Final Auction Price
*Final prices include buyers premium
$3,450.00
Starting bid: $1.00
We are delighted to offer one of the very rarest and most sought after posters from one of the greatest Grateful Dead tours of all time. This example is tied for the FINEST we have ever seen or handled of this issue! In early 1971 just months after the release of Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty The Dead played at Michigan State University in East Lansing. This was a peak definitive time in Dead history and legendary songs such as Bertha Deal Loser and Birdsong were introduced for the very first time.
A tiny quantity of these posters were produced to promote the show and we have registered 4 auction appearances in the past 10 years! In fact this poster is so valuable and highly sought after that it was pirated in an attempt to cash in on the high values and to fulfill the large unmet collector demand.
PAE discovered the forgery and reported the details in our Blog. We did extensive research on the pirate and fake copies are easy to identify. The paper stock on the forgeries is much thicker. The front of the counterfeit poster has been artificially aged and the back is unnaturally bright white. We have a copy of the bootleg on hand in our Gallery for authentication purposes and we invite you to visit and see the forgery for yourself. The contrast between the fake and the real thing is drastic.
The example we offer now is a true museum piece. It is totally original and it’s authenticity is guaranteed in writing as is every poster we sell. This is the strongest guarantee of authenticity offered anywhere. It is in pristine Museum Quality condition with no nicks cuts tears or pinholes. Only the slightest trace of light toning on the top edge keep this from the higher 97 grade.
In November 2017 a same graded condition example reached a high water mark of $6326 in our auction. The only other auction appearance we have found outside our auction in the past 10 years occurred in September 2014 where this rarity with pinholes and edge problems relaized $6160.
There is a saying in collectibles that sometimes the opportunity to buy a rarity is even rarer than the item itself. This is one of those situations. This is also an example of why Vintage Concert Posters represent such ridiculously cheap bargains compared to any other collectible today. Coins comic books and baseball cards of comparable rarity ( A handful known) and historical importance would trade for $25 000 - $100 000. This poster will sell for a tiny fraction of that and one lucky collector will walk away with a steal regardless of what this lot ultimately brings.
Poster-Grateful Dead Jenison Field House
Grade- PAE Mint 95
Bands/Bill-Grateful Dead
Venue-Jenison Field House
City-East Lansing MI
Date-3/13/71
Dimensions-17 31/32 x 24 1/16
Printing-OP-1- Original Pre-Concert First Printing
Artist-Hugh Surratt Jr.
Series/Promoter- Michigan State U
Paper Type- Thin paper
Condition Details- Superb Museum Quality condition. Very slight light toning and hint of handling top edge keep this from the flawless 97 grade. There are no nicks cuts tears pinholes or restoration of any kind.
*****This poster is available for inspection at our gallery by appointment. *****
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