The most recent auction at Hake’s Americana & Collectibles ended on Thursday, July 13, 2017, with another set of stellar results across historical, political, and pop culture collecting that eclipsed $1.1 million. Concert posters have become a staple within Hake’s auctions, and this one delivered more impressive sales.
An outstanding Bill Haley and His Comets concert poster from 1955 hit a record of $17,782. The boxing style poster more than tripled its high-end estimate of $5,000, proving just how much Hake’s customers dig their concert posters.
“The survival rate of these early cardboard boxing style posters is low and it’s possible this is the only example extant, so that certainly was a factor in the interest this piece generated,” Americana Specialist Scott Mussell said. “Another thing that made this poster extra special was that the show advertised occurred about a week after ‘Rock Around The Clock’ hit the top of the pop charts ‒ the first rock ‘n roll song ever to reach that plateau. That moment was an important milestone in rock history and previewed its world changing potential that would come over the next two decades.”
The 14” x 22” poster advertises their Sunday, May 22 concert in Womelsdorf, PA. It depicts a classic promo graphic of Haley and His Comets and their group tagline, “The Shake Rattle and Roll Boys.” Their songs “Dim Dim the Lights,” “Mambo Rock,” and “Happy Beat” are also listed on the poster. It’s in Fine condition.
“The success of that song led Haley to be the first rock ‘n’ roll artist to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show,” Mussell added. “I’ve often thought that if Haley had been a little younger and a little better looking there might not have been an Elvis Presley. For an entire generation of early rock ‘n’ rollers ‘Rock Around The Clock’ was their anthem and this piece is an artifact produced in the heyday of that era.”
Music fans and collectors interested in learning more about concert posters can order a copy of The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Concert Posters or pick up a copy at better comic book retailers.
Visit hakes.com and keep an eye on Scoop for more Auction #221 results.
