Movie Poster Art Conditions — Assessing Value

Like many collectible product categories there is no definitive science available for assessing the exact value or condition of the product. A poster’s price can be affected by the current market - how many buyers there are compared to the number of sellers. However, there are some key factors to use when determining a posters value.

1. How rare is the poster?
2. How old is the poster?
3. How popular was the movie?
4. Does the movie star a really famous actor? Actress? Who was the director?
5. What is the market demand for this movie?
6. What was the most recent selling price for this movie poster?

All the following condition factors can play a role in the value of a given poster. Keep in mind, most one-sheet posters from the 1940’s to the 1980’s were shipped folded. It is a given within the business that the existing folds inherent to the poster generally do not have significant impact on it’s value. It is important to note that restoration and or linen backing can repair most of the conditions listed below. Click here to learn more about restoration and linen backing

Despite the folds (which can have separations), other issues are:

1. Bleedthroughs — Ink from a felt pen or marker on the back of the poster is visible on the face of the poster.
2. Creases — Somewhere other than the folds there are creases on the poster.
3. Fading — Time and sunlight takes it toll on posters. Sometimes the images or the titles have faded
4. Holes — Occasionally there can be small to large holes in the poster (with paper loss) impacting condition
5. Marks or scuffs — A poster can have marks or scuffs on the face.
6. Tape Stains — Many times when posters were hung in theatres they used scotch tape to put them up. This tape stayed on the poster after it was taken down. Due to the composition of the tape it could if left long enough leave a stain
7. Pin or tack holes — In addition to hanging posters using tape, theatres also tacked or pinned the posters up for display. If there are only a few tack holes in the poster (typically one in each corner) the condition is not considered to be affected greatly. If there are multiple pinholes everywhere the condition is reduced.
8. Tears — Tears in the poster image itself as opposed to the border have a greater impact than if they reside in the border. As long as there is no significant paper loss the poster can be repaired easily.

The white area surrounding the poster is called the border any of the aforementioned blemishes or defects that occur in the border has less impact on the poster than if they appear in the actual body of the poster.

Despite understanding all these issues which can impact the condition of the specific movie poster art, the market has yet to adopt any specific or across the board standard for grading the conditions of the products. MovieGoods mandate will be to spearhead initiatives to see the adoption of industry standards for grading conditions of movie poster art. Click here to read about MovieGoods commitment to develop condition standards.

Given the absence of an industry standard, MovieGoods is suggesting the following grading system for conditions of movie poster art. Three things to remember when considering condition:

1. Not all sellers adopt nor adhere to the specific conditions detailed below so always be diligent in your discussions with a seller around condition before buying.
2. Realize that much movie poster art can be twenty, thirty years old or older so be realistic with your expectations.
3. Much of the vintage movie poster art sold at MovieGoods was displayed at a theatre at one time or another, so be sure you are aware of the condition before buying.

You may encounter at least two other grading systems. Much like the one listed above there is a system that incorporates nine grades. Major auction houses have been known to use an alphabetic system much like an elementary school report card.

How do you tell if what you buy is authentic? We suggest that the preponderance of product on the market is in fact original release, movie poster art. There are however a growing number of reproductions becoming available and buyers new to this market should understand the difference between an original release poster and the reproduction.

MovieGoods is a strong supporter of the licensed reproduction after market. We believe if you want to own a copy of a popular movie poster, you should be able to access a copy that is substantially less than the original release. For this reason, we stock a meaningful inventory of reproduction posters. We will never knowingly misrepresent a reproduction as a new or original release poster if it is not.

That is not the case with some other sellers so…. "Caveat emptor" or buyer beware. Here are a few things to watch for to reduce the likelihood you will buy a reproduction that is being represented as an original release;

1. Typically the reproductions are for one sheets not most of the other movie poster art products like half sheets, inserts and lobby cards. There have been reports of reproductions of lobby cards but never as often as one sheets
2. The price of the poster is a good indicator. The original one sheet move poster for "The Godfather" can sell for over $200. If you see one listed for $15.00, it is more than likely a reproduction
3. Size is very important. Anytime you read about a poster that is smaller than the original release size it is more than likely a reproduction. Click here to see sizes of products
4. Image is different than the original. Some reproductions have different images typically again can be smaller size
5. Suncoast Video and some other poster wholesalers have their names written on the bottom
6. No NSS number. For posters released between 1940 and 1980, there was almost always a number from the printer The National Screen Service (NSS). Typically, this was found on the bottom of the poster. For example, 60/189 "60" meant the movie was released in 1960 and the "189" indicated it was the 189th film released in 1960. Click here to learn more history

New technologies have made it easier to unsavory folks to reproduce posters. Some things to watch for on outright fakes are:

1. Beware of printers names on the bottom of any poster (This should not be confused with the names of "lithographers" which are commonly found on the bottom of legitimate movie poster art)
2. Watch for any zip code being listed on a poster that pre-dates the 1960’s. Zip codes were introduced after 1960.
3. Posters that are very cheap or bargains may very well be reproductions or fakes
4. Always be sure to check if the dealer is one who has been in the business for many years and have a history of selling posters

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