Every poster that Psychedelic Art Exchange offers is independently authenticated and graded by CGC, if eligible, before sale or auction. This grading company has created a buzz in the collectibles marketplace with the news of increased activity and record-setting concert poster prices.
This Jefferson Airplane/Jimi Hendrix (BG-69) Fillmore Concert Postcard CGC graded 9.8 sold for a record $357 in our auction earlier this year!
CGC has graded billions of dollars worth of rare coins, comic books, and paper money. Their services are so ubiquitous that no serious auctions are held for the collectibles mentioned above without their prior grading!
Now that CGC is grading more and more vintage concert posters, Psychedelic Art Exchange has seen a massive influx of new collectors entering this market. These collectors are ready to enter this niche thanks to the trust and familiarity around CGC's independent third-party authentication and grading service.
After all, why would a buyer take a seller's word for it on a concert poster's condition, especially when small differences can mean vast differences in value?
This beautiful Monterey International Pop Festival Concert poster CGC graded 9.6 sold for a record $4612 in our auction 2/17.
For collectors of vintage concert posters, these third-party authentication service advantages go way beyond just leveling the playing field between buyers and sellers.
First, vintage concert posters are separated into two distinct categories: original printings and reprints. Original printings are posters produced and distributed before the concert. Reprints are posters produced and distributed after the concert.
The differences in value between original printings and reprints can be huge, but determining the differences between the two can be minuscule.
CGC grading solves this problem by clearing attributing the poster to what it is, original or reprint. This service allows new collectors to acquire these beautiful pieces of art with confidence, knowing that they are getting the quality that they pay for.
Secondly, because of the age of vintage concert posters, there is a matter of restoration. In every collectibles market, a premium is placed on originality. Many vintage concert posters have been expertly restored to appear as mint condition pieces. These restorations can be hard for the beginning collector to detect. Here is where CGC's service shines again.
Their team of authenticators and graders can detect these expert levels of restoration. From fixed tears to filled in pinholes, their team is able to spot the restorations and grade the posters accordingly.
This beautiful Doors Concert postcard (FD-D-18) CGC graded 9.8 sold for a record $241 in our recent auction.
The bottom line is that CGC grading has broken down the barriers that have prevented new collectors from entering this exciting field. It has allowed new collectors to confidently enter this marketplace knowing they have the backing of a company like CGC.
These new collectors already understand how quality and rarity affects value. They acknowledge these posters are historically significant. They know these posters were issued in the hundreds or a few thousand, compared to the millions of coins, comic books, and baseball cards that are regularly produced. They understand the fragility of concert poster paper and how a tiny percentage of the originals issued still survived 50 years after they were released. They know the premiums that the very best quality pieces command, and how incredibly small they are compared to other collectibles. They intimately understand how to research and buy collectibles over the internet and through auctions.
Through CGC grading, these new collectors can use their skills to participate in what many are calling the most exciting collectibles opportunity in the world today. They understand they can acquire an extensive, world-class collection, for a fraction of just one major rarity in other collectible markets.
This influx of new collectors is now eagerly snapping up whatever CGC graded vintage concert posters and handbills they can find. This growing demand is overwhelming the already limited supply, and that's why prices are steadily moving up.
Stay tuned for future blog posts that will examine which vintage concert posters these new collectors are targeting for acquisition.
If you have vintage concert posters or handbills that you'd like submitted for CGC grading, we can take care of everything for you.
