A New Opportunity to Acquire an Iconic Grateful Dead 'Skeletons & Roses' Poster Certified by CGC

A popular Grateful Dead concert poster is among nearly 200 classic rock concert posters that are graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) and being offered in an upcoming sale. Bidding is already underway for Heritage Auctions’ Music Memorabilia and Concert Posters auction, which concludes November 18-20, 2023.

Among the highlights of this auction is a Skeleton & Roses, Avalon Ballroom, September 16-17, 1966 original poster graded CGC 9.8 (lot 26078). 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 for images and ideas that they could then build their posters around. From a series of skeleton drawings by British book illustrator E.J. Sullivan, they found this image of a skeleton picking roses and assembling a wreath from the flowers, which became the impetus for the iconic poster.

Other CGC-graded concert posters in this sale include:

• a Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fillmore Auditorium & Winterland, February 1-4, 1968 original poster graded CGC 9.6 (lot 26031)
• a Yardbirds, Fillmore Auditorium, July 25-30, 1967 original poster graded CGC 9.8 (lot 26024)
• a Tribal Stomp, Fillmore Auditorium, February 19, 1966 original poster graded CGC 8.0 (lot 26075)
• a Steppenwolf, Fillmore West, August 27-September 1, 1968 original poster graded CGC 9.9 (lot 26314)
• an MC5, Grande Ballroom, October 21-22, 1966 original poster graded CGC 9.0 (lot 26360)
• a San Francisco Mime Troupe Appeal III, Fillmore Auditorium, January 14, 1966 original poster graded CGC 9.8 (lot 26362)
• a Grateful Dead, Avalon Ballroom, January 24-26, 1969 original poster graded CGC 9.6 (lot 26378)
• a Jimi Hendrix Experience, CNE Coliseum Arena, Toronto, Ontario, February 24, 1968 original poster graded CGC 9.6 (lot 26386)
• a Big Brother & the Holding Company, Selland Arena, Fresno, California, April 19, 1968 original poster graded CGC 9.4 (lot 26400)

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes.