Vintage Movie Posters

Rather than clutter limited storage space with reminders of films that were no longer playing on their screens, the owners of movie theaters would summarily toss them into trash pins. Those that were rescued by intrepid fans now have the distinction of fetching some of the highest prices on the market, reflecting the earlier eras’ flirtation with pop culture and fine art.

What Makes a Movie Poster Vintage

Save for their 27”x 41” size (a standard that was set by no less than Thomas Edison), vintage movie posters are a far cry from the displays that adorn modern cineplexes. For one thing, they only listed the title of the movie, the name of the production company that filmed it and a brief mention of the plot.

While actors and actresses have long been the subject of public curiosity, the poster makers of yesteryear took extra care to protect their anonymity. Moviegoers had no idea which celebrity was going to be in any given flick until after they had settled into their seats and the lights went out. Interestingly, much of this secrecy was at the behest of the actors themselves. Because a number of them had enjoyed successful reputations in vaudeville and on the stages of New York, they weren’t entirely sure they wanted to be associated via widespread publicity with a new-fangled form of entertainment that might only be a flash in the pan. Another interesting comparison between then and now was the fact that the imagery depicted was an artistic interpretation rather than a rendering of any actual scenes. Since the image was accompanied by a plot description, the artists were given free rein to express themselves. Today, the majority of posters are a combination of graphics, a photographic still and a litany of talent including the director, producer, writer and composer. In the absence of a plot description, moviegoers are only given what is called a logline—a short, cryptic sentence that may or may not give away what they’re going to see when the curtain goes up. Last but not least, vintage posters didn’t come from the factory neatly rolled up in a tube but were, instead, folded—a condition that might alarm collectors who mistakenly believe that such creases diminish their value.

Auctions and Internet websites have stirred a lot of interest among consumers in turning back the clock and owning a piece of movie history. While you may not have enough in your piggy bank to splurge six figures on such collectibles as an original of “The Mummy” from 1932, the following sites will get you started on building your own movie lovers gallery of vintage prints, lobby sets, title and scene cards.

Nostalgia

If you’re looking for nostalgia, Nostalgia is open 24/7 for your browsing enjoyment. You might want to set aside a couple of weeks to do that, however; with over 41,000 original items for sale, it’s quite a trip down memory lane. The gallery’s oldest offerings date from the silent screen era; prices are based on availability and condition. The easy to use navigation bar not only allows for searches by title and star but by director, genre and plot/theme as well. The credits of the website’s owner are impressive, too, including catalogue and auction work for Christie’s of New York, appraisals for “Antiques Road Show”, and the supplier of poster images for Internet Movie Database. In addition, the staff conducts tireless searches for specific posters just in case you can’t find what you were seeking on their own extensive site.

Movie Poster Warehouse

Movie Poster Warehouse is based in Toronto and was originally launched as a catalogue mail-order company. The high demand for cinema ephemera, however, soon became more than the small company could reasonably handle. Today, more than half of its sales come from Internet shoppers, a number of whom are located in Japan, South Africa and the Middle East. Orders for its 10,000+ items can be placed online or by calling the company’s toll free 800 number. In addition to the standard searches used by competitors in finding a particular film poster, this one also has a pull-down menu that allows you to access material by era (i.e., pre 1940’s) as well as by the price range you’d like to pay. Posters range from as little as $5 to over $500. The earliest offerings date from the 1920’s.

Posteritati

Posteritati is popular with poster collectors looking for some foreign flair. Its online catalogue includes images as far back as 1900 and also allows visitors to browse for film titles from Japan, South America, Europe, Jamaica, Russia, India, Scandinavia and many others. Posteratiti has an excellent collection, too, of poster-theme paperback and hardcover books including great cowboys, Academy Award winners, horror films and even posters that hail from the days of drive-in movies.

Movie Posters

Originals, reissues and reprints can be found in abundance at Movie Posters, a site that will also purchase posters, inserts and movie stills from customers’ existing collections. At present, their oldest offerings are scene and title cards from the 1920’s. A few lobby sets are also available; these are only split up for individual sale if any of the components are missing. In addition to a broad range of search categories, the website is routinely updated to reflect new acquisitions for their “Original Vintage” series. These can be, for instance, a series of early titles released by a particular studio such as Disney or Warner Brothers or revolve around a specific actor or genre. Since the quantities are limited and are snapped up quickly, collectors may want to bookmark the page and visit it regularly to see what has been added. This site also offers movie poster gift certificates, monthly specials (although these are primarily reprints and not originals), and assistance in conducting searches for specific, hard to find titles.

Learn More About Vintage Movie Posters

Whether you’re a serious vintage movie poster collector or just want to beat your friends in the movie category of Trivial Pursuit, Learn About Movie Postershas some of the best links on the Internet to everything related to the film industry. The history section alone is worth a peek if you want to expand your knowledge movie history, movie posters and the artists who helped to create them. Among this website’s affiliates is Movie Art which provides beginning buyers with advice on what to look for—something that none of the other sites touch on but which is invaluable for those who are unfamiliar with this area of collecting.