Jimi Hendrix ……….

The greatest Guitar player of all time? ……….. even by Rolling stones recent calculation of the top 100 guitar players http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123 this legend stands alone. But regardless of what criteria you choose to measure, his impact on music and style is undeniable. Without doubt, Jimi was the most captivating character of the decade. More than any other artist from the era Hendrix was a cultural icon, he truly exemplified the art and attitude of the 1960’s. His innovative style, his laid back persona, his wardrobe, his lifestyle, his message and his music all add up to the status of deity in Rock and Roll mythology

Musically, Hendrix was an innovator beyond compare, creating with an electric guitar what had never been previously imagined. A gifted songwriter and a virtuosic player all added up to musical genius. His mastery of the fret board , control of feedback, and use of state of the art effects created a signature sound that many have imitated but never recreated. He left a wake that is still being felt today . His tragic early exit left fans wanting more and left the world wondering what if……..

At the pinnacle of rock and roll collectibles as well , Hendrix memorabilia demands top dollar and sets record level values at auction. His impact on the poster-collecting world is well proven also. Hendrix posters are some of the most valuable and sought after in the entire genre.

This month we are offering a small, focused selection of Hendrix posters, with the crown jewel being an ultra rare (one of three known) 1969 cardboard Miami Jai Alai poster that is sure to end up in the most advanced collection. So, Enjoy this opportunity to bid on these artifacts, the winning bidders will surely be overjoyed.

Hey poster fans. On the heels of one of our most successful sales, PAE continues to illuminate the value and beauty of this world class collectible. During these uncertain economic times, tangible assets such as our beloved posters are finding their place as some of the most stable investments around. Two recent articles illustrate how the rest of the collecting community forges ahead gaining greater levels of value and credibility.

Check out the following press;

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-profit-from-investing-in-art-2011-09-02

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/waggon/story/2011-09-01/Gold-in-the-attic-Furniture-coins-and-hellip-Ninja-Turtles/50224150/1 – uslPageReturn

Last month, one the most interesting and pivotal characters from the 1960’s passed from this plane of existence.

Augustus Stanley Owsley III was a true innovator and iconoclast. He will most notably be remembered for his role in the manufacture and distribution LSD in San Francisco the 1960s, however, there was so much more to this character than just supplying acid to the Haight. He was one of the true renaissance men of the psychedelic era.

Owsley’s early association with the Grateful Dead allowed him to take on several roles with the band. He was their first sound-man, and helped finance the Dead early on. Additionally, he was responsible for recording many early Dead shows, as well as other acts that performed in San Francisco at the time. Owsley was also responsible for designing the Dead’s behemoth, yet technically advanced sound system,” The Wall of Sound”.

Even with those accomplishments, Bear was to consider himself an artist . His artistic output will be remembered by most for his part in designing the Dead’s iconic “Steal Your Face” Logo. However, when he moved to New Zealand in the nineties, he spent his remaining days as a sculptor and jeweler

Owsley will not likely have the acclaim of rock poster artist added to his accomplishments, because only one poster can be attributed to him. Grateful Dead, Troopers Club, Los Angeles, California, 3/25 /66 was the sole concert poster designed by Owsley. This simple yet “trippy” design is one of the scarcest posters in the entire history of psychedelic concert posters. PAE was fortunate to have acquired one of these historic pieces years ago, and it’s signed!

We believe the poster to be the best-known example of this poster to exist; it is in amazing undamaged condition. We believed the value of this poster to be $40,000 + before Bear’s death………..today priceless.

The subject of restoration comes up all the time in our conversations with customers. We frequently get asked, does restoration help or hurt the value of a poster? Even though it is our position that we do not offer restored posters, it is still not a simple question to answer.

Paper is one of the most fragile materials in the world. It is easily torn, ripped, punctured, and dented. That is why our vintage concert posters are so scarce and valuable in top condition.

Let’s start with how easily our posters are damaged. These posters are over 40 years old and were not considered fine collectibles at the time. Overall, they were not handled gently at the time of their original use. Concert posters were used for advertising purposes, and were taped up in store windows and stapled to telephone polls. Those that were taken down by fans were damaged from the onset. Posters that were handed out at the actual concerts had to make their way back home without getting folded, rolled or bent. Once they got home, they were often damaged by tape, thumb tacks and push pins while being displayed. Not to mention that they were also being decayed by light, heat, moisture, and acidity.

Since many of these posters cannot be found in undamaged condition, some collectors began turning to paper restorers decades ago to make their posters more presentable.

Is restoration good or bad for the value of a poster? I suppose that is a matter of opinion, however our opinion at PAE is culled from over 65 years of combined experience in the collectibles market.

Processes such as de-acidification, pressing, and non-intrusive dirt removal are acceptable in our opinion. These techniques slow the ravages of time, and as long as they do not disturb the integrity of the paper, they are potentially helpful. Additionally, It is our position at PAE, that if the restoration process is completely reversible, as with linen mounting, this type of work is acceptable. The key is that it does not permanently change the original paper.

Conversely, anytime you permanently add material or ink to a poster, it diminishes the originality of that poster and should be avoided.

In regard to the dollar value of restored posters, we need to look at other established collectibles. In the world of coins, stamps, baseball cards and comic books, restoration significantly devalues the specimen. That is not presently the case in rock posters, however our findings show that restoration does not increase the value of the poster either. A poster with four pinholes may even be slightly higher at this time than those with four filled holes. We do however; strongly believe that looking down the road, restoration will be viewed in a much dimmer light in terms of value.

Clearly, if a collector wished to “fix” a poster for eye appeal, and intends to use it primarily as decorative art work to be enjoyed on their walls, that seems completely reasonable. However, if the collector desires to hold it for the future, with the intention of it being sold down the road for increased value, we believe that the piece is better left alone.

It is well known among music aficionados that the venerable New Orleans jamband, The Radiators, have announced their retirement after 33 years of touring with the same original lineup.

Psychedelic Art Exchange was pleased to promote their final show in the State of Utah on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2011 at the World Famous Harry O’s Nightclub.

Psychedelic Art Exchange, since its inception, has been very active in the Park City, Utah and Baltimore, Maryland communities. We believe in giving back to the music community, the people that have made PAE such a resounding success.

The show featured a stellar performance by “The Rads”, and more tickets were pre-sold for the event than ANY show EVER at Harry O’s . Several clients and friends of PAE flew in for the event, a wonderful reception and poster viewing preceded the concert, and a wonderful time was enjoyed by all.

PAE looks forward to sharing more happy times with all of its fans, clients and supporters around the world.

It’s no secret that we live in interesting financial times. We are just now emerging from the largest financial collapse of the past 70 years. In order to facilitate the recovery, The United States is printing paper money at truly historic levels. This has led to a precipitous drop in the value of the Dollar.

Investors here and abroad are scared of seeing the hard earned savings devastated by this monetary inflation. There is now renewed focus on all tangible, “hard assets”. The result is record high prices for Gold and Silver, as well as extremely strong markets for collectibles such as rare coins, stamps, art, and yes concert posters. All you need to do is review the prices realized in our most recent auction for verification of this fact.

Please look at the attached high profile article that appeared on CNN. Note that high-grade guitars bring $1,000,000 while the most fantastic, rarest posters of all are still in the $10,000-$25,000 range, with dozens of super rarities worth well BELOW $10,000!!

We never believe you should buy for investment purposes only. It’s the true collector that seems to ALWAYS make out like a bandit in the end. See previous posts for why. But the fact remains there ARE people doing this and that means prices are headed much higher.

We agree with the attached article that its important to understand the GUARANTEES that come with the memorabilia you acquire and PAE offers the strongest guarantee available anywhere.

If you want to build a world class collection of vintage concert posters, now is clearly the time to do it!

Read the article here:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/03/09/clapton.guitars/index.html?hpt=C2

Our current auction features several high quality offerings from 1966, the year that pretty much kicked off what has come to be referred to as psychedelic sixties. San Francisco was historically a home for misfits, and dreamers, so table was set for something big. LSD was legal, and becoming available and the bohemian youth of the Bay Area were the first to sow their seeds in that fertile ground. The experimentation, and innovation in arts and culture that grew out of those phenomena cannot be understated.

These nearly pristine pieces of art from 1966 represent some of the finest known examples available anywhere from that pivotal year. This was “the” beginning of the poster scene.

Concert Posters were not considered collectible in 1966. Like most other pop culture collectibles, they were produced for an intended use. They were not to be stashed away for future profit. Most of them were used solely for advertising, then scooped up by fans as souvenirs, or to decorate their rooms. They were pinned up, taped up, glued up, and as a result very few remain in decent condition. Only after the promoters realized that there was an aftermarket for this artwork, did they begin to roll off larger quantities and reprint the more popular designs.

The fact that this material is now 45 years old is not to be underestimated. The passage of time has allowed these posters to be appreciated for what they truly are. Important artifacts from a pivotal time in America’s cultural evolution.

As with any true collectible, the passage of time adds considerably to their value as well. When I started collecting these posters in 1983 they were roughly 17 years old and I was able to obtain them for a ridiculously low cost . In today’s view that would be like collecting posters from 1994. Just to give a historic perspective, 1994 was the year Kurt Cobain took his life. Those 28 years have caused these work to “ripen” significantly.

All this just further illustrates that we are on the cusp of the Psychedelic Concert Poster being realized for its proper historical importance. This will surely result in these beautiful works of art finally earning the attention, and value that they truly deserve.

This summer has been a very busy time here at Psychedelic Art Exchange. We have greeted several new big money players that have recently entered the market, smitten with the history, beauty and value that these beautiful artifacts represent.

These new collectors have no problem paying that extra 20%-30% to get the material they like..in the condition they want.

We have handled many 4 and 5 figure rarities including a couple of pieces not previously known to exist! These pieces are now ensconced in long term collections that will be off the market for decades to come.

If you have holdings of Premium Quality material, be sure to call us LAST so that we can prove we are the nation’s high buyer. Our clientele is very deep pocketed and we represent the most sophisticated collectors in the world today.

If you are an active collector of Premium Quality material, we urge you to contact us with your “Want List” as the huge majority of the material we sell is never offered on a public basis…our backlog of orders simply prevents that.

We have just been notified of a MAJOR DEVELOPMENT that is sure to send this market in thermo nuclear overdrive as soon as the news becomes public. We will have more details of this exciting, breaking news in the coming weeks!

As a collector, you have a tremendous advantage over every dealer you may be doing business with. Yes, you read that right, you, the collector, have the advantage! Dealers have a fatal flaw that keeps most, if not all of them from cashing in big in the very markets in which they participate. What is that flaw? It’s this: Dealers know the price of everything, but the value of nothing! Here’s what this means:

Dealers need to turn inventory in order to make a living. They know down to the very last dollar what something is worth today…but only today. Lets sat that mythical poster XYZ is incredibly rare and only appears in Mint Condition once every two or three years. Let’s also assume that it is commonly believed that less than a dozen Mint copies exist and that the last one to appear sold for $2500 two years ago. With these fact, the dealer will probably assume 10% appreciation for two years, bringing the value he/she is willing to pay to $3000, with the idea that the piece can be resold for a profit at $3250-3500. Armed with this information, the dealer will pass on this item at anything over $3100.00

Long term this could prove to be a huge mistake. 1) There is no telling when a similar piece will enter the market. If it’s another three years, this could easily be a $5000 poster, but the dealer misses out because of $100. 2) The dealer is not taking into account that Mint Material has migrated into very strong and sophisticated hands which greatly increases the cost when the next piece does appear. 3) The dealer fails to recognize that the popularity and appeal of the material is now going mainstream into major museums around the world, 4) The dealer fails to recognize that the appreciation and rarity of Mint material is exploding upward, with premiums jumping to levels similar to what is found in other collectibles. I could go on and on. The bottom line is that the dealer was so “smart” about knowing what the piece was worth from past facts, that he could not ascertain the true value of the piece moving forward! That’s just dumb!

We see this in the financial markets as well. Mutual Fund managers will regularly pass on undervalued companies with great 3-5 year possibilities because they don’t see a catalyst that will move the stock in the next quarter!

As a collector, you need to use this superior position and long term outlook to your advantage. Recognize opportunities for what they are. Don’t penny wise and pound foolish. Most times, paying that extra 25% now will be a whole lot cheaper than what you’ll pay 3 years down the road when the opportunity presents itself again. Let time and positive fundamentals work for you..not against you. Be long term greedy. You’ll look like a genius and will have a lot more fun with you collection if you have the strength to play out your hand!

In the recent Heritage magazine, there is an article about the recent price performance of movie posters and how they have come into their own. The article references the fact that before 1990 the most valuable movie posters were worth $10,000 and now they are worth $500,000! The reason? They are pieces of history that are beautiful and rare! Sound familiar? The current Pinnacle Collection sale offers the collectibles world unprecedented access to some of the most desirable concert posters ever offered at public auction. In fact, this sale represents the finest quality sale of its kind…EVER!!! These posters are sure to be placed into long term collections, and it could be decades before this high quality of a collection is offered again. Don’t let the opportunity pass.

The following is an excerpt from the article;
“The research, originally compiled for Heritage auctions and updated and
expanded by Halperin and Cantu, helps explain why a poster for the 1932 film
Freaks increased in value from $10 to $107,550 in 30 years (it’s the only one
of its kind), why we may never see the 1927 Lon Chaney film London After
Midnight (all prints have been lost), and why Flying Down to Rio posters are
highly prized by collectors (the musical marks the debut of Fred Astaire and
Ginger rogers as a dancing team).
Vintage movie posters as a collectibles category have boomed in the
past 20 years, says Grey Smith, director of vintage movie posters at Heritage
auctions. “before 1990,” he says, “the most valuable posters were under
$10,000.” today, top prices are rapidly approaching $500,000. “

I also highly recommend that you subscribe for FREE o Heritage Magazine. It is the finest collectibles magazine of its kind. Great articles, fantastic information and beautiful photos, all for free. Subscribe at www.Ha.com