I'd be willing to bet that most of the dealers on MoPo at least started as collectors, though perhaps not of movie posters to begin with.
That was the case with me. I became a book collector in the 80s (though I already had a lot of stuff before that, I had been more of an "accumulator" of cool things). Because this was in pre-Internet days, I collected old school, by going to thrift shops, church bazaars and yard sales. Which meant I came across a lot of other stuff as well, so I started collecting vintage toys and board games, too (they were there, they cost a quarter or fifty cents, so why not?). I was a graphic artist and illustrator (I still am a cartoonist), so the appeal of all these things was primarily visual, it wasn't really about nostalgia for me. Anyway, this led to movie posters, which combined that graphic element with my love of movies. Ultimately, I had too many to display so I started selling while keeping my day job. But eventually the day job went and I became a full-time seller, which I remain. The collecting part, though, has of necessity taken a back seat to simply running a business. As a result there are many pieces I have picked up that otherwise would have gone into my collection that I have instead sold on to other collectors. That's just the way it is. But I still think of myself as a collector and I feel that I better understand my customers because of that. I was interviewed a while back and asked what I do. I described myself a "collector's collector," someone who collects with others in mind. And I can do that because I understand how collectors think and what they are looking for. That being said, one doesn't necessarily have to collect to connect with buyers, though having a passion of some kind helps. Obviously, from his posts, Kirby is a movie lover and though he doesn't collect posters he does connect with others on that level, since they love movies too. To me, there's little difference between that and being a dealer who is a collector. His knowledge of cinema and passion for it have served him, and his customers, well. The proof is, all these years after he started, he is still going strong, from all reports providing excellent service to his customers. Dave Posteropolis Vintage Movie Posters http://www.posteropolis.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Alan Adler To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 3:07 PM Subject: Re: [MOPO] QUESTION ABOUT THE SIZE OF SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Hi - I've been a collector since 1957 - I was 9 - I bugged my local theater manager for the insert from I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF. I saw the material as religious icons and saved this sacred material from trash bins across North Carolina. Never knew anyone else collected posters until I was 19 and passed a movie poster store in Wasthington - I almost fainted. Been a dealer since the early-to-mid 1970's and Movie Collector's World newspaper. Posters are definitely in my blood - but have been blood-letting to pay the bills. Have supplemented my income (read staying home to write screenplays) with what I took out of the trash as a kid for my entire adult life. Any person who purchases, purchases for resale, gets it from their aunt or picks something they like out of the trash is a collector - If you have taste (good or bad) and apply it to your choice you are ipso-facto a collector - if not you are a hoarder which taps a different gene i think. Maybe it is more instructive to look at the definition of a dealer - And we need look no farther than SCARFACE. Alan Adler Museum of Mom and Pop Culture My blood is available at the link below: MUSEUM GIFT SHOP: http://stores.ebay.com/Museum-Store-Gifts ALAN J. ADLER INTERVIEW: http://ephemera.typepad.com/ephemera/2009/09/movie-poster-collector-alan-j-adler-interview.html __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 6892 (20120217) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
