Iconic Grateful Dead 'Skeleton & Roses' Poster Certified by CGC Sells for $75,000

The Grateful Dead headlined a lineup of iconic rock concert posters certified by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) that took center stage in Heritage Auctions’ Music Memorabilia & Concert Poster Signature Auction. Over 130 CGC-certified posters were featured in the sale on August 4-5, 2023.

The top lot in the auction was a Skeleton & Roses, Avalon Ballroom, September 16-17, 1966 original poster graded CGC 9.2 (lot 26362) that realized $75,000. 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.

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Well known in the psychedelic poster world, Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley would often search the shelves of the San Francisco Public Library to obtain images and ideas they could then build their posters around. They discovered a series of skeleton drawings by British book illustrator E.J. Sullivan. One depicted a skeleton picking roses and assembling a wreath from the flowers, which made the cut for this poster design.

Other CGC-certified posters sold in this auction included:

• a Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fillmore Auditorium & Winterland, February 1-4, 1968 original poster graded CGC 9.6 (lot 26325) that realized $55,000
• a Batman, Fillmore Auditorium, March 18-20, 1966 original poster graded CGC 9.8 (lot 26285) that realized $40,000
• a Beatles Final Concert, Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, August 29, 1966 original poster graded CGC 9.2 (lot 26283) that realized $27,500
• a Grateful Dead, Vancouver, British Columbia, July 13-15, 1967 original poster graded CGC 9.8 (lot 26395) that realized $17,500
• a Steppenwolf, Fillmore West, August 27 to September 1, 1968 original poster graded CGC 9.6 (lot 26330) that realized $16,250
• a Monterey International Pop Festival, June 16-18, 1967 original poster graded CGC 9.6 (lot 26419) that realized $16,250
• an Earthquake, Avalon Ballroom, August 12-13, 1966 original poster graded CGC 10 Gem Mint (lot 26357) that realized $12,500
• a Frankenstein, Avalon Ballroom, August 19-20, 1966 original poster graded CGC 9.9 (lot 26358) that realized $11,250
• a Blues Project, Avalon Ballroom, April 22-23, 1966 original poster graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 26353) that realized $10,312.50

Prices realized include a buyer’s premium.