Appraisals of your Rolling Stones memorabilia. How does this work?

I guess it’s about time I finally write up how to get your memorabilia appraised. I’m getting a dozen or so posts a week, sometimes more on “How much is this worth?” or “Where can I get this appraised?”

I’m happy to help out…. for a small fee.

The knowledge I’ve gained over the years  from researching memorabilia, the countless hours online, the gathering of thousands of images and filing them away, the money spent on books and magazines, takes lots of time.

And lots of money.

I’m happy to share this knowledge, but unfortunately can’t do it for free.

If you are interested in having me either appraise your item or sell it, post a comment on my blog. I get an alert to approve this comment.

Usually your email is given to me.

I will contact you directly and ask for details and photos and the information you are looking for.

I have a Paypal account and based on the information you need, will give you a price.

I can also authenticate autographs and provide a letter.

Happy to help.

Thanks,

Garyrocks

The greatest Rolling Stones album deserves the most creative record store display.

I’m happy to say I’ve once again acquired my favorite Rolling Stones record store display.
Standing close to 48″ tall with near naked Mick in black an blue covering himself with nothing more than Andy Warhol’s now infamous record design.

Incredibly striking for the time, remember this was 1971, as out there as you get.
The Stones never afraid to push the boundaries of what might be considered as “bad taste.”
But, that’s why we love ‘em.

I also learned or realized something that perhaps I should have known already.
This Mick figure often turns up without the back part of the display.
It’s often sold as just the figure described as a variation of the display.

Wrong.

It’s more than likely the figure with the tabs cut off.

This Mick is die cut and stands away from the back of the display with various tabs that insert into slots on the back of the display, giving him a 3-D look.

The one I previously owned had the Mick stuck to the back of the display.
I could see the slots the tabs were supposed to fit in, but they weren’t there.

I can now thankfully cross this off the want list.
Thanks Ken.

Okay…you’ve seen what I have, here’s some stuff I want.

Figured it might be time after roughly three years to maybe post some pictures and descriptions of some things I’m looking to add to my collection.
Most of what I’m looking for can be best described as what I don’t know about. It’s always more fun and exciting to stumble upon something you’ve never seen or heard of before.
But, there are some items I would love to add to my collection.
If you have any of these items or know where they are, I’m always interested in talking.

In honor of Keith Richards’ 68th birthday, some of my favorite Keith items.

Handwritten letter to a fan, circa 1965.

Keith's pirate worn in the "Respectable" video in May of 1978.

Keith's leather jacket worn in the late 70's.

Keith's Bobby Lee guitar strap used during the Tour of the Americas, 1975.

Main Offender Tour bag.

Signed rubber skull from backstage. "Who is the guy?"

More rarities from the 1972 STP tour, simply the best Rolling Stones tour hands down.

This is an original concert tour handbill flyer for the Rolling Stones 1972 American Tour live LP that was never released.
The artist was Don Wilson.
The artwork is stunning. Reminiscent of the art deco style seen in the early jazz posters from the 1920′s-30′s.
Often referred to as “The Great Lost Live Album.”
There was also a flyer of Stevie Wonder from the back cover.
This is from the few ever printed only to be used in the photograph on the front cover of the LP.
Measures 10″ x 6.75″ printed in black on thin newsprint.

*Flyers courtesy of Ira Korman
…..fast forward two years in 1974 and this concert and tour can be seen on the big screen in “Ladies and Gentleman: The Rolling Stones.”
Recently released on DVD.

The Stones being the ultimate showmen promoted the film in typical flashy Stones style.
With elaborate posters and giveaways at the theaters.

The concert film is Mick and the boys at their dirty and grittiest best.
Mick Taylor’s solos and slide guitar is nothing short of inspired and the band couldn’t be any tighter.
Full horn section with Bobby Keys and Jim Price…
“Midnight Rambler” is worth the price of the DVD if you haven’t already picked it up.
Mick slithering and squirming around like a snake, whipping the stage with his silk scarf.

You can see a somewhat similar style used in
the art for the cover of the sheet music for “Tumbling Dice.”
Here’s a baseball style tour jacket as well.

Recently on eBay a backstage pass from the Madison Square Garden show was offered for $3000.
And if your inclined to spend a little more, you could have bought Mick Jagger’s authentic jump suit worn 7/26/1972, designed by Ossie Clark for MICK’S’ 29th birthday.
It was offered on eBay for an opening price, with a reserve for $25,000.

Check out this link too, interesting cuts and info on this infamous never to be released album.

http://www.rollingstonesnet.com/StonesOfficial72Live.html

Rare Rolling Stones memorabilia that’s rarely seen.

As far as collectors go, I’m pretty much a newbie.
There are plenty of folks out there that have been at this a lot longer than me.
They were buying in the early days scoffing up displays, toys, posters, autographs, when no one saw any of this stuff as being at all valuable.
It was for all intents and purposes seen as junk for Stones cuckoos and fanatics.

They had the last laugh.

Here’s a bunch of early Stones items that I’ve yet to see or run across.
Once in a great while you hear one of these babies sold privately for some sick amount of money.
On occasion they may show up in auction also commanding top dollar.

It’s stuff like this that keeps me collecting and constantly on the hunt.
Back to eBay.
Wish me luck.

Photo courtesy of Matt Lee.

Photo courtesy of Ira Korman

In honor of Mick Taylor’s birthday, a post on the greatest Stones album ever, Exile on Main Street and the 1972 tour.

A billboard on Sunset Blvd promoting the new album. As you can imagine, not without controversy.

Super rare promo poster featuring 3-Ball Charlie.

Exile on Main Street was a 1972 release (on Atlantic Records) by The Rolling Stones, with cover artwork & design by John Van Hamersveld. When the Rolling Stones released Exile in 1972 – a double album of songs representing the many different genres of music that shaped Stones music at the time – fans and critics found themselves having to spend a lot of time trying to “get it”. It required a number of listens to gain an appreciation of what, on the surface, often seemed to be a collection of studio out-takes and Richards/Taylor/Watts jams than a freshly-recorded musical offering.

Many critics of the era failed to appreciate the Stones’ explorations of R&B, Soul, Country and roots Rock that were spread over the 4 album sides. In fact, the record was comprised of a series of recordings done during the previous four years and, as such, they featured a variety of mixes (some better than others) and showed the band building on top of these influences in their own inimitable style to the point that, now over 35 years later, the package is considered by many to be the band’s most-authentic offering. It is always listed near the top of most of the “Best Of” and “Greatest” lists (#7 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 2003 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, #22 on VH-1’s survey, and even impressed the younger generation enough to be ranked #11 on Pitchfork’s 2003 list of Best Albums of the 1970s).

In a similar fashion, when the buying public took their first look at the design and imagery of the sprawling record cover, most people admitted that they didn’t “get it”. Having just soaked in Warhol’s ultimately-iconic zipper cover for Sticky Fingers, fans should have been ready for anything, but John Van Hamersveld’s designs seemed to confound them, asking them to digest a rough, anti-establishment, punk-before-there-was-punk collage of images that may have, initially, combined with the unfamiliar musical stylings to impact sales (don’t worry, as the record was supported by the now-famous 1972 American concert tour and songs such as “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice” got some significant radio play, the record went on to top the charts in the U.S. and the U.K.).

And so when Van Hamersveld, who’d established his industry cred via his poster and package designs for Hendrix, The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour), Jefferson Airplane (Crown of Creation) and others, was approached by the Rolling Stones (who were in a studio in LA putting the finishing touches on this new album) to work on the graphics and packaging for a songbook project the band wanted to release, an interesting series of events on the day of their initial meeting had a profound impact on the course of album art history.

Bill Janovitz' book on Exile. A must read.

Above is the ultra rare Exile Store Display.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_on_Main_St.

Charlie Watts. Gentleman, Artist, Horse Breeder, Cricket Fanatic, Jazz bandleader and one of the world’s greatest drummers.

Charles Robert “Charlie” Watts (born 2 June, 1941) is an English drummer best known as a member (from January 1963 through the present) of The Rolling Stones. He is a jazz bandleader, record producer, commercial artist and horse breeder. Mick Jagger sometimes refers to Watts as “The Wembley Whammer” when introducing him during concerts.

Charlie Watts was born to a lorry driver for a precursor of British Rail and his wife at University College Hospital, London, and raised (along with his sister Linda) in Islington and then Wembley. He attended Tylers Croft Secondary Modern School from 1952 to 1956; as a schoolboy, he displayed a talent for art, cricket and football.

Watts’s parents gave him his first drum kit in 1955; he was interested in jazz, and would practice drumming along with jazz records he collected. After completing secondary school, he enrolled at Harrow Art School (now the University of Westminster), which he attended until 1960. After leaving school, Watts worked as a graphic designer for an advertising company, and also played drums occasionally with local bands in coffee shops and clubs. In 1961 he met Alexis Korner, who invited him to join his band, Blues Incorporated. At that time Watts was on his way to a sojourn working as a graphic designer in Denmark, but he accepted Korner’s offer when he returned to London in February 1962.

Watts played regularly with Blues Incorporated as well as working at the advertising firm of Charles, Hobson, and Grey. It was in mid-1962 that Watts first met Brian Jones, Ian “Stu” Stewart, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who also frequented the London rhythm and blues clubs; but it wasn’t until January 1963 that Watts finally agreed to join the Rolling Stones.

Watts has been involved in many activities outside his high-profile life as a member of the Rolling Stones.
In 1964, he published a cartoon tribute to Charlie Parker entitled Ode to a High Flying Bird.

Although he has made his name in rock, his personal tastes focus on jazz; in the late 70s, he joined Ian “Stu” Stewart in the back-to-the-roots boogie-woogie band Rocket 88, which featured many of the UK’s top jazz, rock and R&B musicians. In the 1980s, he toured worldwide with a big band that included such names as Evan Parker, Courtney Pine, and Jack Bruce, who was also a member of Rocket 88. In 1991, he organized a jazz quintet as another tribute to Charlie Parker. 1993 saw the release of Warm And Tender, by the Charlie Watts Quintet, which included vocalist Bernard Fowler. This same group then released Long Ago And Far Away in 1996. Both records included a collection of Great American Songbook standards. After a successful collaboration with Jim Keltner on The Rolling Stones’ Bridges to Babylon, Charlie and Jim released a techno/instrumental album called simply Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner Project. Featuring the names of his favourite jazz drummers, Charlie stated that even though the tracks bore such names as the “Elvin Suite” in honor of the late Elvin Jones, Max Roach and Roy Haynes, they were not copying their style of drumming, but rather, capturing a feeling by those artists. Watts At Scott’s was recorded with his group, The Charlie Watts Tentet, at the famous jazz club in London, Ronnie Scott’s. In April 2009 he started to do concerts with “The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie” together with pianists Axel Zwingenberger and Ben Waters plus his childhood friend Dave Green on bass.

Besides his musical creativity, he contributed graphic art to early records such as the Between the Buttons record sleeve and was responsible for the famous 1975 tour announcement press conference in New York City. The band surprised the throng of waiting reporters by driving and playing “Brown Sugar” on the back of a flatbed truck in the middle of Manhattan traffic; a gimmick AC/DC copied later the same year, Status Quo repeated the trick for the 1984 video to “The Wanderer” and U2 would later emulate it in the 2004 video for “All Because of You”. Watts remembered this was a common way for New Orleans jazz bands to promote upcoming dates. Moreover, with Jagger, he designed the elaborate stages for tours, first contributing to the lotus-shaped design of that 1975 Tour of the Americas, as well as the 1989–1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour.

There are many instances where Jagger and Richards have lauded Watts as the key member of The Rolling Stones. Richards went so far as to say in a 2005 Guitar Player magazine interview that the Rolling Stones would not be, or could not continue as, the Rolling Stones without Watts. An example of Watts’s importance was demonstrated in 1993, after Bill Wyman had left the band. After auditioning several bassists, Jagger and Richards asked Watts to choose the new bass player; he selected the respected session musician Darryl Jones, who had previously been a sideman for both Miles Davis and Sting.

In 1989, the Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the July 2006 issue of Modern Drummer, Watts was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame along with Steve Gadd, Keith Moon, Buddy Rich and other highly esteemed drummers.

Charlie Watts plays Gretsch drums and a variety of brands of cymbals, mostly UFIP. His drums are 1956-7 Gretsch Round Badge: a 22″ (56 cm) bass drum, a 16″ (41 cm) floor tom, a 12″ (30 cm) tom and a 5-by-14-inch (13 cm × 36 cm) snare drum. Cymbals he is known to use include: an 18″ UFIP Natural Series Fast China, a UFIP Rough Series China with rivets, a very old UFIP Flat Ride, an Avedis Zildjian Swish, and a very old set of hi-hats, brand unknown.

The greatest Rolling Stones album ever, about to get released again. Exile on Main Street.

A billboard on Sunset Blvd promoting the new album. As you can imagine, not without controversy.

Universal Music Group recently announced that the Rolling Stones’ masterpiece album Exile on Main Street is being re-released on May 18, with 10 never-before-heard tracks.

The classic album is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Greatest Albums of All Time” list. Though he thought all the material had already been used for the album, Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger was asked by Universal to find some bonus songs.

Lucky for us, he was able to get his hands on 10 new tracks for our listening pleasure. Lead guitarist Keith Richards and Jagger also revamped some of the old tracks.

“I added some percussion and some vocals. Keith put guitar on one or two,” Jagger told Rolling Stone.

Richards and Jagger were cautious not to change too much about the album

“I didn’t want to interfere with the Bible,” said Richards. “They still had that great basement sound.”

The 18-track double-album was originally recorded in a few different locations, in a non-consecutive manner. Locations included Olympic Studios in London, Richards’ mansion in France, and Los Angeles, where the real Main Street inspired the album’s title. It was originally released in 1972.

“Every song on Exile on Main Street is elevated by its relationship to the music that comes before and after it. The album’s irresistible power is unlikely to diminish any time soon,” said author Anthony DeCurtis, who is now a contributing editor for Rolling Stone. Clearly, he knew what he was talking about, as Exile’s musical draw has not languished the slightest bit with time.

Along with the album, The Rolling Stones will be releasing a newly filmed documentary titled “Stones in Exile,” which was made especially for this occasion. Directed by Stephen Kijak, the documentary follows the making of Exile, and includes exclusive footage of past concerts and studio sessions.

“I must not have noticed all the cameramen while I was making the record,” Richards told Rolling Stone. “I was amazed at how much footage they actually found.”

The documentary will be sold as part of a package, which will include a vinyl record, the deluxe CD edition with the 10 bonus tracks and a 50-page collector’s book with old photos from the Exile on Main Street days.

Super rare promo poster featuring 3-Ball Charlie.

Exile on Main Street was a 1972 release (on Atlantic Records) by The Rolling Stones, with cover artwork & design by John Van Hamersveld. When the Rolling Stones released Exile in 1972 – a double album of songs representing the many different genres of music that shaped Stones music at the time – fans and critics found themselves having to spend a lot of time trying to “get it”. It required a number of listens to gain an appreciation of what, on the surface, often seemed to be a collection of studio out-takes and Richards/Taylor/Watts jams than a freshly-recorded musical offering.

Many critics of the era failed to appreciate the Stones’ explorations of R&B, Soul, Country and roots Rock that were spread over the 4 album sides. In fact, the record was comprised of a series of recordings done during the previous four years and, as such, they featured a variety of mixes (some better than others) and showed the band building on top of these influences in their own inimitable style to the point that, now over 35 years later, the package is considered by many to be the band’s most-authentic offering. It is always listed near the top of most of the “Best Of” and “Greatest” lists (#7 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 2003 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, #22 on VH-1’s survey, and even impressed the younger generation enough to be ranked #11 on Pitchfork’s 2003 list of Best Albums of the 1970s).

In a similar fashion, when the buying public took their first look at the design and imagery of the sprawling record cover, most people admitted that they didn’t “get it”. Having just soaked in Warhol’s ultimately-iconic zipper cover for Sticky Fingers, fans should have been ready for anything, but John Van Hamersveld’s designs seemed to confound them, asking them to digest a rough, anti-establishment, punk-before-there-was-punk collage of images that may have, initially, combined with the unfamiliar musical stylings to impact sales (don’t worry, as the record was supported by the now-famous 1972 American concert tour and songs such as “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice” got some significant radio play, the record went on to top the charts in the U.S. and the U.K.).

And so when Van Hamersveld, who’d established his industry cred via his poster and package designs for Hendrix, The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour), Jefferson Airplane (Crown of Creation) and others, was approached by the Rolling Stones (who were in a studio in LA putting the finishing touches on this new album) to work on the graphics and packaging for a songbook project the band wanted to release, an interesting series of events on the day of their initial meeting had a profound impact on the course of album art history.

Bill Janovitz' book on Exile. A must read.

Above is the ultra rare Exile Store Display.

Read the complete story behind this great work of art on our RockPoP Gallery/”Cover Story” blog -

http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2008/04/cover-story—t.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_on_Main_St.

When Keith Richards uses your office as a closet, what do you do?

Keith's Black leopard lined leather jacket, worn in the late 70's.

Art Collins Vice President of Rolling Stones Records from 1981-1986,
experienced a thing or two in his time with the band, as this post and story will attest to.
Like his office being used by Keith Richards to store various items of clothing.
Specifically the black leather jacket you see pictured.
When I bought this item, I was as fascinated by the story,
as I was being able to buy such an iconic item belonging to the legend himself.

What really defines a rock star?
Many things I imagine.
Obviously their music first and foremost.
But then, a close second has to be their style.
And what describes “The Human Riff,” better than one of his many leather jackets.
In building my collection I’ve always had an eye to collecting items that truly capture the spirit and the essence of the individual.
In the case of Keith Richards, he has for me defined what Rock and Roll is.
In his music, and his lifestyle.
The true definition of Rock and Roll excess.

Here’s the letter from Art describing the circumstances in which he came upon Keith’s jacket as well as an article in a trade magazine describing the clothes Art speaks of piled up in his office on his couch.

Enjoy.