Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-02-26
Upper Deck, the worldwide leader in sports and entertainment collectibles, today announced a collaboration with one of the most popular bands in music history – the Grateful Dead. A legendary group that has spanned generations, the Grateful Dead has inspired some of the most passionate fans of all time. Now, Dead Heads and music fans around the world can interact with the band through collectibles from Upper Deck, highlighted initially by a newly released trading card set that celebrates the band’s 60th Anniversary.
“We’re incredibly excited to collaborate with one of the most celebrated bands to ever take the stage, and give music fans another way to connect with the Grateful Dead,” said Travis Rhea, Director of Entertainment Brands at Upper Deck. “In addition to amazing, iconic music, the Grateful Dead are known for vibrant colors and incredible visuals, perfect for music trading cards. They also have one of the most dedicated fanbases the industry has ever seen, so we can’t wait for Dead Heads to get their hands on our Grateful Dead collectibles.”
‘The Grateful Dead – 60 Years So Far… A Visual Trip’ trading card set spans the band’s rich 60-year history. Each box includes a full 50-card base set collection of Grateful Dead iconography, classic characters, and show posters, with an additional five cards that could be serial-numbered hits, themed inserts, or an autograph card. Fans can look forward to familiar Grateful Dead symbols, including the famous Dancing Bears and Uncle Sam. Visuals featured on 1-of-1 High Potency Purple variants and Dancing Parallels will be recognizable to long-time Dead Heads. And for band historians, ‘Transmissions from Dave’s Desk’ illustrates the work of official archivist, producer, and legacy manager David Lemieux. It features artwork, set lists, and show-facts from the first 50 ‘Dave’s Picks’ albums. Collectors also have the chance to pull parallel cards autographed by Lemieux himself – each numbered to five.
“I’ve dedicated much of my life to showcasing the joy that the Grateful Dead spread through their music, so working with Upper Deck to translate that journey into trading cards has been really special,” said Lemieux. “From characters that have become synonymous with the band to tour posters that are a trip through time, there is so much for Dead Heads to enjoy in this set.”
The Grateful Dead 60th Anniversary trading card set is available now – and this is just the beginning of the collaboration between Upper Deck and the Grateful Dead. Fans can look forward to many ways to collect the Grateful Dead – including future trading card sets with different card technologies and original art, as well as gallery prints, and more. For more information, visit www.UpperDeck.com.
About Upper Deck
Upper Deck is a global entertainment company creating trading cards, memorabilia, collectibles, games, and online platforms that deliver the experiences collectors crave. Upper Deck has set the unmatched industry standard for quality, authenticity, and innovation and continues to bring generations of fans closer to their favorite athletes and characters with unique and authentic sports and entertainment product offerings, as well as its digital trading ecosystem. The company prides itself on creating collectibles that produce invaluable experiences for sports and entertainment’s most dedicated and loyal fans, with a goal to deliver excellence to the community across the most coveted properties as a means to develop memorable moments for collectors of all kinds.
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