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When it comes to collecting new posters (printed in the last twenty years
or so) the old adage of "collect what you like and don't worry about what it
will be worth" really hits hard, because by almost any scenario you look at it's
hard to imagine these newer posters ever being worth much, simply because there
are so many printed. Much of the original print runs of the "theatrical" posters
never go to the theaters now. The studios sell them directly into the hands of
the larger movie poster dealers. Movie Posters are now just another
merchandizing item. If and when the original "theatrical" print run dries up,
the studios are always ready to print up more or at least license the original
plates out to someone else.
Essentially, movie posters ain't what they used to be -- which was *studio
property* that was never supposed to be sold to the general public. I know, the
studios still continue to play that little game with the theaters, but everyone
knew it was a game long ago and now it is just lip service. The studios no
longer care who has their posters -- except in rare cases of extreme abuse (like
when the latest STAR WARS advance banners were simply not even making it up
onto the walls of the theater lobbies at all, because they were being
snatched into private hands the second they arrived at the theaters).
Add to this huge supply of paper the fact that there are now thousands of
movie poster collectors who are getting them mint and rolled and squirreling
them away in their collections (often getting more than one copy) and you remove
the thing that made "old" movie paper valuable -- the fact that most it was
eventually thrown out, worn out or deliberately destroyed. That isn't happening
with new posters.
Actually, the highest price most of these pieces are likely to achieve is
just before and immediately after the film's release, when the "cool" factor of
having the latest and greatest flick's poster on your wall is highest.
That doesn't mean people shouldn't purchase, collect and enjoy the new
posters just for what they are. But any long-term or long-lasting appreciation
in value is unlikely for most of them. There are the rare exceptions, like PULP
FICTION, but those are going to be almost exclusively releases from smaller
independent companies who don't print up their posters in the gazillions like
the major studios do -- and even then it will only happen if the movie is a
surprise mega-hit, like PULP FICTION was. And if the imagery of the poster was
super-cool, like PULP FICTION was. But most modern posters look more like
gigantic paperback book covers than they do movie posters. From what I've seen
of the SIN CITY paper so far, the design is pretty standard, nothing
special.
-- JR
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- Re: [MOPO] Will Any "Sin City" Posters... J R
- Re: [MOPO] Will Any "Sin City" Po... Ed Flood
- [MOPO] paperback looking posters Richard Halegua Comic Art
