Insider Secrets of The Psychedelic Art Market

Insider Secrets of The
Psychedelic Art Market
www.psychedelicart.com | 410-464-6180
Insider Secrets of The Psychedelic Art Market
Psychedelic Art Exchange represents a select group of sophisticated collectors
who are aggressively looking to participate in what many believe is the single
most lucrative opportunity in the collectibles market today –1960s Psychedelic
Rock Concert Posters.
It is widely acknowledged that 1960s Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters are historically important works of art
that were produced in exceedingly small numbers. Today, the tiny fraction of posters that have survived in Mint
Condition are highly sought after at today’s ridiculously low price levels.
Many collectors are convinced that these rarities represent exceptional values that are trading for just pennies on
the dollar compared to most other popular collectibles including rare stamps, coins, comic books, baseball cards, etc.
Literally thousands of Rock Concert Posters have been issued over the past 40 years and each month dozens
more are created –many featuring phenomenal artwork and superstar bands.
Psychedelic Art Exchange has conducted exhaustive research over several years to identify exactly which posters
we believe have the most potential to explode in desirability and appeal as this ground floor opportunity begins
to mature.
The purpose of this report is to reveal to you the results of our efforts --- so that you may discover for yourself
which posters have been targeted for acquisition by our international clientele.
Here’s What We Buy and Why We Buy It
We prefer to buy and sell Original Printings
Psychedelic Art Exchange buys and sells posters that are Original Printings that were created and distributed
before a rock concert with the express purpose of advertising the live event. On some occasions, more than one
printing of a poster was created before the event, and each of these pre-event posters is considered an original
and would be acceptable for acquisition.
Because of the popularity of these posters at the time, many issues were reprinted after the show with the express
purpose of being resold after the event. Psychedelic Art Exchange prefers to specialize in the Original Printings.
Our Logic:
Original Printings were produced as advertisements for live events. They were “posted” on telephone poles, bus
stops, bulletin boards, store windows and other places all over town.
After the event, the posters no longer served a purpose, so they were quickly torn down and replaced with a new
poster advertising the next big concert. Very few of these works of art were carefully saved, and it is indeed a
miracle that any have survived in Mint Condition today.
In contrast, reprints were never posted, but were kept in neat stacks from the printer and then sold in stores as
decorative art and memorabilia. Many reprints are available, even today, in large quantities and possess no rarity
or historical importance. That’s why PAE recommends Original Printings.
We prefer to buy and sell posters from the 1960s.
There is near unanimous consensus among historians that the 1960s represented the most significant social
movement of the 20th century. Perhaps Jann Wenner, world famous journalist and Founder of Rolling Stone
Magazine recently put it best…
“The culture wars that began in the sixties, about drugs, about military incursions into foreign countries, about sex and human rights, the environment and on and on, are still being fought. All the issues are correct, and
they are rooted in the activism of the sixties. The values have not only survived – in many ways they are the mainstream values of our times.”
– Jann Wenner
These fantastic works of art are without a doubt the most authentic historical artifacts of this historic era. Unlike
any other collectible or works of art, they most closely represent and embody the ideals and values that helped
shape our nation -- then and now. For this reason alone, the appreciation and importance of these special works
of art is guaranteed to grow with each passing year.
Psychedelic Art Exchange specializes in posters that were issued before 1970.
Our Logic:
The reason we believe that 1960s Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters represent the most lucrative opportunity in
the collectibles market today is because you can buy something that is ultra rare and historically important. (Not
to mention extremely beautiful and underpriced).
Without a doubt, there are many very beautiful and extremely rare posters of legendary artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and the Grateful Dead that were created in the 1970’s -- and these posters are extremely sought
after by many collectors around the world today. In no way do we believe these collectors are wrong.
However, even today, hundreds of new concert posters –many featuring breathtaking designs - are churned out
each month. As a collector, you have to draw the line somewhere. We believe that Concert Posters from the
1960s are far more historically important than those from later decades and therefore choose to target our collecting activities to the few short years spanning 1965-1969.
We prefer to buy and sell posters that are in Mint Condition
Psychedelic Art Exchange strongly believes that 1960s Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters in Mint Condition are
vastly undervalued and under-appreciated compared to the prices of similar pieces in used condition!
Right now, you can acquire Mint Condition specimens for a tiny fraction of what they should be, and what our
clientele believes they will be. This presents astute collectors the opportunity to buy the very best for just a little
more and enjoy a collection that should skyrocket in desirability as the true rarity of Mint Condition items becomes more widely appreciated and understood in the coming years.
Our logic:
Let’s consider the average poster that was printed in an edition of 1000 pieces. Of those, probably 10-20% (100-200)
exist in any condition today. Of these 100-200 surviving pieces, it’s safe to say that no more than 5-10% (just 5 to 20
pieces total!) have somehow miraculously survived in Mint Condition Now take a look at the chart below.
You will see that in coins, stamps, baseball cards,
comics and every other collectible, it is commonplace for Mint Condition examples of a collectible to trade for 10-20 times an average, used
example. This price differential simply represents
the difference in rarity between Mint condition
and used examples.
Our experience shows that there is a steady supply of “really cool and really rare” posters that are
in used, damaged or restored condition. Many
collectors enjoy these type of pieces and some
even believe a poster with 4 pinholes that came
directly off a telephone pole or the wall of a
1960s “hippie pad” is the ultimate in collectability. We do not believe that these collectors are wrong
to hold this opinion…. we just don’t share it.
It is an undisputable fact that in every major collectible market, quality is a major determinant of value. Furthermore, many of our clientele are extremely well-to-do individuals that enjoy displaying these rare works of art in
their lavish homes. Additionally, there is always a ready market from collectors who “want the very best”. And most
importantly, Mint Condition posters are extremely undervalued compared to their used or restored counter-parts.
It is for all of these reasons that Psychedelic Art Exchange specializes in Mint Condition posters.
The Specific Issues We Like and Why We Like Them
Bill Graham Fillmore Auditorium Series Issues #1-30 in Mint Condition
The late Bill Graham is the most famous and influential concert promoter of all
time. Mr. Graham promoted concerts at the world famous San Francisco ballroom, The Fillmore Auditorium.
The first concert was held on February 4, 1966 and continued through July 4th,
1971. During this era, Mr. Graham issued 287 concert posters. Poster # 1 was
issued in a tiny quantity of just 500 pieces, numbers 2-8 were issued in quantities of under 1000 and then the quantities issued gradually increased until 3500
became the standard number released around poster #30.
These posters, along with the Chet Helms Family Dog Avalon series described below are unquestionably the
most historically important Psychedelic Rock Concert posters ever issued. Perhaps the late, great author, Dr.
Hunter S. Thompson put it best when he said:
“No explanation, no mix of words or music or memories
can touch that sense of knowing that you were there
and alive in that corner of time and the world. My central memory of that time seems to hang on one or five
or maybe forty nights when I left the Fillmore half
crazy… instead of going home I was absolutely certain
that no matter which way I went, people were just as
wild as I was. …There was a fantastic universal sense
that whatever we were doing was right, that we were
winning.” – Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Psychedelic Art Exchange advises collectors to focus on the first 30 issues for the following reasons:
These posters were first issued during the very birth of the psychedelic rock concert… when “The
Scene” was in its embryonic stages. Relatively few people attended the shows and there were no
active collectors of the posters in the beginning. Therefore, the earliest issues were the most historically important -- and were also the issues that were distributed in the fewest quantities!
As the year 1966 progressed, the San Francisco ballroom scene exploded, the quantities issued
were ramped up and collectors started to save the posters. In addition, Bill Graham quickly
seized on the popularity of the posters and by late 1966 sizable quantities were held back to
be sold on a commercial basis. To this day, major quantities of Original Printings of many
later Fillmore issues are readily available.
Therefore, we advise collectors to conserve their funds and buy the early “keys” to the series in
Mint Condition. This will result in a huge savings of funds and storage space that would be
necessary to acquire all 287 posters in the series…many of which are not very scarce, if at all.
Are there some beautiful posters that were issued after #30? Absolutely. Are there issues after
#30 that are exceedingly rare? Of course! Would we discourage a collector from collecting all
287 posters if that is what they desire? Absolutely not. All we are saying, is that the accumulation of all 287 posters would result in spending a lot of money and ending up with less than
a dozen post #30 posters that are historically important, beautiful and rare.
When it comes to the last word on The Fillmore posters, here’s what Bill Graham himself
had to say:
“These posters are no less significant than a timeless series of classic postage
stamps; certainly they have come to command a similar passion and respect.”
– Bill Graham
Chet Helms Family Dog Avalon Series #1-30 in Mint Condition
While Bill Graham will always be remembered as an intense, super serious force of
nature, Chet Helms and his collective dubbed the Family Dog were the less well organized and financed, laid back antidote to their competitor.
The Family Dog series comprises of 147 posters beginning on February 19,1966 and
ending on November 30, 1968. After sharing the Fillmore Auditorium with Bill Graham for its first four shows, The Family Dog moved to the Avalon Ballroom.
The first Family Dog poster was issued in a quantity of just 250, the second poster was issued in a quantity less than 500, and subsequent issues were released in quantities of 1000
through issue #22. Issues 22 to 30 were issued in quantities of 3500 and then quantities
were gradually increased until the leveled out and remained at 5000 from 44 onward.
Psychedelic Art Exchange advises collectors to focus on the first 30 issues of the Family
Dog Avalon Ballroom series in Mint Condition for the exact same reasons as outlined
above in the Bill Graham series.
When it comes to the last word on The Family Dog posters, here’s what Chet Helms himself
had to say:
“The parallels between the Belle Epoque poster and the Psychedelic poster
are obvious. The central issue of the 1960s was civil liberty and personal freedom. The posters were vehicles for both incorporating new graphic techniques and colors that were traditionally never seen side by side.”
– Chet Helms
Carousel Ballroom – San Francisco, California * All Issues in Mint Condition*
In 1967 a group of several bands including Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful
Dead decided to open up their own club so they would have a venue in San Francisco to call their own.
Despite being operated as The Carousel for just two years, the venue issued a beautiful
group of several posters that were released in a small quantity of just 1000 per show.
These issues are highly sought after by collectors today and we recommend immediately snapping up whatever happens to arrive on the market in Mint Condition.
The Grande Ballroom – Detroit, Michigan
* All Issues in Mint Condition*
In the summer of 1966 a young man names Russ Gibb visited San Francisco and discovered for himself the burgeoning “San Francisco Scene”. He returned to his home of
Detroit, Michigan and proceeded to open The Grande Ballroom in the fall of 1966.
Concerts were held at the Grande form October 7, 1966 until December 31, 1970. In
1966 there was an extremely small “hip community” in Detroit and the attendance at
the Grande’s first year of shows averaged just 300 people.
All of the Grande posters were printed in extremely small quantities
of just 1000 and there were many, many shows where no posters were
printed at all. No reprints were ever issued for any of the posters as well.
Today the artistic achievements of Grande artists such as Gary Grimshaw
and Carl Lundgren is highly praised and widely considered to be equal
to the works produced concurrently by the legendary poster artists of San
Francisco.
One Grande poster executed by Lundgren to advertise a concert by the
James Cotton Blue Band on November 10, 1967 features a gorgeous
image of Vanessa Redgrave. This poster is exceedingly rare in any condition and is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful psychedelic posters of all time.
Because few, if any collectors existed at the time, many Grande pieces are non existent and all are highly sought
after. We highly recommend acquiring whatever remaining Mint Condition examples of Grande posters that
you are able to locate.
The Vulcan Gas Company – Austin, Texas * All Issues in Mint Condition*
The Vulcan Gas Company was the premier Psychedelic club in the entire state of
Texas. The club operated from October 27, 1967 through mid 1970.
All of the Vulcan Gas posters were printed in extremely small quantities of just 500
and there were many, many shows where no posters were printed at all. No reprints
were ever issued for any of the posters as well.
The Vulcan Gas posters are notable for their gigantic size and incredible artwork as
executed by legendary artists such as Gilbert Shelton, Jim Franklin, and others. Today, these posters are highly
sought after and represent one of the very best values available in today’s marketplace. We highly recommend
acquiring any Mint Condition examples that are offered on the market.
The Kaleidoscope - Los Angeles, California
* All Issues in Mint Condition*
The Kaleidoscope was a major psychedelic club that operated in
Los Angeles from April 14th, 1967 until July 6, 1968. The club issued 20 posters during this period in a small quantity of just 1000
pieces.
Today these posters are highly sought after due to their round design which symbolized the theater’s presentation of bands “in the round” on it’s circular stage. These posters are truly beautiful, highly sought after and therefore all issues receive our highest recommendation.
Miscellaneous Venues * All Mint Condition Examples Pre-1970 *
The above listing highlights the major poster series we recommend. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. We firmly believe that virtually any pre-1970 concert poster in Mint condition represents an excellent value at today’s price levels.
Among the other series we recommend are other California venues such as The Ark, The
Bank, California Hall, The Matrix, Rock Garden, Straight Theatre, Sound Factory, The
Shrine and others.
We are also enthusiastically collecting any and all Pre-1970 posters in Mint Condition
from venues in other cities such as Boston, Portland, Washington DC, Salt Lake City,
Vancouver and many others. All should be purchased in Mint Condition when the opportunity presents itself.
A Volcano Ready to Erupt!
Our experience and research has revealed that virtually any pre-1970 psychedelic rock concert poster in Mint
Condition is highly desirable and should be targeted for acquisition.
While in theory the universe of posters we have targeted for acquisition appears to be large, the reality couldn’t
be any more different. Collectors around the world are discovering that the actual supply of Mint Condition
posters that meet our requirements is virtually nonexistent.
Time and time again, major national auctions comprising 300-350 items, yield just 3-6 pieces (or just 1 to 2%!)
that prove to meet the strict criteria outlined in this report.
This ridiculously small supply is now being chased down by a growing number of very aggressive, sophisticated
collectors that are strongly committed to this growing market.
That is why the collectibles world is so excited….and why many consider 1960s Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters to be the most lucrative collectibles opportunity of the past thirty years!
If you are interested in gaining access to posters that meet the strict criteria outlined in this report, I urge you to
contact me, Glen Trosch, President of Psychedelic Art Exchange. Call me at 410-464-6180 or to reach me by
email [email protected]