Bay Area Grateful Dead fans will have a rare chance to own a piece of the band’s history when artifacts — straight from the archives of Jerry Garcia’s inner circle — go up for auction in San Francisco next month.
More than 300 pieces of Dead’s artwork, apparel and keepsakes will be on sale as part of Treasures From the Golden Road. Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of organizer Julien’s Auctions, boasts the auction will feature “some of the most important Grateful Dead artifacts ever brought to market.”
The auction is set to take place at 10 a.m. April 22, at the Box in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. Deadheads can also participate online or over the phone during the live sale but must preregister to bid.
While last year marked the band’s 60th anniversary, officially commemorated by a three-day tribute concert in Golden Gate Park last summer, the celebration seems to be continuing through 2026.
“Grateful Dead memorabilia is hitting unprecedented levels of demand, with collectors showing stronger interest than ever before,” Nolan said in a statement.
The lot includes a vintage 1970s band T-shirt, with an estimated value of $300-$500; a 1939 Gibson Super 400N Archtop Guitar owned by Garcia, worth $80,000-$120,000; a dressing room plaque from former San Francisco rock venue Winterland Ballroom, valued $600-$800; and a set list handwritten by Garcia in 1981, with a value range of $1,000-$2,000.
Many items were procured from individuals close to Garcia, the band’s late guitarist and frontman, who died in 1995. Among them include his daughter Trixie Gracia; his former wife, Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams Garcia; and Jerry Garcia Band manager “Big Steve” Parish.
“These items represent fifty years of memories and experiences with the Grateful Dead — from the early days to the final shows in Chicago,” Parish said in a statement. “Each piece tells a story of the music, the journey, and the community that made it all possible.”
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated when Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams Garcia wed Jerry Garcia. She was his second wife.