Authenticity
Every item in The Vault is a documented original. We have acquired each item from its original artist, the production company that staged the concert, the photographer that took the photograph or the performer that played the music. In some cases, we have purchased from the secondary market only after carefully verifying authenticity and condition. The vast majority of our collection comes from the archives of Bill Graham Presents, which was carefully managed by BGP from 1966 until our acquisition, and is now managed and preserved by The Vault. Upon request, we offer Certificates of Provenance signed by the archivist.
I have seen posters you have on your website offered for lower prices on other sites and in online auctions. Why should I buy from you?
We own the copyright to posters in the BG (Bill Graham), BGP (Bill Graham Presents), F (Fillmore), BGSE (Bill Graham Special Events), FME (Fillmore East), FDN (Fillmore Denver) and many in the Commemorative Series (COMM).
We know what is authentic and what is bootlegged or copied because we own the original negatives and/or printers' plates from which the original posters were printed. Our website presents and sells ONLY original, authentic posters and other concert art. We have observed copied, bootlegged and poor-condition concert art sold in many online stores or auctions. We strongly encourage those who wish to purchase concert art from the period 1965 to 2001 to come to our site because we, and only we, can guarantee the authenticity and condition of items we sell to buyers, a guarantee which comes in most handy when a buyer subsequently wishes to sell their concert memorabilia.
Poster, Ticket and Handbill Printings and Variations
Most 2nd and 3rd printings pertain to posters from the BG (Bill Graham poster series of 1966-71) and the FD (Family Dog poster series of the same time period). Once promoters realized that psychedelic art "collectors" were tearing down the posters advertising their concerts, additional printings had to be run in order to market the shows. Later versions of the posters were sometimes printed for hippie poster shops or to satisfy the poster artist with a changing artistic vision. Most poster printings have very slight variations such as paper stock and size, small notation markings on the poster or different ink colors. Within individual printings, some nuances may occur during the course of a print run such as a change of paper stock or ink. These variations are indicated by the notations of A, B or C. Whenever these differences are significant we always present separate images of these printings on our website (for a good example see BG29).
Is there a difference in quality between 1st and subsequent printings?
"Quality" is a subjective term. As noted in the previous paragraph, different poster printings may be on different paper stock, which one might consider a difference in "quality". You can be certain of one thing; all posters in The Vault, regardless of printing, are in mint condition unless otherwise noted.
What is the difference between a proof and a poster?
A proof is a "test" of the final printing process by the printer to make certain that the four color image is rendering exactly as the artist intended. The final proofs we have available at The Vault are the final step in this process and rare in number. They usually have a color bar along one side of the paper's edge. This should be visible in the image detail for the item.
Will you give me a valuation of my poster collection?
We do not offer valuations for insurance or other purposes.
Does the WV watermark I see on the poster image appear on the poster?
The watermark is strictly an identifying copyright mark for the website photo image.
Do you have posters available that are not displayed on the website?
Wolfgang's Vault has two missions. We are offering our archives for sale to the public, but it is equally important to us to preserve the legacy that these archives represent. In the spirit of this second mission we strive to keep at least one of every item in our possession.
Would you be interested in buying my posters?
We will consider secondary market purchases under very specific conditions. To evaluate items for authenticity and condition we must make a physical appraisal of all potential purchases. Should you wish us to make such an evaluation, please contact Customer Service through the website or telephone so that we may obtain further information as to whether we would consider such a purchase. Should we have an interest, we will ask you to pack all items for shipment to our offices and we will issue a call tag for U.P.S. pick up. Upon conclusion of our inspection we will either make you an offer or return the items at our cost. We do not evaluate items for purchase any other way.
Condition of Product
Virtually all items for sale on our website are in mint condition unless stated otherwise in the product detail or shown by the image. A small number of items were damaged as a result of a fire at the offices of Bill Graham Presents in 1985. We have made every effort to show the extent of the damage on each product in the product detail screen image and will contact you by email or phone should remaining inventory not reflect that condition. Because there is no developed "standard" of condition ranking, we have made it company policy not to make any statements that guarantee condition. What one purchaser might consider "near mint" might be far different from what another views as such. If for some reason the item you purchased does not meet your expectations, you may return it (domestic orders only). Please refer to our Returns and Exchanges policy below.
Returns and Exchanges
We have a ten-day return policy (for domestic orders only). In addition, we guarantee your order against damage that may occur during the shipping process. If your package arrives damaged you should refuse delivery of the package so that it will be returned to us. Please then advise us immediately that you have refused the package. Should you notice the damage after delivery please contact us immediately so that we may start a UPS damage claim. To make a return or exchange, simply contact Customer Service within 10 days of receiving the package and you will be given an RA (Return Authorization) number. Please ensure that the RA number we give you is clearly marked on the outside of your shipping box. Also, pack your return securely. We recommend you use the same packaging materials that it was original shipped in, and that you insure the shipment for your protection. You are responsible for all return shipping costs. COD shipments will not be accepted. We are not responsible for lost or stolen packages. We recommend using a courier that can track your package with a tracking number. Subsequent to an approved authorization, a credit to an account can take up to 30 days.
Watkins Glen was the epic brainchild of Jim Koplik and Shelly Finkel, Connecticut rock promoters who had also orchestrated Summer Jam. Inspired by an onstage impromptu jam session between the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers, they came up with the idea for Watkins Glen and commissioned Bill Graham to build the backstage compound and supply production. The three bands lined up for the show were favorites of all three organizers, and were perfect for an open-space gig. In a special and memorable turn of events, 600,000 people showed up for this show at the Watkins Glen racetrack in Upstate New York, and kids were everywhere, crowding the landscape the day before the concert. All of them expected to do a sound check before performing, but didn't plan on doing one before a live audience – but there was no way that huge crowd was going anywhere. The Band sound-checked first, doing their entire run-through in one song. The crowd rocked. The Allman Brothers were next, playing for an hour, and the crowd went nuts. The Dead, not to be outdone, finished up with an hour and a half "sound check," wrapping up what turned out to be the concert before the concert.
Wolfgang's Vault owns one of the world's largest collections of original concert posters, featuring hundreds of rock posters, political posters, sports posters, comedy posters and others that were previously unavailable to the general public. Virtually all of our concert posters are in mint condition, and many are signed by the headline performer or the graphic artist.
All orders are shipped from our facilities in San Francisco via United Parcel Service (UPS) or United States Postal Service (USPS, International orders only). With UPS we offer online tracking of your order while it is in transit to you. Our shipping costs for this service include insurance for the full value of your purchase. USPS shipments are uninsured and cannot be tracked.
All orders placed on this site are subject to product availability. Please allow seven days for our photographic prints to ship (these products are produced to order and require a high degree of printmaking skill and attention to detail). All other items are shipped within three business days of when your order is placed. We do not ship on Saturdays, Sundays or national holidays. All shipping delivery times are in addition to this order processing time.
If your order is going to be delayed due to out-of-stock items, weather conditions or any other factors, you will be notified by email within 48 hours of your order being placed. You will be given an approximate ship date at that time and will have the option of canceling your order, or retaining the order with its new ship date.
Depending on your location and the shipping service you selected, your order will take from one to ten days to be delivered once it has shipped.
Shipping costs are calculated by our website checkout pages after you enter your Ship To address. In the case of the USA and Canada, a zip or postal code is required before shipping options can be calculated. Your order is placed only after you have had a chance to review the information entered, including shipping costs.
Free UPS Ground shipping is offered on all domestic orders over $50. To qualify for free shipping, you must select the desired free service in the checkout process.
We take great care to ensure that your order is carefully packaged so that it arrives in the same mint condition in which it left our facilities.
Most historic series posters are of a size to fit in flats. Posters shipped in flats are surrounded by 2 chipboard inserts. Oversized pieces require tubes and we ship in tubes with a .187 wall – the thickest tube used for such shipping. All photographic prints are shipped in highest quality heavy-duty reinforced cardboard flats. If you have ordered more than one printed item, the items will be packaged together and separated by high quality interleave paper to prevent scratching.
Please see the HELP section of the website for more Purchase, Return and Exchange information.