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| History & Collectability |
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Motion pictures, invented in 1895 by Auguste and Louis Lumiere, are one of the most popular art forms of the twentieth century. Everyone loves cinema and movie posters are merely the physical incarnation of those special movies.
Unlike other popular collectibles such as comic books and baseball cards, movie posters were never intended to be collected. Printed in limited quantities sufficient to supply theatres screening the film, the sole purpose of the film poster was advertising. A poster's image had to promote interest and entice audiences to local theatres.
Today these advertising tools are tangible souvenirs of our favourite stars and films. Movie posters are in great demand because they appeal to everyone. Some love a poster's image and design, for film buffs movie posters inspire nostalgic movie-memories, some relate to an element in the film and others just want to give that 'original' gift.
Prior to the early 80's movie posters that survived were legally required to be returned to the studios or poster source. The quantity of movie posters printed usually varies with each title, and for every decade we go back, the numbers decrease since there were fewer cinemas around.
Early on, many theatre owners complied with the rules stated in fine print at the bottom of the movie posters and actually returned them to the studios. When archives became full movie posters were usually destroyed in mass, as the films' run would have obviously ended, thus no need for advertising. Otherwise, multiple uses, natural disasters such as fire, water, and the huge volumes of paper destroyed during W.W.II were all factors, which contributed to the scarcity of some earlier titles such as Casablanca, King Kong, Frankenstein, and The Wizard of Oz.
As the years went by, more and more theatre owners started to ignore poster return policies. As a result, many of these artefacts escaped mass destruction and remained in theatre exchanges and warehouses. Today many of these collections have been bought out by dealers and collectors resulting in a huge market for this industry.
Movie posters have become a hot commodity in today's market. Major auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's are auctioning movie posters regularly worldwide. The record price achieved for a film poster to date is $453,000 for The Mummy (1932).
Film poster collecting is exciting and aesthetically pleasurable, combining the better of the two worlds of art and nostalgia. In essence each is a historical document depicting a change in trends, culture, style, technique, and history to name a few.
Movie posters can be incredible investments as some movie posters have multiplied tenfold or more in value over a short period of time (5 years). Few categories in the art world have performed as well. For example, an original vintage British poster of the Bond movie Dr. No sells today for about £3500, against £100's in the mid nineties.
In very general terms a poster's overall collectability & desirability can be divided into three broad categories. If your poster fits into one or two of these it has merit. If all three, then you've got a winner, most of the time...
CLASSIC FILMS are the easiest category since most people agree on the really great films of all time, and the most popular poster titles are linked quite simply to these.
Most serious collectors seek all timeless classics like King Kong, Casablanca, Metropolis, The Wizard of Oz, and Citizen Kane; due to their rarity these movie posters cost thousands, even then its not that simple since many different styles and nationalities exist.
The 'market' is constantly expanding; today's 'new' buyers are collecting their nostalgia from the 60's and 70's. Films like Breakfast At Tiffany's, The Italian Job, Dirty Harry, Bullitt, and the Bond series are highly sought after, but can still be bought for an affordable price of under £1000.
COLLECTABLE STARS is a tougher category to figure out...
Audrey Hepburn is huge in the poster world but Gina Lollobridgida is not. John Wayne in a Western would be desirable, but put him in a racecar and interest would be lost. Humphrey Bogart probably tops the league for most collected actor, followed today by Steve McQueen.
Really expensive early stars include: Charlie Chaplin, The Marx Brothers, Errol Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and Bette Davis. Later 50's and 60's favourites include Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elvis Presley, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, Sean Connery as Bond etc. In the 70's its Clint Eastwood, Michael Caine, Al Pacino, and Robert Deniro. Among directors, Alfred Hitchcock is the star, followed by Woody Allen, Frank Capra, and Tarantino.
GOOD ARTWORK - ultimately 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', but there is some consensus. Certain artists such as Saul Bass, Anselmo Ballester, Roger Soubie, W. Swierzy, and Ericole Brini to name a few have produced incredible images and designs.
Ultimately, you should collect what YOU really like! (The above is a very general guideline; so if one of your favourites is not mentioned then don't be discouraged.) |
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