Grateful Dead memorabilia was obviously welcome at a recent auction that raised more than $1.1 million for guitars and guitar accessories that belonged to the group’s members.
Those nostalgic about the 1960s and summers of peace and flowers and nonconformity had a chance to relive the good ol’ memories this Tuesday.
According to Reuters, the auction house Bonhams and Butterfields held an auction of Grateful Dead memorabilia in San Francisco yesterday, on behalf of Rudson Shurtliff. He is the son of the group’s late road manager and president of the Grateful Dead's corporation, Lawrence “Ram Rod” Shurtliff.
The auction house reported that a cream-colored 1975 Travis Bean electric guitar belonging to the band's legendary, late lead guitar player, Jerry Garcia, brought in $312,000.
Enthusiastic fans of the cult group also splurged $102,000 for an acoustic guitar and $39,000 for a Gibson electric guitar played by Garcia.
Along with guitars, the auction house also offered guitar accessories. A leather guitar strap that belonged to Garcia was sold for $20,400, his flight case filled with guitar picks, strings, and other accessories sold for $16,800.
The Grateful Dead formed in the mid-1960s in San Francisco, California, becoming one of the city’s legends. They toured extensively and often gave free concerts, attracting thousands of music aficionados, grateful for the treat.
The group disbanded in 1995, after group founder Jerry Garcia passed away.