An original vintage Grateful Dead T-shirt from 1967 sold for $ 17,640 more than expected through Sotheby’s Auction House, October 15. It breaks the record for the most expensive vintage rock t-shirt ever sold at auction, topping the $ 10,000 spent on a 1979 Led Zeppelin concert t-shirt on eBay in 2011.
It is believed to be one of the first shirts produced by the band (in limited quantities).
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The Sotheby’s description for the yellow T-shirt explains that it was designed by “graphic artist Allan ‘Gut’ Terk, a key figure in the California counterculture of the 1960s.” In 1967, the year this shirt was made, Terk was known for his work for the band and was acclaimed in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for his t-shirts and posters. According to Defunkd, the shirt was owned by Dan Healy, an audio engineer who worked with the Grateful Dead.
The buyer of the jersey, Bo Bushell, posted a video of Terk describing the shirt on Instagram before purchasing it.
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It is worth mentioning that in recent years, the group’s merchandising has become very valuable, not only because of its age or rarity, but because the band’s iconography has become staples of urban fashion. In fact, recently, the Dead have collaborated with brands like Nike, M@rket, and even Crocs, producing everything from sneakers to hooded jumpsuits. Thus, celebrities such as LeBron James, Jonah Hill, and A$AP Rocky have come to wear garments related to the set.