Before I really knew anything at all about the Silver Jews, I saw this EP of theirs in an Indianapolis thrift store, where I was shopping for cardigans and white belts for autoasphyxiating. The CD was $1.25, so I figured it was a can't-lose deal. It was not at all what I expected--the songs are recorded in an answering machine, so it's pretty much the lowest-fi recording imaginable, but I liked the songs (whatever bits of them were actually discernible) enough that I bought more Silver Jews.

Anyway, awhile back I searched for it on ebay for some reason, and saw one guy selling it for $95 (I may have posted about this at some point, but if so I can't find it). I figured the guy was just crazy or hoping someone else was, but today I looked again and there's another(?) one on ebay for $95 and two on Amazon for $90 and $95. Are there any Silver Jews fans or collectors out there who can tell me whether this EP (apparently their first ever) is really such hot shit?

Must be pretty rare if multiple people on eBay are selling it for big bucks. This is probably because it's so hard to find now, not because it's such a great little EP quality-wise. I'd be willing to bet the record label issued less than 1000 of these and a lot of these are probably land fill material by now.


Some fans just have to have EVERYTHING a particular artist does, no matter how early it was done in their musical careers or even if it was recorded underwater with a broken tape recorder.

Yeah, a quick search (which I could have done earlier, but I kind of wanted to post this anyway) says it's the only CD that's not still available from Drag City, and also that it's their SECOND, not first EP.

The thing with thrift store belts is that they're prone to brittleness and could let you down at a key moment. As long as the cardie has a hole or two, it's ok to go with new white belts.

God, collectors and completists. Pay my bills, suckers.

Sell it. Market is ripe.

Yeah, just do a search on ebay for completed auctions if you haven't already. Just because some people are listing the EP at $90 doesn't mean anyone is buying it.

I realized recently a number of cds I bought used about 7 years ago are out of print and sell pretty decently on ebay.

Generally I think it's better to sell them while the prices are high, because as soon as they are reissued then of course the value drops. Seems its just a matter of time before things get reissued.

I love the Silver Jews, and I still haven't ever been able to give a good, fully attentive listen to Arizona Record. I should try, I guess.

Haq, you should definitely sell it. Although a reissue of this particular thing may not happen any time soon.

As someone who collects long deleted records I'd be surprised if any of these $95 copies actually sell.

Anyone prepared to pay that much also knows there is almost always someone out there selling that has no idea the record is 'worth' that much.

I've never paid more than £20 - 30 for records that are listed on Amazon or eBay at much higher prices.

Still if you can sell it at that price, good on you.

Yeah, a quick scan shows that it went unsold at six gbp a week ago. Of course they don't specify us shipping but I doubt it was $80. Maybe this isn't a sufficient retirement plan.

Blast!

While sipping a soy latte?

You can always put it up on half.com or somethign at a fairly high price and maybe you'll find a sucker one day.