CGC-certified Vintage Concert Posters Take Center Stage in Heritage Sale

Posted on 10/31/2024

Many popular rock concert posters from the 1960s are included in this auction in early December.

Tune in to this rockin’ sale of vintage concert posters, many of which are authenticated and graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®). Heritage Auctions’ Music Memorabilia & Concert Posters Signature Auction is playing some of the greatest hits on December 2-4, 2024.

A top highlight of the auction is an FD-26-OP-1: Skeletons & Roses, Avalon Ballroom, September 16 & 17, 1966 poster graded CGC 9.6. This famous Family Dog psychedelic concert poster from the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco advertised shows in September 1966 by a band that is one of the most enduring of all time. The Grateful Dead launched their debut self-titled album the next year in 1967. Well-known in the psychedelic poster world, Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley would often search the shelves of the San Francisco Public Library for images and ideas that they could then build their posters around. From a series of skeleton drawings by British book illustrator E.J. Sullivan, they found an illustration of a skeleton picking roses and assembling a wreath from the flowers, which became the impetus for the iconic poster.

Click images to enlarge.

Also available is a G/G-671110-OP-1: James Cotton Blues Band, Grande Ballroom, November 10 & 11, 1967 poster graded CGC 9.6. The James Cotton Blues Band, led by legendary blues harmonica player James Cotton, electrified audiences with their powerful live performances, cementing Cotton’s reputation as one of the greatest blues musicians of all time. This psychedelic poster by artist Carl Lundgren is known as a “Vanessa” because it features an image of actress Vanessa Redgrave. Only nine unrestored examples of this poster have been certified by CGC, and only two are graded higher — making this a rare find for any collector!

Other CGC-certified concert posters in this auction include:

  • an AOR-2.90-OP-1: Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fillmore East, May 10, 1968 poster graded CGC 9.6
  • an AOR-2.184-OP-1: Grateful Dead, Pioneer Ballroom, Suisun City, California, September 23 & 24, 1966 poster graded CGC 9.6
  • an AOR-3.56-OP-1: The Plastic Inevitable Show, The Trip, May 3-18, 1966 poster graded CGC 9.4
  • a BG-74-OP-1: Jefferson Airplane, O’Keefe Centre, Toronto, July 31 - August 5, 1967 poster graded CGC 9.2
  • a BG-134-OP-1: Steppenwolf, Fillmore West, August 27 - September 1, 1968 poster graded CGC 9.8
  • an FD-1-OP-1: Tribal Stomp, Fillmore Auditorium, February 19, 1966 poster graded CGC 7.0 Restored
  • D-64-OP-1: Pink Panther, Avalon Ballroom, June 1-4, 1967 poster graded CGC Gem Mint 10 - Signature Series (Victor Moscoso)

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC CardsCGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of home media, including Betamax tapes, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.


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