9 Vintage Concert Tour Posters That Are Worth a Small Fortune

From vintage T-shirts to used guitar picks, music memorabilia can be extremely valuable. Tour posters, in particular, gain value because they're often only made in small quantities to advertise an upcoming event.

If you've got some original concert posters in good condition, it may be worth finding out what they're worth. They could be a simple way to ease money stress, or you could preserve them for the future when they might become even more sought after.

These nine vintage concert posters are all valuable, rare, and coveted by collectors.

Market value: $335

Stanley Miller, known as Stanley Mouse, was a hugely famous poster artist. He worked with other legends like Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, and Wes Wilson to produce tour posters and silk-screen-printed T-shirts for bands like the Grateful Dead and Journey.

Genuine original tour posters boasting art by these artists can usually sell for hundreds of dollars. One Grateful Dead tour poster went for $335 at auction via Bonhams.

Market value: $406

Was there a band bigger than Nirvana in the early 1990s? Fans of the band will pay serious cash for memorabilia from the band's heyday, before the tragedy that befell lead singer Kurt Cobain.

One UK tour poster was sold via auction for £300, roughly $406. The poster shows the iconic "Nevermind" album art, by photographer Kirk Weddle. It's an image that was still hitting headlines as recently as 2022, thanks to the now adult model attempting to sue surviving members of the band.

Market value: $1,013

With the sad passing of Ozzy Osbourne, his band Black Sabbath is back in the spotlight. They're arguably the creators of modern metal and heavy rock, so expect memorabilia for this band to rise in value over the next few years.

Although this tour poster isn't especially exciting or historically significant, it still went for £750 (approximately $1,013) at auction in Knightsbridge, London.

Market value: $5,500

Pink Floyd were the giants of prog rock, and their album "The Dark Side of the Moon" remains a classic to this day. The tour that accompanied the album stopped off at Portland, Oregon's Memorial Coliseum in September 1972.

The poster for this tour is made from card instead of paper. Even with some slight damage, one recently sold for $5,500 at auction, showing just how much collectors are willing to pay for Pink Floyd memorabilia.

Market value: $15,000

Sometimes, concerts can be famous for the wrong reasons. The Hara Arena show was reasonably early in the Rolling Stones' career, and despite booking a venue for 6,000 guests, fewer than 1,000 turned up.

Memorabilia of the event is much more popular with fans. A poster of this gig with handwritten details under the art and band photos sold for $15,000 at auction in 2018.

Market value: $32,500

Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps were rockabilly heroes, famous for hits like "Be-Bop-A-Lula." The band appeared in Jayne Mansfield's movie hit, "The Girl Can't Help It."

The concert at Abilene City Hall, Texas, was advertised on heavy cardstock. Even with some damage, one sold for $32,500 at auction, probably because only two have ever appeared for sale.

Market value: $93,750

When you're a band that's been around as long as The Rolling Stones, it makes sense that your memorabilia will collect value. While not every poster is worth a fortune, this one advertises the tragic free concert they threw at Altamont Speedway.

The supposed "Woodstock of the West" turned sour when hired security became violent, culminating in at least four deaths. So, despite the high value of memorabilia for this event, the history attached to it is bleak.

Market value: $125,000

Another bittersweet piece of music history is the poster advertising the 1959 Winter Dance Party at Kato Ballroom, Mankato, Minnesota. This concert took place just over a week before Buddy Holly and others sadly perished in a plane crash, an event memorialized in Don McLean's song, "American Pie."

Similarly tragic pieces include an Otis Redding poster, advertising a show he never made it to due to another plane crash. The poster's value is estimated at $3,000 to $4,000.

Market value: $275,000

In 2022, a poster for The Beatles' 1966 Shea Stadium concert sold for over a quarter of a million dollars, making music poster history. The concert in question was the Fab Four's second time at the stadium. The first, in 1965, was the first real pop concert held at a stadium, and paved the way for every big band since.

The 1966 concert was also famous because it was one of the last shows they'd ever play together. In good condition, any genuine poster for this event will sell for thousands of dollars.

There are so many factors that can impact the value of your vintage tour posters if you're looking to make extra money on the side. Of course, they need to be in decent condition. But the band, the significance of the concert, and even the poster art itself can all increase the value of your concert advertisements. Genuine posters will likely have some minor damage around the corners where they were mounted, which might not be present on more modern reproductions.

If you're interested in collecting posters yourself, check out music memorabilia specialists, but bear in mind they know the value of these items and will charge accordingly. You're more likely to bag surprise finds at estate sales, record stores, or even music venues. If members of your family were (or still are) big into bands from years back, ask to check their poster collection — who knows, you could find some surprisingly valuable vintage memorabilia!