We're excited to be hosting our largest mega sale yet! In this post, Psychedelic Art Exchange President Glen Trosch talks about some of his favorite lots in the sale, as well as some that might be overlooked.
What are your own personal favorite posters in the auction and why?
The James Brown poster, lot #2, is incredible. The whole thing about these Beeghly posters is they’re completely unique to the world of cardboard posters. They combine elements of the psychedelic style with boxing style layouts. They really are some of the best posters out there, and they’re virtually impossible to get. I don’t recall ever seeing one of these James Brown posters for sale at auction, and it’s in really, really amazing shape for cardboard. This stuff all went up for advertisement purposes, very few items were not posted, which makes the condition super impressive. This is such a high-quality piece. And it’s James Brown, the hardest working man in show biz! And it was at Merriweather Post, which is right down the street from me. This poster’s got it all.
The Hapshash posters, lot #3 and lot #4 are amazing. The artwork is stunning, you don’t even get a good representation of what it looks like from the photograph. They may be the most beautiful posters of all. Especially the White Bicycle one! That could hang in any museum. These are exceptionally good quality, high condition pieces. I’m just starting to really learn about this U.K. stuff, and it’s difficult to learn because these posters were extensively pirated. Make sure to check out our complete guide to collecting Hapshash and Osiris posters from the U.K, that Nick Etheridge contributed to our blog.
The Human Be-In handbill, lot #7, that’s a gem. I don’t know how many are out there, but not many. And it’s a really lovely design, I like it. I like that a lot. I love all of the Human Be-In posters, and I’ve seldom seen this piece. It’s absolutely the rarest of the Human Be-In handbills.
Then there’s the Martin Sharp Hendrix Explosion, lot #9, which has been a fan favorite in the past couple of years. Clearly, a stash of these was uncovered. Who doesn’t want a cool Jimi Hendrix poster?
There are a couple of super rare Grateful Dead items in the sale. There’s the Jenison Field House poster from 1971, lot 12, and the Iowa Field house poster, lot 13, from 1973. These shows were at small college auditoriums, which is where the Grateful Dead learned how to tour a lot. They played at a lot of colleges. I don’t think we’ve ever had the colored version of the Iowa poster in an auction before, only the black and white version. We believe the one in color is super rare.
Lot #20, the Bob Dylan Martin Sharp foil is a GREAT-looking poster.
Lot #23, the Foo Fighters and Ween poster done by Coop. That’s a great poster for all the right reasons!
Lot #26, the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Mainstreet piece is a super rare promo poster. John Van Hamersveld did the cover for that album. The poster is a picture of a freak show performer named three ball Charlie.
Lots #41 and #43 are mounted, so these are great opportunities for people who want those images on a budget.
Which lots do you think might be overlooked in the auction that you think bidders should be aware of?
The Gentle Giant Armadillo World Headquarters poster, lot #48 is an amazing-looking poster!
The Eden Hashish poster, lot #57. I love that poster.
The certified Led Zeppelin ticket stub, lot #18 is really cool. We just got that in, and I’m really interested to see how it does! Going along with that, the Led Zeppelin patch, lot #17 is a big deal. It’s real, legitimate Zeppelin swag.
I love the Greg Irons Catalyst poster, lot #56. The Catalyst was a small club in Santa Cruz where Neil Young and all kinds of artists played. It’s great art, I believe this one hangs in my home.
Lot #211, the poster for Fela Kuti at the Hippodrome in Paris in 1981 in support of his “Black President” album. It was a French subway poster, it’s really cool.
Lot #96 is a movie poster for The Trip, which came out in 1967 starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Bruce Dern. It was directed by Jack Nicholson. Gram Parsons did the music. This is a great piece for movie AND music poster collectors!
The signed Steppenwolf poster from the Sound Factory, lot #113 is a definite sleeper. That one is pretty great!
Lot #242 is also a bit of a sleeper! It was designed by Wes Wilson to promote the first International Rock Poster Exhibition, in 1992 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. He put on these poster shows before TRPS did. It’s rock poster collecting history, plus it’s signed by Wes!
What’s special about this current auction?
It’s the most lots we’ve ever put out to the public. It’s an incredibly well-balanced and beautiful sale! There’s a little something for everyone here: we’ve got photographs, prints by Mouse, promos, ticket stubs, original art… it’s a really eclectic sale. Super interesting and fun!
The 2021 March Mega Sale ends on Thursday, 3/18 at 9:00 pm ET!
