| In the late 1800's, vaudeville companies
began a tradition of posting advertisements for shows in lobbies.
The emerging film industry borrowed this idea and put up so-called
one sheets to attract fan attention. Today, film posters range
from tiny postcard size advertisements which producers give
away at parties to giant billboards which get spackled on the
sides of the nation's tallest skyscrapers. Collectible film
posters can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. Indeed, a mint
press of the one sheet for Boris Karloff's, The Mummy,
fetched over $450,000 at auction. Generally, any movie poster
from before 1935 is valuable today. Theaters and collectors
didn't preserve posters prior to this time, so there are few
artifacts remaining in circulation. Hence, these posters are
quite prized.
How should you go about collecting film posters? One smart
tactic is to gather only posters related to a certain genre
or from a certain era. If you have the money and resources,
for instance, you might want to collect all of the posters associated
with movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Bear in mind that
collectors evaluate posters not just on their rarity and artistic
merit but also on their condition.
Old movie posters deteriorate as a result of exposure to
the elements, so you want to preserve them as carefully as possible.
Certain framing devices should be avoided. Never roll posters
or tie them together with rubber bands. Counterfeiting has become
a major problem of late, so before investing in an expensive
rarity, authenticate your purchase with the help of an expert.
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