This past week I had the opportunity to interview Guapo from San Francisco Rock Posters, the city's premier rock poster and collectibles store. He talked about his shop, their latest auction featuring posters by the late Alton Kelley, and about concert poster collecting. Check it out what he had to say!

Katy: Could you start by letting readers know who you are and what San Francisco Rock Posters is all about?

Guapo: I am Guapo and S.F. Rock Posters is the oldest rock poster and music collectibles store in North America. Our site rockposters.com is filled with many treasures for your viewing pleasure. We've been open in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood since 1991. We sell original concert posters, handbills, postcards, and music ephemera from the 1950s  to the modern silkscreens of today.

Katy: Could you tell us about the auction you have going on right now?

Guapo: Our upcoming auction "The Art of Alton Kelley Collection" features posters from the Alton Kelley Estate. All the posters are signed by Alton Kelley on the front and signed on the reverse "To Marguerite Love, Kelley".  They are from 1968 to some of the last posters Kelley did in 2005.  We acquired these posters from [Kelley's wife] Marguerite as she knew Ed Walker and Grant McKinnon, our owner and manager of S.F. Rock Posters for years.

Katy: Is there an Alton Kelley poster that you like the most?

Guapo: One of my favorites is the Family Dog D-15 Box Tops poster from the Family Dog in Denver. It features a hot rod motorcycle that I just love. This poster was given to me as a gift back in 1997 and has been hanging on my wall ever since.

Katy: What's your favorite poster in this auction?

Guapo: In this auction, the Jerry Garcia tribute poster from 1995 is one of my favorites. The art and the quality of the print are very impressive on this one.

Katy: Which of these posters is previously unseen?

Guapo: The "Blue Rose" 25th Anniversary poster is one that I had not seen before, it was buried deep in our flat files and it's a real beauty.

Katy: You mention on your site how you came to be in possession of this collection. Is there one poster with a cool story behind it that you'd like to tell, or any stories about the collection in general?

Guapo: We were very honored that Marguerite came to us about the collection after Kelley passed. This happened because Ed Walker and Grant McKinnon have been operating S.F. Rock Posters since 1991. They developed relationships with many of the original artists from the San Francisco scene and beyond. We always try to treat people good when we but their collections and when you do that for 30 years word gets around. We were blown away by the art and the signatures are an added bonus.

Katy: Is there anything you'd like to say to poster collectors out there?

Guapo: As far as collecting posters, we say collect what speaks to you regardless of anything. Keep an open mind as there is some excellent art to be had both old and new. We suggest if you have an opportunity to get the best and highly graded originals but there are also many options for lesser condition and later prints which just as enjoyable. We continue to offer some of the rarest and most sought after pieces possible.

I tell people to be careful what they ask for as many very rare pieces are being unearthed and making their way to our site and auction. We are trying to separate from the pack by offering the widest range of posters, handbills, and postcards. We are fortunate to be in San Francisco where psychedelic poster art started. So remember, when in San Francisco to come by and visit us we're in North Beach at 1851 Powell St.

Check out the Alton Kelley auction today! Bidding ends 10/4.