Corsham-based auctioneers – Gardiner Houlgate – certainly had a winner on their hands when a poster – advertising a gig by The Who – came up for sale earlier this month.

It was for the lads to appear at the Blue Moon Club in Cheltenham – back in the 1960s.

The venue – above Burton’s on the town high street – only ran for two years from July 1965 but, in that time, hosted the likes of Elton John, David Bowie and even Jimi Hendrix.

The poster was promoting a group that had only formed the previous year but which was soon to become a legend – and all for 7/6d on the door!

The 2ft 5in x 3ft 2in printed sheet of paper had an estimated value of £200 to 400 but sold to an online buyer for £11,500 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) – achieving the sort of headlining price apparently now expected for early posters featuring such a select group of 1960s artists.

NB. Since this transaction – of course – ALL auctions have been postponed.

Credit: Roland Arkell, Antique Trade Gazette March 2020.