1966 FD-26 Grateful Dead Avalon Ballroom Signed Mouse Signature Series Poster CGC 8.0

closed on Thursday, June 13, 2024

Final Auction Price
*Final prices include buyers premium
$24,000.00
Starting bid: $1.00

This original first-printing poster was signed & doodled in pencil by artist Stanley Mouse on Saturday, October 21st, 2023 at the annual TRPS Poster Show in San Francisco! Signature Series posters are signed in the presence of an authorized CGC witness. The special gold holder provides instant recognition of this item's special status! 

 

Psychedelic Art Exchange is kicking off our June CGC poster auction with an exceptional first printing FD-26, the 1966 Grateful Dead Skull and Roses Avalon Ballroom Poster. This original printing boasts bright, well-saturated inks, perfect registration, and only a few minor flaws in the paper. The poster has been graded 8.0 by CGC, but best of all, this 57-year-old offset litho advertising poster is signed in pencil by Mouse and witnessed by an authorized CGC representative to earn its Signature Gold Label Status.

 

In 2016, Psychedelic Art Exchange was the first auction to offer a CGC-certified and graded 1966 Grateful Dead FD-26-OP-1 at auction, and now we are putting the very first CGC Signature Series FD-26 on the block. The Skeleton and Roses Poster has been a collector's favorite since it rolled off the press in 1966. In 2024, any buyer considering the poster is comfortable with the importance of this artwork. Now the decision comes down to what’s the best copy available within their budget. The poster has been proven to be the most liquid concert poster of all, and thanks to 57 recorded sales of CGC-certified copies, it has provided a solid illustration of value/grade.

 

There is no baseline for the signature label copies as this is the first. The Gold Signature Series label assures that the signature is authentic and is witnessed by a CGC representative. The Signature Series label is a clear value-added feature in the card and comic markets, and we are going to see what it means to the poster collecting world. Mouse currently charges $1,000 to sign a copy of this poster, and when all is said and done, the premium for a Signature Series FD-26 is around $2,500.

 

PAE has auctioned 16 original printings over the years. To see PAE's past sales and greater detail on the finer points of the poster, click here.

 

The online collector's price guide at GoCollect reports that 75 total copies have been graded by CGC, of which 55 auction results have been recorded. The graded population is relatively low by CGC comic book standards but is still immensely helpful when determining current market value. As a comparison, CGC has graded 4,833 copies of Amazing Spider-Man #1 with 2,047 verified sales.

 

The FD-26-OP-1 was the first to break the six-figure sales mark at Heritage Auctions in 2019, and posters later set a high sale mark of $137,500 in 2020. The highest-graded copy ever sold at auction was a CGC 9.9 for $116,000 in 2020.

 

Condition: single pinhole in each corner, light toning bands around each edge.

 

--CRITICAL DETAILS--
--TITLE: FD-26 Poster
--GRADE: 8.0
--PERFORMERS: Grateful Dead, Oxford Circle
--VENUE: Avalon Ballroom
--CITY: San Francisco
--DATE: 09/16/66
--PRINTING: OP-1; Original Pre-Concert First Printing Poster
--SIZE: 14.13 x 20

 

A 20% Buyers Premium will be added to the final hammer price of this lot. 
High resolution HD photos available on request. 
For a personalized eyewitness examination call 410-464-6180, 10:00 am to 5:00pm EST.