1970s artwork bought for pennies may be worth thousands

Punk rock represents the angry sound of anarchy – so it’s perhaps surprising that period posters become a shrewd investment.

The punk movement exploded onto the scene in the mid-1970s, with bands like the Sex Pistols and The Clash. Now, nearly 50 years later, collectors are pushing the prices of punk gig posters and records to new heights.

A poster of little-known punk band Bazooka Joe sold for £28,000 last month. The reason for the high price? The poster, which advertised the band’s 1975 gig at St Martin’s Art School in London, mentions a ‘support band’ who turned out to be the undiscovered Sex Pistols.

Dan Hampson, auction manager at Omega Auctions in Merseyside, where the item reached this record price, says: ‘The generation that grew up in the 1970s is approaching retirement age. Many choose to spend their money on items related to the punk revolution they fondly remember from their childhood.”

Vince Monticelli, who runs The Record Shop in Ashford, Kent, adds that new fans are also driving up values. “The renaissance of interest in punk isn’t just about middle-aged men, it’s about a lot of young music fans discovering it for the first time,” he says.

The highest value posters pertain to the most popular bands of the time, such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash. Experts say the older the poster, the better, as investors appreciate the posters that relate to the time before bands became famous.

Collector Gary Loveridge, 60, from East London, owns a God Save The Queen poster with artwork by Jamie Reid, promoting a Sex Pistols single in 1977. It cost Gary just £5 in 1987 and by 2013 it was Worth £300. Today it could sell for ten times this price – for £3,000.

Gary says, “Jamie Reid’s punk artwork is highly sought after, as is artist Barnie Bubbles who worked for Stiff Records and did many album covers for punk bands, including The Damned and Ian Dury And The Blockheads.”

The most valuable in Gary’s collection is a 1979 Joy Division poster advertising the Unknown Pleasures album. It’s now worth £6,000 but cost pennies when he bought it while still at school. He also owns a promotional poster for The Clash’s iconic 1979 London Calling album, now worth £2,000.

Gary, a landscape architect, says collectors should make sure they choose posters out of a love of the music and what it represents. He says, “In this virtue-signaling society, punk is a breath of fresh air—when music can be played with a frenzied love of life without being manufactured to promote prevailing opinion.”

While punk poster owners are beginning to realize the value of what they have, there are still plenty of treasures to be found. There are still bargains at car boot sales and other markets, so it’s worth keeping an eye out.

But as the value of posters increases, counterfeits are flooding the market. If you’re handing over large amounts, make sure you’re buying from a reputable source, such as an established print shop or auction house, and visit them in person before buying.

Also, do your research to make sure you’re buying an original. Verify that the poster’s paper size and printing method match others of that era and type. And if you’re not sure, check with an expert collector at websites like Punkrockposters.net or Classicposters.com.

Investors should consider rarity when purchasing, but unlike most collectibles, condition isn’t such an important consideration. A punk poster can hold its value very well, even if it is dog-eared or slightly torn.