relation to other titles of interest. The relative value of each record is indicated by its “holy grail factor”, which is the result of a six-tier rating system (“$” to “$$$$$”, followed by the elite “HG” rating). Only titles with the strongest blend of rarity and demand have been awarded with “holy grail” status. (Click here for Deep Groove Mono’s holy grail album art gallery!) Rest assured that I have brought several years of experience to the task of creating an algorithm for an extensive data set that I believe approximates and categorizes each record’s value as accurately as possible. Please also note that the tier each record falls into is always based on the estimated value of an original mono pressing in near-mint condition.

I encourage collectors of all experience levels to use this guide in a way that will help them find success and happiness in their collecting endeavors. Remember to have fun and enjoy!

– Rich Capeless, October 3, 2014