Article Contributed by Missing Piece Group
Published on 2026-03-25
“The Grateful Dead” Dressing Room Plaque
(March 25, 2026) – Julien’s Auctions, the world’s leading celebrity memorabilia auction house, is proud to present Treasures From The Golden Road Featuring The Property From “Big Steve,” “Ram Rod” & Trixie Garcia, an extraordinary offering of more than 300 pieces from the inner circle of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia. This once-in-a-lifetime collection of Deadhead gems and road-worn treasures will be offered live in person at The Box SF in San Francisco and online at juliensauctions.com on April 22. Get miracled and register to bid now.
Sourced from the personal archives of legendary Grateful Dead crew chief and Jerry Garcia Band manager “Big” Steve Parish, longtime family associate “Ram Rod,” and Garcia’s daughter Trixie Garcia, the sale brings to light intimate artifacts that trace the band’s improvisational journey from the stage to the backstage, tour bus, and beyond. From historic guitars and personal keepsakes to rarely seen mementos, “Treasures From the Golden Road” offers fans and collectors a direct line to the heart of the Dead’s sprawling universe.
“Grateful Dead memorabilia is hitting unprecedented levels of demand, with collectors showing stronger interest than ever before,” said Martin Nolan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions. “The band’s devoted fanbase continues to “keep on truckin’,” with the ripple impacting a new generation of enthusiasts just beginning to recognize the depth of its cultural legacy. Steve Parish’s collection is particularly remarkable, offering a rare window into five decades of one of music’s most iconic journeys. As demand for authenticated, historically significant pieces reaches an all-time high, Treasures From The Golden Road presents some of the most important Grateful Dead artifacts ever brought to market.”
“These items represent fifty years of memories and experiences with the Grateful Dead — from the early days to the final shows in Chicago. Each piece tells a story of the music, the journey, and the community that made it all possible” said Steve Parish. “Being part of that community for all these years has meant everything to me, and I’m proud to continue representing what the Grateful Dead stood for. Now is the time to share these with the fans and collectors who understand what they mean. I’m genuinely excited to give people the opportunity to own the things that have meant so much to me over the decades. The Grateful Dead changed the world, and I’m honored to pass these artifacts on to people who will cherish them the way I have.”
No band is as synonymous with the reexamination of American values and the creation of an alternative vision of community as the Grateful Dead. Formed in the acid rock heat leading up to the Summer of Love, the band let their many musical and philosophical influences blend together, attracting a sprawling community of like-minded practitioners and fans with their “face stealing” and transformative live concerts. Spanning 30 years, 13 studio albums, and over 2,300 live performances, the Dead and their devoted fans built something entirely unique.
“Treasures From The Golden Road” captures this sprawling spirit of community with intimate items from the Dead’s inner circle, whether relatives like Jerry’s first wife, Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams Garcia and daughter Trixie, or those beloved crew members (“Big Steve” Parish, Lawrence “Ram Rod” Shurtliff, and Robbie Taylor) who forged bonds on the road that were just as thick. The sale features over 300 lots of stage-played and tour-battered gear and instruments, backstage passes and tickets, handwritten set lists and lyrics, Jerry’s original artwork and rehearsal materials, artwork by Alton Kelley, George Mead, and Stanley Mouse, iconic photos and correspondence (from Bill Graham, Ken Kesey, and others), gifts from every day and celebrity fans, vintage t-shirts, and more.
Highlights include:
Jerry Garcia | 1939 Gibson Super 400N Archtop Guitar
Jerry’s studio- and video-played pre-war Gibson Super 400N, used with David Grisman on projects including Not For Kids Only and Been All Around This World. Historically significant, heavily documented instrument coming directly from Trixie Garcia.
Est: $80,000–120,000
Jerry Garcia | 1988 #0001 Alvarez Yairi DY 74CJG (Custom for Jerry)
Custom Alvarez-Yairi acoustic labeled “Custom Made For J. Garcia,” serial #0001, and the very guitar featured in a 1990 Alvarez ad. Early precursor to the GY-1 signature model, with Jerry’s own sticker and case marked “JG #6.”
Est: $70,000–100,000
Jerry Garcia | Personalized Madison Square Garden Tie-Dye Director’s Chair
Personalized tie-dye director’s chair commemorating 40 Grateful Dead performances at Madison Square Garden, printed with Jerry’s name and show stats.
Est: $2,000–4,000
Jerry Garcia | 1975 Mesa Boogie Mark I Combo Amplifier
Stage-used Mesa Boogie Mark I from Jerry’s 1975–76 live rig, later kept in his living room “always at the ready.” Appears in a period Mesa ad with Jerry and Bob Weir, with the ad included.
Est: $30,000–50,000
Jerry Garcia | Dusty Strings FH-26 Lap Harp
Hand-crafted 1988 lap harp owned and played by Garcia, highlighting his multi-instrumental side beyond guitar. Cherry-like construction, 26 strings, and signed interior label, complete with case.
Est: $20,000–30,000
Jerry Garcia | 1988 Dobro Model 64 “Tree of Life” Resonator
Square-neck Walnut Dobro with ornate Tree of Life inlay. Owned and played by Jerry and coming from Trixie Garcia.
Est: $25,000–30,000
Grateful Dead | McIntosh 2300 Power Amp with “Ketchup” Case
Wall of Sound McIntosh 2300 power amp in its red “Ketchup” road case, used primarily for low frequencies per Big Steve. Covered in period Dead stickers and tour wear.
Est: $4,000–6,000
Jerry Garcia | Musitronics Mu-Tron III Effect Pedal
Heavily used vintage Mu-Tron III auto-wah pedal, Jerry’s oldest example, crucial to tones on “Estimated Prophet,” “Shakedown Street,” and more. Worn, rusty, and battle-scarred, with original power supply.
Est: $2,000–4,000
Jerry Garcia | Mu-Tron Bi-Phase Effect Pedal
Classic Mu-Tron Bi-Phase phaser used by both Jerry and Bob Weir, representing an era-defining phase sound. Non-functional but historically important, with dual phasor architecture and original power cable.
Est: $2,000–4,000
Jerry Garcia | Fender Fuzz-Wah Pedal (Chrome)
Chrome Fender Fuzz-Wah bought by Jerry in 1968 for use with pedal steel, combining wah and fuzz in one treadle. Early-era effects piece directly tied to Garcia’s experimentation.
Est: $2,000–4,000
Jerry Garcia | Personalized Louisville Slugger Bat
Baseball bat custom-inscribed for Jerry, reflecting the band’s deep baseball connection and appearances at Giants games.
Est: $800–1,200
Grateful Dead | Hard Truckers 15″ Speaker Cabinet
Road-used Hard Truckers cabinet from the Dead’s live sound system, built by crew including Big Steve and Joe Winslow.
Est: $1,000–2,000
Grateful Dead | Winterland “The Grateful Dead” Dressing Room Plaque
Original Winterland dressing room plaque with Garcia’s image in the lettering, gifted to Steve Parish by Bill Graham.
Est: $600–800
Grateful Dead | McIntosh 2300 Case “Mustard”
Empty yellow ‘Wall of Sound’ road case, nicknamed “Mustard,” heavily toured and marked with freight labels and case numbers.
Est: $800–1,200
Grateful Dead | RIAA Platinum Award for Workingman’s Dead
Platinum RIAA award presented to roadie Ram Rod for one million copies sold of the band’s landmark Americana pivot album.
Est: $600-800
Jerry Garcia Band | Jerry’s Working Songbook
Jerry’s c. 1990s working binder of lead sheets and lyrics for Jerry Garcia Band repertoire. A direct window into his working process and set-building mindset.
Est: $800–1200
Jerry Garcia | Small Black Pastel Sketchbook
Spiral sketchbook with six colorful pastel drawings and line sketches by Jerry, showing his visual imagination. An intimate, hand-scale piece of his art practice, remembered by Trixie as part of a house full of sketchbooks.
Est: $700–900
Jerry Garcia | Original Airbrush Artwork
Original airbrush piece of a blurry face, described in depth by Mountain Girl as part of Jerry’s mid-’80s airbrush period. Stored carefully since the late ’80s, it reflects his playful, experimental visual style.
Est: $700–900
Bill Graham | 1981 Telegrams to All Band Members
Set of five humorous 1981 telegrams from Bill Graham to each band member, full of his trademark wit and wild “excuse” scenarios.
Est: $600–800
LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION
“Treasures from The Golden Road”
The Box SF
1069 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Wednesday, April 22
Session: 10:00 a.m. PST
REGISTERING TO BID
Registration is required to bid in this auction and can be done in person on the day of the auction, or online before the sale at the Julien’s Auctions.
For inquiries, please email info@juliensauctions.com or call 310-836-1818.
