I have many conversations with some of the best dealers in the world, when I say best I mean best not highest priced or biggest beautiful inventory the best dealers the genuine guys that are the back bone of this hobby.
There are some titles that have been mentioned in this thread and I will reiterate a few that in the book world would be called common rarities. Lets take a few titles here. Breakfast at Tiffany's US One sheet. This is a poster that has hit over £5,000 before. It hits that price why? This poster is a maximum priced poster for it's age at what should be around $1500. But lets face it if we could get this poster at that price we would be breaking arms off the owners to make the deal. The reason this poster has such a price tag is the desirability. It's not because of the film. The film was about a Prostitute who kept unusual company. The poster is probably better than the film...however Audrey Hepburn is the most iconic fashion actres on this one poster of the cinema history. Not even Marilyn Monroe hits that most fashionable, stylish check box that Audrey Hepburn in a Christian Dior dres does. This poster is not rare, we all know if we want to find one we can and it will be at a price. If you want a bargain on this poster you have to wait and wait a long time. It hits these high prices because of the desire behind it and again if there are any dealers out there that can not say that they laugh all the way to the bank because th ey have sold this poster for a good price then I don't beleive you. Another title From Russia With Love UK Quad. It seems that every major Brit auction will now have one of these and they sold for not more than £750, however it is now at least £5k retail and that is because of the desirability, it is the ultimate Bond poster with Connery giving his best sardonic upturned eyebrow grin. It is rare but common, same as Breakfast at Tiffany's. The rarity value in say War of the World UK Quad makes these posters un reachable because very few still exist, if there were plenty the price would be low and we'd all have one in our collection, but the question is, is it desirable? Well of course it is but to only those who are either sci fi fans, Brit poster fans or mainline poster collectors. All of these added together doesn't equate to al those out there that will buy Breakfast at Tiffany's and From Russia With Love. And we can throw more titles into the fray Goldfinger Brit Quad, Some Like it Hot Insert, Rear Window One Sheet, Forbidden Planet One Sheet...e al. The point is there are some schmucks out there willing to pay a large price for what they desire. You want to talk about maret value? If you can get $10k for an Attack of the 50ft Woman Insert then any dealer will say "hey hold the phone it's yours gimme the cash", it is whether you have a collector (generally someone who knows the score and will be patient and bide his time and hunt for the bargain) or the impulse buyer who will want and need that poster and be willing to pay blindly. You point out Bruce's auctions and the opportunity of market value. I think this is a poor example as an auction is a game of chance. One time I remember he had the "rare" UK one sheet of The Deer Hunter and it sold for over $700 (this was on ebay way back when) and at the same time another dealer had one and couldn't sell it for alf that price. So tell me does market value play here? I don't think so, we can argue this over and over the plain and simple truth is if you are a collector and willing to be patient sooner or later the item will turn up. If you are someone who wants and has the cash then there are plenty out there who will fleece you. Auction value can never be used as a yardstick. Any item whether its $25 or $1million (Frankenstein Lobby Cards!!!) it is only worth it to that person who is wiling to pay whatever price that item might be. As I said for the year and the frequency that it turns up Breakfast at Tiffany's should only be maximum $1500 My advice is to find those dealers...the best dealers and you will be satisfied. Rich Heluga is doing a fine job and you wil pick up a bargain. Posteritati is doing a fine job too and you wil get your hearts desire. Both are decent and good dealers and yes in their fields the best. There are others too. Go forth and seek... -----Original Message----- From: lobby card invasi on <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:34 Subject: Re: [MOPO] I'm growing tired of this hobby Jeffrey, To you, and a few others that hold a similar attitude, I just don't get you guys. Who are you to play to supreme arbiter as to the value of a poster? If "the mean dealers" are asking way too much for their posters, why don't you buy the same poster from a reasonable dealer? You say that you enjoy hunting, then hunt away! What's the beef? Why should you grow tired of this hobby? Or, are you saying that ALL dealers have conspired in this plot against the innocent collectors? In that case, just maybe dealers have a more realistic idea of the poster's value, and how difficult it would be to replace that item that you really want, but feel is way overpriced? And if its real, old fashioned auctions that you miss, the ones in which the marketplace is dictating the real and fair value of posters, I will reveal to you some insiders' secrets: Bruce Hershenson is running hugh auctions, twice a week yet, where all items start at 99 cents! Check them out. Richard Halegua is running a similar, 99 cent starting bid, auction, once a week, every week, and luckily for us it does not fall on the same day as the Hershenson's auctions. Every once in a while Sean L inkenback runs similar auctions, and guess what? He specializes in Horror SciFi cards! You gotta admit that sounds great. There are more though. Let me know if you need a list. Best, Zeev ----- Original Message ----- From: Walton, Jeffrey To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 8:02 AM Subject: [MOPO] I'm growing tired of this hobby It used to be fun hunting for the next poster, even hunting on the internet used to be fun….not anymore…it seems a lot of dealers are afraid of fair market value….again I use the same scenario as I have done before…if you go to movie posters on ebay list by the highest posters first, auctions only, you’ll see what I mean. You have to scroll pretty long for anyone selling something without an extremely high reserve, you’ll have to scroll pretty long to find someone actually bidding on a poster….the only one that seems to be generating some interest is a saul bass window card. Don’t even get me started on the buy it nows…3 breakfast at tiffany’s one sheet the cheapest starting at $7500 most say rare…rare? Really I just saw three in three seconds…show me a British quad for war of the worlds and I’ll show yo u rare….an insert for 50ft woman for 10 g’s….didn’t a one sheet sell for a lot less just less than one week ago. Go ahead nail me to a cross but I’ve become so disenchanted lately with the dealer mentality (and it’s not just movie posters). Hey I understand about profit, cost analysis, and all that jazz …I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…profit is one thing…blood from a stone is another….now everyone seems to wait for their piece to bring in the next big coinage….years gone bye, one would buy a poster for $25, sell if for $75…a tidy profit…now if one buys a poster for $25 and hears one just for $500….guess what the new price of the poster they have in stock…$500….or even $450 to make it seem like a bargain. I used to add probably a poster once a month to my collection…not anymore…it’s not that I have it all, I see a ton of material out there that warrants a bid, it’s just everyone wants a kings ransom for it now so guess what…they can keep in their stock rooms and I’ll find something else to keep the economy rolling. Bruce aside, why can’t we bring back fair market value, why be afraid of the knowledge of the c ollector….if you want to sell a poster let the people decide on the price it should sell…dealers should deal..not be in retail. _____________ The information contained in this message is proprietary and/or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please: (i) delete the message and all copies; (ii) do not disclose, distribute or use the message in any manner; and (iii) notify the sender immediately. In addition, please be aware that any message addressed to our domain is subject to archiving and review by persons other than the intended recipient. 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