Today’s news brings word that the world record price for a comic book has been smashed yet again, this time an Action Comics #1, featuring the first ever appearance of Superman, brought $1,500,000! A similar comic brought $1,000,000 in February, but this example brought $500,000 more because it was in BETTER CONDITION.

Now, I’m sure the person who sold this book is quite pleased that they paid “whatever it takes” some years back as this premium translated to a $500,000 premium on the back end. The auctioneer who handled the sale is quoted as saying “The book looks like it came off the presses yesterday. It’s a stunning copy, it almost looks brand new.”

This is just another example of what we’ve been instructing our clientele to do. If you get the opportunity to buy a finest known poster for $12,000 that everyone else thinks is “worth $8500″, you are one lucky collector. That $3500 premium now puts you in the catbird seat and allows you to ask whatever you wish down the road.
I bought 6 coins for an “extra premium” of about $200,000 total, and today those coins are worth an extra 6 or 7 MILLION dollars. That’s the way the collectibles market works. Always has worked that way, always will. Some people understand the concept right away, some never at all. You need to figure out which group you are in.

Also, this recent news further reiterates why we believe that museum quality Mint Condition posters are stupid cheap. The finest known examples of the most famous issues are still priced for a song. This situation is changing as you read this, act quickly before the window of opportunity slams shut forever.

I urge you to take three minutes to read the whole article on the record comic book here:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/03/30/superman.comic/
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Most of the advice given out on this blog is pretty simple to follow and not hard to understand. Practicing the rules of successful collecting is, for the most part, really straightforward, easy to understand and is simply grounded in common sense.

Now I want to share with you a tip that almost NOBODY practices, will be hard for you to force yourself to follow and will bring you benefits beyond your wildest imagination!

The tip is, BUY THE KEYS FIRST!! What this means is this: Let’s say you decide to put together a set comprised of 30 posters. Let’s say that 25 of these posters are going to cost you $1000 each, 4 of the posters are going to cost you $5,000 each. And the rarest item in the set is going to cost you $10,000. My advice would be to invest $30,000 in the five keys of the set instead of spending the very same money on the 25 more common issues!

Most people would begin this set by acquiring the cheapest posters first. This will happen for two reasons. First, the cheaper items in the set are going to be the most common and readily available for purchase AND the collector, armed with a new project can quickly make a major dent in his/her “want list”. Of course, the fact that these items are also the most affordable also makes each purchase decision easier to swallow and “less painful”.

But here is where reality defers from how everything “looks on paper”. Many collectors, after spending a year or two and $25,000 on the more common issues will either run out of money, or enthusiasm. And, during the previous two years, the 5 keys that were worth $30,000 are now going to cost you close to $40,000!

For the very same investment, the collector could have had the ENTIRE SET OF KEYS, the posters that everyone wants but no one has, and had a collection that would be highly coveted and increasingly more desirable with each passing year. The collector could then, at a leisurely pace, fill in the holes of the more common issues as the opportunity presents itself. And because the collector with the keys now owns a world class grouping that brings much pride and joy, he/she is MUCH more likely to stick with the hobby and enjoy all of the opportunities that exist by participating for the long haul.

This is a hard strategy to follow, especially for someone just starting out. But if you talk to any seasoned collector who has been around the block a few times, they will all have war stories of having been offered a key that they passed on, only to snap it up later at a far higher price. Some advanced collectors have even modified this strategy to “Buy Only The Keys”. They would rather exclusively collect only the finest and rarest, preferring to “keep their powder dry” for just “the best of the best”.

No matter how far you take it, stick with the number one rule of collecting..Buy the Highest Condition and Rarity that you can afford and you will be richly rewarded in this exciting marketplace!

We’re glad to be back posting this blog. Whenever you see a pause in our postings you can be certain the reason is we’re too busy to post, as there is never a shortage of news to report on here at Psychedelic Art Exchange! In the coming couple of weeks we will have a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT that is sure to be of interest to all collectors of Classic 1960′s Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters.

This new project has been directly responsible for the dearth of correspondence in recent weeks. Check back here often in the coming days as we will be working hard to “play catch up” and will be putting up frequent posts to bring everyone up to date on this fast evolving market!

First off, about three weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending some time with poster collector extraordinaire, Mr. Joe Armstrong. Joe is universally recognized as one of the most knowledgeable poster collectors in the world. Joe began collecting for fun during his college days in the Sixties, and has been a major force in the marketplace since the early Nineties. Joe’s collection has to rank, without a doubt, as one of the very finest in the world.

Besides extensive expertise, Joe is a genuinely nice guy who is never too busy to answer questions or impart advise. I highly recommend you visit his site, www.vintageconcertposters.com. Joe and I met on the slopes here at Park City where we ripped it up going down the mountain and had a chance to discuss all things “Psychedelic” on the chair lifts up!

Joe agreed that there are two major trends happening in the marketplace right now. First, prices are continuing to steadily rise. When following the collectibles market, price information is harder to come by. Unlike stocks and commodities, you can’t get an hourly or daily price quote. This means that on the surface, it may appear that nothing is happening, but when you realize as Joe pointed out that Mint Condition FD26′s (now $15000-20,000) used to trade for $1000-$1500 in the early nineties, the long term price performance of the best pieces in the best condition is simply staggering.

Secondly, Joe reiterated that he sees a definite shift of focus among collectors. Collectors are aggressively seeking out the few remaining posters that have somehow survived in Mint Condition. Collectors are willing to pay “whatever it takes” for the best quality material while posters with pinholes and other signs of damage that sold quickly in years past are now becoming more difficult to unload.

At Psychedelic Art Exchange we saw this trend coming from miles away and have always advised our clients to acquire the finest quality pieces they could locate and afford. There will always be a market for the cream of the crop, while run of the mill will always and forever elicit yawns. The choice is yours, but always remember, the Trend is Your Friend!

Through this blog we try to impart advice that has been hard earned through over 50 years of combined experience wheeling and dealing in the collectibles markets. There are certain “rules to live by” that are necessary for success no matter what collectible one is addressing. Today I’d like to share another one of these “golden rules” with you.

There is one number in collectibles that is instantly more sought after and valuable than any other number and that is the number ONE. ONE as in FIRST!! The first corvette, the first Batman comic, the first U.S. coin are all immediately recognizable due to the HISTORIC IMPORTANCE of the collectible in question. Anybody and everybody can understand THE FIRST, and therefore THE FIRST of everything has an intrinsic desirability to people inside AND outside a collectible market.

So how does this pertain to Classic 1960′s Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters? Well the BG1 and the FD1 and the first posters at any other venue have always enjoyed top demand. But so is the FIRST appearance of a given band at a venue, or THE FIRST poster designed by an artist, or THE FIRST year of a band’s existence. There are lots of FIRSTS that one can collect–but be certain of one thing–there will always be more people that want to own these items than there is supply to go around. So it’s up to you to use this knowledge to your advantage. You won’t be the FIRST to profit from it and you certainly won’t be the last!!

The market for Mint Condition Psychedelic Rock Concert Posters is now receiving unprecedented attention. This appreciation is leading to record levels of demand from two distinct groups of individuals.

Experienced, seasoned collectors widely recognize that their long term interest and dedication to the hobby is now finally being validated by the mainstream society and media. New participants to the field are rapidly and aggressively migrating to the genre from other collectible areas due to their belief that these beautiful works of art represent the most compelling value proposition in the world of collectibles today.

All of this has led to a DRASTIC supply/demand imbalance that is resolving itself through gradually higher values. Psychedelic Art Exchange has far more demand than we can meet through our tiny available supply of Mint Condition pieces. We are spending hours each day speaking with our contacts around the world and every poster we shake loose is a MAJOR effort.

If you have premium quality pieces that you would like to sell, please contact us immediately! We can offer you two different ways to turn your material into cash–through outright purchase or through auction consignment. Each method has distinct advantages and we would be pleased to discuss those with you at your earliest convenience.

Either way, Psychedelic Art Exchange can GUARANTEE you the absolute highest prices available anywhere in the world today as we represent the most sophisticated collector base for this material. Our clients fully understand the special opportunity that these posters represent and are all too happy to pay a premium price at today’s levels in order to nail down the best quality pieces. To sell your posters, please call Glen Trosch, President of Psychedelic Art Exchange, at 410-464-6180.

This is the third and final installment of our predictions for 2010. See previous blog posts for the beginning of this article.

5) Mint Condition Posters will Be More Expensive and Harder To Find! Mint Condition is where all the action is at PAE. This is segment of the market that enjoys the strongest demand and is in least supply. What does that mean to you and your collection? It means that if you have specific items on your “want list”, you’d be wise to acquire them sooner rather than later as prices will continue to increase. Act now, while the window of opportunity remains wide open!

6) There will Continue To Be Widespread, Mainstream Interest In Anything To Do With The Sixties! Most experts agree that the 1960′s brought us the most significant social movement and growth of the 20th Century. So much happened that began in the Sixties is still relevant today. The era has indelibly marked our morals, our ideals, our politics, our fashion, our music and virtually every other aspect of our lives. Over the past year, the general public has enjoyed mass market movies such as Taking Woodstock and Pirate Radio, and major museum retrospectives of the era and our beloved art. Look for this focus to continue, which will just increase the interest, historical importance and appeal of our beautiful Classic Concert Posters!

This blog is a continuation of our 2010 Predictions Part 1…

3) There will be a continued focus on condition! In every collectibles market, there is a focus on condition, or state of preservation. Condition, combined with rare and in pristine Mint Condition. In every collectibles market there will always be people who want to buy the best. Mint Condition posters always enjoy top demand and are available in the smallest supply. In contrast, run of the mill damaged posters are always readily available. If you wanted to locate early damaged posters, you don’t have to work very hard. If you want to accumulate a select group of early pieces in Mint Condition, you are embarking on a project that will take you years. As in everything in life, the effort put in will determine the results you get out. The choice is up to you!

4) There will be a new appreciation of scarcity! Some collectors, particularly new ones, do not fully understand how difficult it is to locate Classic 1960′s Concert Posters in Mint Condition. There are some firms on the Internet that list every piece ever issued for sale, and many ARE available in Mint Condition. Just not the right ones! The posters that are available in Mint Condition are the later issues, BG and FD series after #30 and other venues after 1969. You won’t find this out until AFTER you order. The desirable issues, the ones that we recommend in our free report, “Insider Secrets of The Psychedelic Art Market” have long been snapped up by savvy collectors years ago. If you have not downloaded this free report, do it now. We reveal what posters are most in demand and are offered in non existent supply. These are the pieces that are being acquired the moment they hit the market, the pieces you want for your collection.

To be Continued…

As we embark on a New Year, I thought I’d put down on paper my predictions for 2010.

1) Tangible Assets Continue to Be Hot! With interest rates below 2%, and inflation running higher than what can be earned risk-free, there is very little incentive to leave your money in a bank CD. Every day, money left in the bank will shrink instead of grow. The interesting paradox is that more traditional forms of investment such as stocks and real estate are still in the midst of correcting in price. There is a general consensus that what can be bought in these two arenas today will cost you even less in a year’s time! This is why the value of tangible assets (gold, commodities, diamonds, collectibles) continue to increase. People with excess funds want to have something real and secure instead of a “lottery ticket” that dances around in price on a moment to moment basis and whose value can completely evaporate without warning. Count on this trend continuing in 2010!

2) The Interest in Classic 1960′s Concert Posters Will Continue To Grow! The “perfect storm” that characterizes the Classic Psychedelic Concert Poster Market is no longer a secret. Collectors around the world understand that these incredible works of art have a long list of positive attributes–incredible low original issue numbers, a worldwide demand, unsurpassed historical importance, amazing beauty, ridiculously low values compared to other collectibles and a tremendous scarcity of pieces in Mint Condition all combine to offer what many believe is the most lucrative collectibles opportunity of the past 30 years! Look for this exciting market to continue to grow over the next 12 months as more new buyers enter the field, and existing collectors aggressively plan to upgrade their holdings to maximize the opportunity they have already identified!

To be continued…

We get frequent calls and emails about how to best go about grading concert posters. PAE has a secret weapon, what we call "The Table of Death!"

Every poster that we authenticate is first carefully screened in its entirety by black light to detect if any restoration has occurred, is measured for proper paper thickness with a micrometer and then measured for dimensions using a special ruler that is calibrated to 1/64 of an inch.

Once these initial steps are performed, the poster is immediately transferred to The Table of Death. The Table of Death got its name, because it has killed off countless number of posters that at first (and second, and third) glance appear to be in Mint condition.

The Table of Death is in front of a 20 foot high by 20 foot wide picture window with a southern exposure to the Wasatch Mountains in Park City, Utah. The natural sunlight is incredibly intense and when posters are held up to the window, every conceivable imperfection and flaw immediately reveals itself! It is these minuscule imperfections that are then measured to come up with a final grade for the poster.

While this process is extremely time consuming and labor intensive, it is in fact a point of pride and a labor of love. We have received dozens of posters from other dealers that were represented to us as "Mint" that turned out to have repaired tears, tape pulls, filled in pin holes, regular pinholes, small tears and many other problems too numerous to mention.

When clients call us raving about the consistency and conservative nature of our grading, this is our reward. We work with collectors who care and they appreciate that we care. Together we all enjoy participating in the most exciting collectibles opportunity in the marketplace today.

Hopefully this headline has caught your attention as regular readers of this blog know that Psychedelic Art Exchange abhors this strategy. BUT–if you are looking for cool artwork, and artwork alone–this is by far your best collecting strategy! Why? Because second and third printings are literally available by the MILLIONS! They are not rare at all, they have no historical significance, enjoy virtually zero demand, can be located with no effort and are extremely CHEAP in price– and in every other respect!

Why would I want to waste my time with posters like that? You are probably (hopefully) asking yourself. Because YOU, as a SERIOUS COLLECTOR, want THE REAL THING! YOU want posters that MEAN SOMETHING, posters that are ORIGINAL, posters that are SOUGHT AFTER AND RARE, posters that are increasingly MORE DESIRABLE with each passing year, posters and a collection that YOU ARE PROUD OF!

If this describes you, if this is how you already feel, then you need to extend this feeling to the subject of condition. The same collectors that value authenticity and originality also value pristine condition for all the same reasons and instincts. People want the ORIGINAL because original is authentic and real and rare and desirable and sought after. And the few remaining MINT condition pieces from the 1960′s era are more of all the traits listed above. Run of the mill copies (or restored) are far easier to locate and in far less demand with far less eye appeal.

So as we enter 2010 take a hard look at your collection. Resolve to upgrade your collection if an opportunity presents itself to do so. Trim your holdings that don’t make you proud. Let your heart and your collector instincts be your guide.