Handbills--Family Dog and Related

Last updated 3/12/2024

NOTE: An asterisk (*) next to a description of an item indicates that more than one copy of that item is available.

A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT FAMILY DOG CARDS: The Family Dog was one of the earliest producers of San Francisco rock and roll dances and is most often associated with the Avalon Ballroom, though shows were produced in a number of other places as well. Chet Helms, the principal figure in the Family Dog, was the direct competitor of Bill Graham in the early days.

The earliest numbered Family Dog handbills (#1 -- #10) were printed on 5 x 7 stock; with a variety of color variants. Most of these handbills are very rare and, in some cases, can command asking prices in the thousands of dollars. Handbills from FD #11 through FD #20 varied between 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 and 8 1/2 x 11 stock. From FD #21 through FD #41, handbills were printed on 8 « x 11 stock (except for #28, which is 5 x 7). The later ones (from #26 on) are in color but some have color variations from the corresponding posters. None of these early handbills were ever reprinted, though there are different color and print variants for some numbers among the originals. Bootlegs of several early numbers also exist. The challenge for serious collectors is to assemble a complete set of these first 41 handbills.

Beginning with FD#42, all numbered FD cards were printed in postcard size like the Bill Graham cards, and numerous printing variations exist among these, as well as different types of card backs. The standard back is the postcard back with a swirly drawing and place to put a stamp. Bulk rate permit card backs were also printed and these were intended for mailing to the Family Dog mailing list (see below). Many different reverses exist and except as noted below, most of these don't have a huge impact on the value. Eric King's guide contains a complete list of the color variations on the backs of the cards.

Back in the day, people could sign up for the Family Dog mailing list and receive a card in the mail every week publicizing the show. These cards had a bulk rate permit back and were mechanically addressed with the name and address of the recipient. Because they had to endure the rigor of being mailed, many of them have flaws and defects and, of course, the recipients often decorated their walls and furniture with them, resulting in tape damage, pinholes, and so on. Assembling a full set of Family Dog mailers in premium condition is a challenge even for the common cards. In addition, the address is the ultimate assurance of authenticity since each one is unique and was mailed prior to the show, and of course there is a story behind every one of them. Cards addressed to well-known people such as band members, producers and club operators, political figures, and other celebrities can be a big deal. Hence, these addressed mailing list cards can command a premium. In this list, Family Dog cards listed as "mailers" are cards originally mailed to people on the mailing list and preserved by their original owners, until such time as they eventually found their way to a collector or dealer, and ultimately to yours truly.

The Family Dog also produced shows in Denver, Colorado, and these shows have a "D" prefix. Some have dual numbers, e.g., FD #84 = FD #D-4. After the Family Dog left the Avalon Ballroom, they continued to produce shows on the Great Highway. While the latter bear the Family Dog logo, they are not part of the numbered series; however, they are assigned reference numbers in Eric King's guide and I have tried to include these in this list, when appropriate.

FD #19, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Bo Diddley, Oxford Circle, Sons of Adam, 8/5-6/66; Avalon; Mouse's "5 Dollar Bill" poster with Family Dog Indian in center. Back in stock, have 3 nice original NM copies, $125 each (*).

FD #31, Daily Flash, Country Joe & the Fish, 10/20-21/66, Avalon; Stanley Mouse's "Edgar Allen Poe" image; two "normal" versions (grey background, black lettering at bottom), NM $100.

FD #43, Moby Grape, Sparrow, Charlatans, 1/13-14/67, Avalon; beautiful classic Mouse poster with red border and old blue-gray photo of old-time movie actress, I think maybe Greta Garbo, forget who for sure now. Fairly clean VG+ but with two very tiny staple holes at top and one at bottom margin, hint of age but still a nice copy, $78.

FD #45, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, 1/27-28/67, Avalon; gold background with green and red image of woman with flowing hair standing beside a jug or amphora or something; has sort of a Biblical look to it; beautiful image by Stanley mouse. Scarce card, 3 nice NM copies, $125 each. (*)

FD #46, Country Joe & the Fish, Sparrow, Kaleidoscope, 2/3-4/67, Avalon; "Dance of the 5 moons"; beautiful design by Victor Moscoso with blue background & green moon figures surrounded by orange lettering. 3 cards VG/VG+; very minor light residual tape marks in corners, somewhat hard to see, no pinholes; otherwise clean, only $15 each. (*).

FD #48, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Quicksilver Messenger Service. Oxford Circle, 2/17-18/67, Avalon; 2d annual Tribal Stomp; classic brown & black image with lettering by Stanley Mouse and photo of James Gurley with feather in hair in center. 16 NM copies, $20.00; 1 VG/VG+ (reverse tape pull only), $20; each; 2 VG- cards with tape pull damage, only $5 each. 1 mailer (partially imprinted on reverse) VG, creases in 2 corners outside image, and general wear $7.50.(*)

FD #50, The Doors, Sparrow, Country Joe & the Fish, 3/3-4/67, Avalon; green background with red/orange lettering, blue accents, photo of upper portion of face with caption "Break On Through to The Other Side"; Moscoso art. 1 NM card $25. 2 copies NM on front with minor tape pull scuff on back, $20 each. Also have one original mailing list card with name on back, one minuscule staple hole and a wee bit of overall wear, still not bad overall for a named mailer, $25.(*)

No #, Moby Grape, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Country Joe & the Fish, The Sparrow, 3/5/1967, Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, benefit for Newstage and the Straight Theatre. (NOTE: This is NOT a Family Dog show, but falls here sequentially in Avalon shows.) Multicolored postcard by B. Kliban (later famous for drawing cats); with a face-like shape in the center, with lettering in a circle around where the head would be; black background; decent if not spectacular art, hard to describe; for image, click here and here. NM-/VG+; minor light age, $42.50.

FD #51, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller Blues Band, Daily Flash, 3/10-11/67; 2 copies with minor corner tape; $12; 1 copy with significant tape pull on reverse, $8.00 (*)

FD #52, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Charles Lloyd, Sir Douglas Quintet, 3/7-8/67, Avalon; brown image of Michelangelo's figure of Adam receiving life from the finger of God; early Rick Griffin lettering in green and pink; 2 basically NM-/VG+ but have some small bits of tape that might be removable, $8.00.(*)

FD #53, Quicksilver Messenger Service, John Lee Hooker, Steve Miller Blues Band, 3/22- 23/67, orange, pink, and green Moscoso poster; typical early period Moscoso design with circular lettering in the center and photo of Quicksilver Messenger Service. 3 NM $15.00; 1 VG+ ripple in center, otherwise clean $8. Also have a VG+ mailer with name imprinted on back, VG+ couple of small staple holes and a bit of general wear, $ 12.50, and an OK filler copy with an unobtrusive horizontal crease and general overall age, $5.00(*)

FD #54, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Johnny Hammond and His Screaming Nighthawks, Robert Baker, 3/24-26/67, Avalon; early Rick Griffin design with photo of Cossacks and western-style lettering; popular early Dead card; 2 NM cards $25 each; 1 NM- /VG+ slight age $20; 3 VG+ or so, clean but for teeny bit of clear tape and/or tape removal residue in 1/16" of upper corner margins, $10. (*)

FD #56, Charlatans, Sparrow, Canned Heat, 4/7-8/67; early Rick Griffin western-style design with photo of the Charlatans standing on a front porch in cool western garb, drawing of can at bottom (canned heat). 1 card NM on front but with "56" written in ink on reverse, $12; 1 CARD NM but with printing slightly off register, $12; 1 cards with minor bits of clear tape $8.00 (*)

FD #58, Quicksilver Messenger Service, John Hammond, Charles Lloyd, 4/21-22/67, Avalon; Rick Griffin's "Gold Rush" card with image of Family Dog Indian's head sticking out of huge kettle with wings. 7 NM/NM- cards, $17 each; 1 VG+ card with tiny corner pinholes, $12.50. (*)

FD #60, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Sir Douglas Quintet, The Orkustra, 5/5-7/67, "Motherload" dance, Avalon; early Rick Griffin poster with blue background; orange and khaki Western-style lettering, photo of Janis Joplin/Big Brother in the middle. 1 NM $15.00, 1 with an almost invisible very teeny scuff mark on front, $12.00. (*).

FD #61, The Doors, The Sparrow, 5/12-13/67, Avalon; typical Moscoso design with image of woman with wings or something, orange & pink fill between letters, Have 3 NM ones left, $25 each. (*)

FD #62, Quicksilver Messenger Service; Country Joe & the Fish, 5/19-21/68, Avalon; "Sutter's Mill" poster; classic Rick Griffin image featuring a hippie prospector panning for a different kind of gold at the corner of Sutter and Van Ness in SF; 4 nice NM cards, $15 each. Also 1 card with a minor scuff on back, $10.(*)

"CHARLATANS" SET COMPLETE: FD #63, 67, 71; the full set of 3 images that collectively spell out "Charlatans," with photos of some of the band members; Charlatans, Salvation Army Band, Blue Cheer, 5/26-28/66, Avalon; first two cards by Rick Griffin and the other by Bob Fried. Sold as a set only. I have three sets; the first is very clean, asking $125 for this set. Also have another full set, this one in VG+/VG condition with a couple of minor pinholes and other wear; decent but not mint; the cool thing about this set is that they are all original mailers with the recipient's name on the back...and ALL 3 ARE NAMED TO THE SAME PERSON!...really cool, not something I see that often. Asking $75 for this set. The third set has a bit of light discoloration from light exposure, not very noticeable unless you actually compare it to another set, asking $60 for this one. (*)

FD #65, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Canned Heat, 6/8-11/67, Avalon; color Rick Griffin "Magic Show" card; great image. 9 copies, NM $15.00 each. (*)

FD #66, The Youngbloods, Siegel-Schwall Band, 6/15-18/67, Avalon Ballroom, Moscoso image with man in leopard skin trunks flexing muscles while female onlooker reclines on a couch or something. 5 copies, NM $10 each; 1 NM addressed mailer $15; 1 card NM on front, insignificant tape pull on back, $8.50; 1 with paper age on back, $8; another VG+ mailer with minor staple holes, $7.00; 1 VG/VG+ with tape mark on back, $5.00. (*)

FD #67, Charlatans, 13th Floor Elevators, 6/22-25/67, Avalon; 2d poster of the Charlatans trio with the lettering "RLA", brown image by Rick Griffin, with Herb Greene photo; 7 NM cards, $17.50 each; 1 VG+ (diagonal corner crease), $12.00. (*)

FD #68, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Mt. Rushmore, Big Brother & the Holding Co., 6/29-7/2/67, Avalon; Moscoso design with swirly designs and lettering in blue, green and red, almost impossible to read! 5 NM cards, $12.50 each; 1 with a scuff on the front, $6.00. (*)

FD #69, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Siegel-Schwall, The Phoenix, 7/4/67; Rick Griffin's "Independence" design with old-style US shield topped by an eagle holding lightning bolts, olive branches, and alpha & omega figures, rendered as only Rick could. The eagle holds a ribbon which, instead of the usual patriotic slogan, contains the following quotation from Revelations: "I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the ending." Heavy stuff. 3 NM/NM- cards, $23 each; 1 VG+/VG card with tape stain on back; otherwise OK. $13.50. (*)

FD #70, Miller Blues Band, Siegel-Schwall Band, 7/6-9/67, Avalon; typical purple and blue Moscoso design and lettering; central image of dandelion that looks like fireworks and photo of Steve Miller band carrying their instruments. 7 copies NM $6.00 each ; 1 VG+ mailer $12.00. (*)

FD #71, Charlatans, Youngbloods, Other Half, 7/13-16/67, Avalon, third and final image in the "Charlatans" series, spells out "TANS" with photo of Richard Olsen. NM copy $17.50. 1 mailer with stains on back, snowing through, VG overall, interestingly the addressee is in New York which is higly unusual, $10. (*)

FD #72, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Mount Rushmore, Canned Heat, Mother Earth, 7/20-23/67, Avalon; Dennis Nolan image with goldish ink background; red center circle and drawings of each band member including Janis Joplin, one in each corner and one in the center. Nice popular card, 1 NM mailer with name on back, very clean for a mailer, $25; 1 NM postcard, $20 (*).

FD #73, Blue Cheer, Captain Beefheart, Youngbloods, 7/7-30/67, Avalon Ballroom; orange lettering against a blue background figure of a Mongol warrior with what looks like a cigarette in his mouth; 1 NM/NM- card $15 each; 2 mailers with mailing list names on back, both damaged, VG- or so $8.00 each (*)

FD #74, Charles Lloyd, West Coast Natural Gas Co., 8/3-6/67, Avalon Ballroom; Moscoso design with red sky, pink and blue border, and image of the Family Dog Indian standing in front of the Taj Mahal. 1 mailer NM- on front, insignificant tape pull at very upper 1/8" on back, $25.00; 1 VG+ mailer with tack hole top center, $15.00; 2 NM copies, $20 each; 1 NM-/VG+ copy clean with faint rippling at bottom, $16. (*)

FD #75, Moby Grape, Canned Heat, Vanilla Fudge, 8/12-13/68, Avalon; Moscoso collage with bikini-clad women and butterfly wings and giant hand; turquoise, khaki & black; 8 NM copies available, only $5.00 each (*)

FD #76, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Other Half, Melvyn Q, 8/17-20/67, Avalon; odd silver-gray, blue, and red design by Jack Hatfield with sort of a shadow figure design with outstretched arms and what looks like some trees or something in the background; 3 nice NM copies, $15.00. (*)

FD #77, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Bo Diddley, Bukka White, 8/24-27/67, Avalon; Bob Fried design with orange and silver/gray background, blue 6-pointed stars in background, photo of disreputable-looking old man in center. 9 NM cards, $15.00 each, 1 NM- addressed mailer $15.00; 1 mailer NM on front, tape pull on back, $12; also have 2 lesser condition mailers with staple holes and minor wear, VG+/VG $8.00 each. (*)

FD #78, Steve Miller Blues Band, Mother Earth, Bukka White, 9/1-3/67, Avalon; very attractive Kelly/Mouse design with bright blue background, blue lettering with pink background, and central image of a nude woman with angel's wings in orange and blue. One of the nicer later Avalon images in my opinion. NM- addressed mailer, $20 .

FD #79 (#D-1), Big Brother & the Holding Co., Blue Cheer, 9/8-9/67, Denver, CO; opening poster for the Family Dog's Denver operation; Rick Griffin image with blue background, typical lettering, and collage of familiar advertising/hippie images. Better card, 2 basically NM copies $35 each. (*)

FD #80, South Side Sound System, The Phoenix, Freedom Highway, 9/8-10/67, Avalon; black, yellow & pink Greg Irons design with drawing of what looks like a very strange tea party...1 NM front/tape pull on back $8.00; VG+ with one small bit of removable tape at top, $6.75; VG/VG+ with tape marks on back, $5.00.

FD #81, Youngbloods, The Other Half, Mad River, 9/5-17/67, Avalon; bright Moscoso design in green, blue, red and pink with silhouette of nude dancers. VG+/VG; clean but slight fading from light exposure, $7.

FD #82 (D-3), Grateful Dead, Mother Earth, 9/22-23/67, Family Dog, Denver; classic design by Dennis Nolan with red outer background, green inner background, and center image of skull with Pigpen's face in the nose; with scrolls at bottom containing show info. Popular and somewhat hard to find, NM card $40.

FD #83, Charlatans, Buddy Guy, 9/22-24/67, Avalon; interesting art by Bob Fried with background of orange and yellow lines, center yellow circle like a sun, and image of man in old- time ornithopter glider; lettering at bottom in orange on turquoise waves; striking. 4 NM copies, $14.00 each; 2 copies with tape/tape damage on back, $8.00 (*).

FD #84 (D-4), Lothar & the Hand People, The Doors, Captain Beefheart, 9/29-30/67, Family Dog, Denver, CO.; great classic design by Bob Fried; background in 2 shades of blue, lettering in green and bright red, and center image in bright yellow and orange/red of dancers with tambourines, horn, sort of a Biblical feel to it; combines important groups and great artwork. 1 strong VG+ card with a single unobtrusive, almost invisible staple hole in upper RH corner, virtually mint other than that, $35.00.

FD #88, Van Morrison, Daily Flash, Hair, 10/20-22/67, Avalon; Wes Wilson returns to the Family Dog with this "flames" design in red, light green, and purple that is somewhat reminiscent of the image he used in BG #18. 2 NM/NM- cards, $14 each. (*)

FD #89, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Sons of Champlin, Taj Mahal & the Blue Flames, 10/27-29/68, Avalon; Rick Griffin's psychedelic comic strip poster featuring individual panels featuring Griffin's Murphy character intermingled with impossible to decipher psychedelic drawings, all in full color. Nice NM card, $45.

FD #91, Youngbloods, Mad River, 11/10-12/67, Avalon; brown background with black image of man who resembles John Lennon revealing ribs and sun. NM card $8; VG- mailer $5.00. (*)

FD #93, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Mt. Rushmore, 11/23-25/67, Avalon; blue background with pink op-art designs and center image of woman's face; somewhat reminiscent of a Moscoso image but isn't. 2 NM mailing list card with names on back, both VG+ (minor staple holes, very tiny); better copy, $15, lesser copy $12.50, third copy VG- or so with horizontal crease, $5.00. (*)

FD #95, Jim Kweskin, Sons of Champlin, 12/8-10/67, Avalon; half of the "rainbow" poster (see #D-13 below); great color image by Rick Griffin and Victor Moscoso; 2 copies clean but with a bit of light general age, VG+ $12.50 each; 1 addressed mailer, nice condition for a mailer, NM- $20; another addressed mailer VG $12.50.; 1 VG- card $7.00 (*)

FD #96, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Charlatans, Congress of Wonders, 12/15-17/67, Avalon; classic Kelley/Mouse image with purple background, Word "Dance" in pink and blue at top, center photo of an old-time couple dancing, and delicate, intricate lettering in the style of Mouse's 1966 work. 6 copies, NM $18; 2 NM- on front, light tape removal scuffs on back, $9.00. Also have a nice VG+ mailer, no pinholes just a little overall wear, $17.(*)

FD #97, Siegel-Schwall, Blue Cheer, Soul Survivors, 12/21-23/67, Avalon; ugly collage with background photo of Yosemite Nat'l Park, moon, dressed-up cat, snarling black panther. Real meaningful. 2 NM copies, $12.50 each; 1 very nice NM mailer, $15.00; NM- card $12.50. (*)

FD #98, Jim Kweskin, Country Joe & the Fish, Lee Michaels, Blue Cheer, 12/28-30/67, Avalon; image by Bob Schnepf featuring photo of nude woman in frog stance; green border, purple center with figure and lettering in orange and yellow. Found a small stash of these awhile back, 6 copies now available NM $15 each. NM-/VG+ $9. Also have 1 NM-/VG+ mailing list card with name on back, $12, 1 filler copy, VG- general age, $5.00. (*)

FD #99, Blue Cheer, Country Joe & the Fish, Flamin' Groovies, Mad River, Mt. Rushmore, 12/31/67, Avalon; horizontal image by Bob Schnepf, bright green background, pink and purple circular lettering, center photo of nude woman in forest. 1 VG mailer with some paper age and tack hole at top, $12.

FD #100, Youngbloods, Ace of Cups, 1/5-7/66, Avalon; nice color tree/mushroom cloud with photos of the Youngbloods in the center, 1 NM card $14; 1 NM- card $12. (*)

FD #101, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Kaleidoscope, Charlie Musselwhite, 1/12-14/68, Avalon; one of Rick Griffin's masterpieces; a sinister red and black exterior surrounds a center panel with a heart shaped tree drawing nutrition from the soil and sun and pouring out its waste to fertilize the earth for other growing things... 1 VG mailer with name on back, large tack hole at top center margin, $30. (*)

FD #102, Dance-Genesis, Siegel-Schwall, Mother Earth, 1/19-21/68, Avalon; nice color Bob Fried image with smiling woman in rocking chair; Family Dog Indian looking though window. 9 copies, NM/NM- $12 each; 1 mailer NM on front, very minor tape scuffs on back, $12 (*).

FD #104, Electric Flag, the Fugs, Mad River, 13th Floor Elevators; 2/2-4/68, Avalon; great atypical psychedelic Moscoso poster with eagle in clouds, lightning bolts, and hand giving "the bird" (finger) at the bottom. Colorful, powerful image, with an interesting lineup. Very nice mailer NM on front, almost invisible tape scuff on back, $22; also 1 VG+ mailer with name on back, couple almost invisible staple holes and a wee bit of paper age, otherwise clean, $15. (*)

FD #105, Siegel-Schwall, Buddy Guy, Hourglass, Mance Lipscomb, 2/9-11/68, Avalon; color card in blue, yellow, black, and red; Joel Beck drawing with fantasy drawing of dinosaur etc. 10 NM copies, $10.00 each.(*)

FD #106, Youngbloods, Mount Rushmore, Phoenix, 2/16-18/68, Avalon; perhaps the brightest "op-art" poster in the whole series; orange-blue-purple color scheme with angular block lettering that is difficult to read; in fact; it is impossible to stare at this poster for more than a few seconds without experiencing eye strain! Color scheme very reminiscent of Victor Moscoso, but the style is a bit different. Artist is Bill Henry. 1 filler copy with big crease top to bottom, cheap if you are looking for a mailer of this image. $4.50.

FD #107, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Buddy Guy, Son House, 2/23-25./68; cartoonish drawing of lots of figures in front of mountain, sky and colors in background; so-so design, 1 NM copy, $15; 2 copies NM- $12.00. (*)

FD #109, Love, Congress of Wonders, Sons of Champlin, 3/8-10/68, Avalon; green background, purple image of sleeping woman wrapped in her own hair, Stanley Mouse art but very atypical; interesting. 2 NM copies $15 each. (*)

FD #110, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, John Handy, Son House, 3/15-17/97; one of my personal favorites of the later Family Dog posters; Stanley Mouse image with dark red/black background, red & orange center with low-contrast lettering, and central image of the Statue of Liberty shedding one white tear...very powerful. Have 1 original mailing list card with name on back, a few staple holds in image, plus a bit of light overall wear, $7.50. (*)

FD #112, Jeremy Steig & the Satyrs, Sons of Champlin, Fourth Way, 3/29-31/68, Avalon; brick red background with cherubs in front. 1 VG+ (no pinholes/slight edge wrinkle at top) $8.75. Also have 1 mailer with name on back, VG/VG+; minor staple holes and a wee bit of general age, $9.50. (*)

FD #113, Blues Project, It's A Beautiful Day, Nazz-Are Blues Band, 4/5-7/2000; black mandala, fiery orange mandala in center, flower-like letters in orange and yellow; atypical design by Wes Wilson; 2 NM cards $10. Also have a VG+ mailer with name on back, teeny staple/pinholes in corner, otherwise invisible, basically clean $15. (*)

FD #114, The Fugs, Ace of Cups, Allman Joy, 4/12-14/68, Avalon; odd "heaven and hell theme"; top have with green background and drawing of Jesus holding a rose, lower half yellow background with a purple image of a demon (the devil?) with lots of teeny skull-like faces (presumably, the damned). 1 NM- postcard. $12.

FD #116, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Charlatans, It's A Beautiful Day, 4/26-28/68, Avalon; Kelley's "It's A Gas" image with photo of a bunch of men wearing gas masks; great colors. 1 NM card $17.50.

FD #117, Junior Wells, Canned Heat, Solid Muldoon, 5/3-5/68, Avalon; color Carl Lundgren drawing of nude woman riding small dinosaur. 1 NM- card, $14.

FD #118, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Ace of Cups, Flamin' Groovies, 5/10-12/68, Avalon; Bob Fried design with light blue border, image of a bear standing in a meadow, while holding up a purple tapestry containing the information for the show; nice image. 1 VG+ mailer with name on back, couple staple holes, light corner wrinkles and some general age, $12.

FD #119, Junior Wells, Sons of Champlin, Santana Blues Band, 5/17-18/68, Avalon Ballroom, blue background with very hard to read brown and purple lettering and dats, sort of like a psychedelic roulette wheel or something. NM card, $10.

FD #121, Taj Mahal, Dave van Ronk, Family Tree, A.B. Skhy, Creedence Clearwater Revival, 5/31-6/2/68; mirror-image design with doubled photos of male and female nudes. This is the original silver & light pink/purple version, NM copy, $25; second copy NM but has a several small pale spots in the RH margin, appears to be a printing irregularity but otherwise very clean, $20; 1 NM- mailer, very clean, $22; 1 VG+ mailer (clean, one corner margin crease), $15.00. Also have one of the blue versions, significant rubbing and wear, basically a low grade filler copy but fully intact, $4.00 (*)

FD #122, Iron Butterfly, Velvet Underground, Chrome Cyrcus, 6/7-9/68, Avalon; Bob Schnepf's design featuring purple butterfly with a woman's body against a green background that looks like a photo of a blanket. Lettering appears as part of the pattern in the butterfly's wings. NM- card mailer with name on back, $30; another card NM on front with very small tape pull on reverse $25. (*).

FD #124, Kaleidoscope, Mother Earth, Country Weather, 6/21-23/68, Avalon; pink & blue lettering against black background, with grey drawing of dancing figures. 1 VG+ card with brown "place stamp here" back, minor tape scuffs on back, front NM $10; 2 NM- mailer with name on back, $15.50 each ; VG/VG+ mailer with name on back, $7.60, 1 copy with light tape pull on back and light general age, $4.00. (*)

FD ##125-126, uncut double card; #125 is Youngbloods, Santana Blues Band, Its A Beautiful Day, 6/28-30/68, Avalon; nice color design with drawing of Jesse Colin Young against red background; #126 is Iron Butterfly, Indian Head Band, The Collectors, 7/4-7/68, Avalon; color flowers, little girl, and fantasy creature on white background. 1 NM/NM- copy $30, 1 VG+; no pinholes but slight corner wrinkles, $15. (*)

FD #126, Iron Butterfly, Indian Head Band, The Collectors, 7/4-7/68, Avalon; color flowers, little girl, and fantasy creature on white background. 1 NM/NM- copy (plain back) $18.50.

FD #129, Country Joe & the Fish, Pacific Gas & Electric, Boogie, 7/23-25/68, Avalon; appealing B & W design with photo of nude woman in lotus position, with strategically placed rose. 2 NM cards, $15.00 each (*).

FD #130, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Howlin Wolf, Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, 7/26- 28/68, Avalon, B & W card featuring a negative-image photo of a hippie dude havin' a smoke; VG/VG+ mailer with name on back, $10.00. Also have 2 NM cards with black postcard back, $15 each (*).

FD ##131-132, uncut double card, #131 is Pink Floyd, Holy Modal Rounders, Chrome Syrcus, 8/2-4/68; B & W with collage of finger and spiraling sequence of globes; #132 is Steppenwolf, Siegel-Schwall, Santana, 8/9-11/68, Avalon; yucko B & W image with photo of cross in graveyard. Card is mailer with name on back; has one horizontal wrinkle across image and come corner wrinkling, but no pinholes; VG overall, $15. (*)

FD #131, Pink Floyd, Holy Modal Rounders, Chrome Syrcus, 8/2-4/68; B & W with collage of finger and spiraling sequence of globes. Early Pink Floyd card! 4copies, card back NM $25 each; 1 also have 2 NM- plain back copies, also $25 each (*).

FD #132, Steppenwolf, Siegel-Schwall, Santana, 8/9-11/68, Avalon; yucko B & W poster with photo of cross in graveyard. My personal nominee for the least attractive Family Dog poster. 4 copies "place stamp here" back NM $10.00 each; 1 copy with bulk rate back NM $11.00; 1 NM-/VG+ mailer with name on back, $12.00; 3 NM-VG+ (minor paper age/reverse side smudges) $6.00 (*).

FD #133, Bill Haley & the Comets, the Drifters, Flamin' Groovies, 8/16-18/68, Avalon; photo of DJ Tom Donahue standing by an old gramophone with a poster on it showing the show info. 9 NM/NM- copies, $15.00 each., 1 VG+ copy clean except for one minor smudge, but with tape pull on back, $7.50. (*)

FD #134, Spirit, Sir Douglas Quintet + 2, Notes From the Underground, 8/23-25/68, Avalon; Stanley Mouse design with light brown paper, art-nouveau type photo of woman holding up lettering reading "Spirit"; 1 NM card $17.50; 1 NM- minor age $14. (*)

FD #136, James Cotton Blues Band, Sir Douglas Quintet + 2, Pulse, Womb, 9/6-8/68, Avalon; B & W photo card with hard-to-figure-out photo collage in center, 6 NM cards, $10; 1 VG+/VG card, $ 5.50 (*)

FD #137, John Mayall, Big Mama Thornton, Black Pearl, 9/13-15/68, Avalon; B & W photo of old-time steam locomotive. Stashes of this one apparently have been depleted and it is now harder to get, though it does come up with some frequency in older stashes and collections. 14 NM/NM- copies with "place stamp here" back, $20. (*)

FD #138, Steve Miller Band, Muddy Waters, A.B. Sky Blues Band, 9/20-22/68, Avalon; B & W horizontal image with distorted photo of face, slightly off centered, a lot of white in the borders and typeset lettering in the upper corner. 4 NM- copies $15 each; 1 NM- mailer with address on back $20; 2 VG+ copies (minor paper age), $12 each. (*)

FD ## 139-140, uncut double card, #139 is Flatt & Scruggs, Jack Elliot, Sons of Champlin, Country Weather, 9/27-29/68, Avalon; B & W photo of old dilapidated gas station; #140 is Quicksilver Messenger Service, Black Pearl, Ace of Cups, 10/4-6/68, Avalon; B & W photo of old TV set cabinet sitting in on a bare patch of dirt. This is a mailer with name on back, folded between the cards, minor pinholes in corners, otherwise clean. $12.00.

FD #139, Flatt & Scruggs, Jack Elliot, Sons of Champlin, Country Weather, 9/27-29/68, Avalon; B & W photo of old dilapidated gas station. NM card, $10; 1 VG+ copy (slight paper rippling), $7.50. (* )

FD #141, Grateful Dead, Lee Michaels, Linn County, Mance Lipscomb, 10/11-13/68, Avalon; B & W card with center photo of man with outstretched arms who looks vaguely like Jerry Garcia but probably isn't. 2 cards NM/NM- $20.00. (*)

FD #142, Velvet Underground, Charlie Musselwhite, Initial Shock, 10/18-20/68, Avalon; B & W card with artsy photo of beautiful woman's face. 1 NM card back, $25.00. Also 1 card NM- on front, 2 tape pulls on back that don't show through $ 15. (*)

FD #143, Buddy Miles, Dino Valente, Country Weather, 10/25-27/68, Avalon; reverse image photos of dancing nude and bowl of apples and bananas; hmmmm. 3 NM cards $15 each , 1 VG mailing list card with address on back, general age, $5.00(*)

FD #144, The Byrds, Taj Mahal, Genesis, 11/1-3/68, Avalon; B & W card with collage of mushroom and hands designed to sort of look like a nuclear explosion, I think, or something...1 VG+ card (slight wrinkles) $7.00; 1 VG copy with horizontal fold $5.00 (*)

FD #145, Mother Earth, Kaleidoscope, A.B. Skhy, 11/8-10/68, Avalon; silly B & W card with photo of Chicken Hirsch from Country Joe & the Fish in the same pose as an Army recruiting poster and looking totally ridiculous, with flags, statue of liberty etc.; cut double $5.00. (*)

FD # 147, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Sons of Champlin, Initial Shock, 11/28-30/68, Avalon; B & W card with 3 photos of a guy with half his beard shaved off, so from the profile views he looks like 2 different people, or something...1 NM copy $12; 2 copies available, NM- on front, tape pulls on back that don't show through $ 8 each (*)

FD #W-1, John Mayall, Canned Heat, Sir Douglas Quintet +2, 10/31/68, Winterland; bright orange & black poster by Randy Tuten that has sort of Dali-esque effect; very nice; I believe this was Tuten's first poster, 1 copy NM. $25.

Uncut double mailer: FD #W-2, The Mothers, Sir Douglas Quintet, 1/17-18/69, Winterland, long red, white and blue poster with lettering by San Andreas fault and center image featuring silly photo of 2 dogs dressed up like people; together with FD #W-3, Moby Grape, It's A Beautiful Day, Tim Hardin, The Other Half, 1/24-25/69, Winterland, 8 1/8" x 3 1/4" card in bright red and blue with reverse image photo of a person who looks a bit like Janis Joplin but it is hard to tell. This is an uncut mailer of these 2 cards, addressed on the reverse to a person on the Family Dog mailing list. Card is pretty clean but the vertical center fold that typically is on these cards is slightly off center on this particular one. Still nice condition overall; addressed examples of these cards are less common than some of the other later FD cards. Asking $37.00 for this one.

No #, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Mt. Rushmore, 11/23/67, Avalon, Rick Griffin's "Turkey Trot" card wherein the Family Dog Indian has a funky feast; dark brown ink on pale brown stock; 2 NM copies, $15 each; 1 VG+ $10. (*)

FD #D-2, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Charlatans, Superband, 9/15-16/67, Denver, CO; brown antique textured type paper with Quicksilver "Happy Trails" cowboy, drawing of the Charlatans by Michael Ferguson, blue and yellow accents; better card. Nice NM copy, $25.

FD #D-6, Van Morrison, Daily Flash, 1-/13-14/67, Denver, CO; Kelley-Mouse design with orange-red background design and center photo of Indian wearing medals. 5 NM copies available, $8.50 each. (*)

FD #D-7, Canned Heat, Allmen Joy, 10/20-21/67, Denver, CO; Kelley-Mouse design with pink background, red & yellow shadowed face in center, olive drab lettering. 4 copies purple "place stamp here" back, NM $10.00 each.(*)

FD #D-8, Allmen Joy, Lothar & the Hand People, 10/27-28/67, Denver, CO; brown poster with ankh-like symbol in the center, Stanley Mouse art, 5 copies, NM $10 each; 1 VG/VG+ copy, $4.00 (*)

FD #D-10, Blue Cheer, Superfine Dandelion, 11/3-4/67, Denver, CO; Bob Fried image with dark blue sky background, orange moon, and naked woman riding owl. 8 copies with standard postcard back, NM $12 each, 1 bulk rate card NM on front but with minor tape pull on reverse, also $12.00 (*).

FD #D-11, The Other Half, Sons of Champlin, 11/10-11/67, Denver, CO; Stanley Mouse poster with central portrait of Alfred E. Newman flanked by a mushroom on one side and a mushroom cloud on the other. 4 NM "place stamp here" cards, $12.50 each. (*)

FD #D-12, Chuck Berry, Sons of Champlin, 11/17-18/67, Denver; great Rick Griffin-Victor Moscoso collaboration with face full of stars in the center and fake intentionally illegible nonsense lettering around the border; real show info is in a tiny balloon at the bottom of the image; very attractive image. 8 NM cards, $12.50 each. Also 1 NM-/VG+ card, 1 minor diagonal crease, and another copy that is basically NM on the front but has a stain on the back that doesn't show through, $10 each. (*)

FD #D-13, Jim Kweskin, Solid Muldoon, 12/1-2/67; Denver, CO; the other half of the "rainbow" posters (see FD #95, above); beautiful Griffin/Moscoso image. 3 cards NM $17.50 each; 1 NM-, $15; 1 VG+ $12. (has card # written in small letters on back) (*)

FD #D-14, Canned Heat, Siegel-Schwall, 12/8-9/67, Denver; beautiful Bob Fried drawing of two women being pulled through the waves in a chariot pulled by dolphins; 4 NM cards, $15 each (*).

FD #D-15, Soul Survivors, Box Tops, 12/15-16/68, Avalon; Kelley design featuring photo of giant supercharged motorcycle labeled "truth"; 7 nice NM copies, $15 each; 1 NM-/VG+ (very minor smudges), $12.(*)

FD #D-18, The Doors, Allmen Joy, 12/29-31/67, Denver; the classic Rick Griffin poster wherein a strange alien monster offers you a large white pill labeled "Pay Attention."s 1 copy with blue border on right (odd trimming), clean on front but with minor scuff on back $25. (*)

No # (Eric King's # FD-670002), 1967, small bumper-sticker sized poster for Thursday nights at the Avalon; approx 5" x 14"; art by John H. Myers; white stock with red background and lettering in white, green, and blue; says "Crowds Bug You" at the top, to tell people about the Thursday night Avalon shows; little cartoon drawings in the background. One copy left, irregular discoloration on the left side and clean on the right, like part of it got in the sun for a while and the other was protected. Asking $10 for this one.

No #, 1967 (Eric King's # FD-670003), small bumper-sticker sized poster for Sunday nights at the Avalon; art by John H. Myers; brown stock with lettering in brown, red, and gray reading "Tribal Gathering Sunday Nights at the Avalon." Nice NM-/VG+ copy with a couple of minor sear marks, no pinholes, $30.

No # (Eric King's #FD-700410), Albert Collins, Rhythm Dukes, A.B. Skhy, 4/10-12/70, Family Dog, Great Highway, San Francisco; 8.5 x 11" handbill by Randy Tuten featuring an image of the sinking Titanic. VG+ copy, no pinholes but some light discoloration spots in margin and a wee bit of overall paper age. $65.

No # (Eric King's #FD-700821), Quicksilver Messenger Service, Robert Savage Group, Backyard Mamas, Deadly Nightshade, 8/21-22/1970, 8.5" x 10 5/8"; light blue with large background image of Family Dog Logo, with the Indian sinking into the Ocean and the words "Direct Productions Present" instead of the usual "The Family Dog Presents." According to Eric King, this was the very last Family Dog show on the Great Highway. Not common. This is a used copy, VG/VG- a small chunk in the upper LH margin torn out was stapled and someone carelessly ripped it off of a wall or something. Also a couple of pieces of scotch tape in the back corners that could probably be removed without great difficulty, just haven't tried it. Asking $45 for this copy.

FD # P-3, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Nazz-Are Blues Band, Dr. P.H. Martins Magic Medicine Show, 3/1-2/1968, Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR. 4" x 6.5" handbill on thin glossy stock. This is a very rare and sought-after handbill for one of the Family Dog shows in Portland; has a great light blue and orange image of John Cipollina; for image, click here. This copy is my former collection copy that I originally pried out of some guy's scrapbook back in the 1970s and later had extensively restored to repair a tear in the image and missing paper in the corners. It looks pretty good now but the restoration is apparent. Asking $345 for this copy, restoration and all I paid substantially more than this recently for a NM replacement. Again, this handbill is next to impossible to find (the poster usually sells for well over $1000), so this copy might help an advanced collector fill in a rare Family Dog item, as it did for me decades ago.

To order, click here

To return to the main page, click here.

To go to another category, click the appropriate box below:

Original Artwork by famous rock and roll/psychedelic artists

Posters--Bill Graham and Miscellaneous Fillmore Auditorium

Posters--Family Dog and Related

Posters--Miscellaneous California (1960's and early '70's)

Posters--Miscellaneous Non-California (1960's and early '70's)

Posters --More Recent Stuff (late 1970's to the present)

Handbills--Bill Graham and Miscellaneous Fillmore Auditorium

Handbills--Miscellaneous California (1960's and early '70's)

Handbills--Miscellaneous Non-California (1960's and early '70's)

Handbills --More Recent Stuff

Books, Magazines, and Programs

Buttons

Tickets

...And All the Stuff That Wouldn't Fit Anywhere Else.