Psychedelic Art Exchange has been steadily building the case for the benefits of 3rd party certified Concert Posters since their introduction. As the only organization to host a monthly auction fully dedicated to graded posters, we have gathered a mountain of useful data over the years, allowing us to deeply analyze sales in this category. We've witnessed the expected spikes and plateaus, but have seen no real significant dips. Yes, the grading has exposed some titles that appear relatively common, but when you factor in the tiny overall population of posters when compared to comics and cards, the illustration shows nothing but strength. We're now seven years into auctioning graded posters and we see some serious steam building. Auction results for high-grade CGC posters are hammering strongly everywhere they are offered… and our March CGC sale is full of them.
The lead lot and expected top finisher is the FD-1 handbill, a key item for any serious collection of Family Dog Posters! The story is as follows. The San Francisco music scene was seriously starting to take root in early 1966. The year kicked off with the Trips Festival at Longshoreman's Hall which by all reports was psychedelic pandemonium. Bill Graham witnessed the mayhem firsthand and within a month signed a lease that secured the Fillmore Auditorium as a venue for live music. Initially, Graham shared the Fillmore with Family Dog Productions, who under the direction of Chet Helms, also shared the vision of corralling the newly initiated freaks. By April 1966 it was evident that The Family Dog needed to take up residence elsewhere, and they opened the Avalon Ballroom at Sutter and Van Ness. The Avalon and the Fillmore offered different atmospheres that clearly reflected their founders' personalities and styles.
The Tribal Stomp poster and handbill were created by artist Wes Wilson, who designed the first 10 posters alongside Helms. This first issue advertised a concert by Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother and the Holding Company at The Fillmore. The Native American theme was suggested by Helms who also served as art director for the Family Dog at the time. Early Family Dog (FD) posters are the sweet spot for many advanced collectors of this material, and the quirky aesthetic of these early posters is the charm. The first 40 posters in the series are painfully scarce in high condition, but the FD-1 is THE KEY to the series. The poster immediately conveys that something new was in the air. The cardboard poster is considered the holy grail of 1966 dance hall posters, printed in small quantities, seldom comes up for public sale.
This copy of the FD-1 Handbill is of the strongest quality, receiving a CGC grade of 9.6.
The original handbill was printed in 3 colors.
White paper Variant: OHB-A
Yellow Paper Variant: OHB-B
Blue Paper Variant: OHB-C
PAE has sold each variant with the following results.
OHB-A (White): CGC 8.5 sold for $4,000 in November 2016.
OHB-B (Yellow): CGC 9.6 sold for $16,200 in August 2019.
OHB-C (Blue): April of 2019 A CGC 7.0 sold for $9,000, A CGC 5.0 for $3600 in September 2021.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this lot finishes. Be sure to tune into our auction as the hammer comes down on March 30 at 9:00PM Eastern. CLICK HERE to enter the auction, and CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
If you require any assistance or his res images, please contact support @concertpostergallery.com or call us a 410-464-6180.
