Yes, Helmut, I agree - the good old days that still don't feel so long ago. I bet there are still newbies out there buying Style As complaining about fold lines and opting for rolled repros. The thing that surprised me and becoming more important - and reminiscent of how people collect books - are print runs. For decades, book collectors looking for "true" first editions - seek "true" first printings which are almost universally noted on the back of the title page. With books, there are first edition first printings - as well as first edition 14th printings, etc., and publishers mark them accordingly.
To see this template applied to movie posters feels a little "off" because posters were never intended to be identified "in sequence' beyond the old NSS numbers designating "R72" for Graduate re-issues and so-on. Yet, it now matters when you have a super popular title like Star Wars with all of the poster variations and different print runs, test runs, printer's proofs, re-issues, And you need a scorecard to separate the bootlegs from the genuines. Most of the style As I owned were 77/21s and how was I to know that 77-21-0 meant greater desirability? Unlike books whereby first printings have hard numbers, e.g., a first printing of a typical hardback is typically around 5,000 copies, but way more if it's backed with big marketing or from a major author - (no publisher wants to "over-print"). But with posters, no one really knows how many genuine 77-21-0 one-sheets were printed. It gave me headaches and I feel sorry for sellers who deal with this every day. Right now the only SW paper I still own from 1977 are the half-sheet, a VG insert, the lobby card set, a commercial Hildebrandt and stapled ad-slicks which are sometimes confusingly referred to as "press books" vs. "press kits," etc. I no longer own ANY one sheets from '77. - d. ________________________________ From: Helmut Hamm <texasmu...@web.de> Sent: Wednesday, March 3, 2021 3:05 AM To: David Kusumoto <davidmkusum...@hotmail.com> Cc: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU <MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU> Subject: Re: [MOPO] Auction Prices - the unloved Style D Sometimes, it feels like it was only yesterday that I would sell a STAR WARS Style A onesheet in NM condition for $200, regardless of printing. Then I would go to ebay and buy another one. Same thing happened with the TOTORO Japanese B1. Every time I sold one, I bought another for $100 or so. Not anymore. Apparently, this poster is now fetching $1500 or so. Helmut Am 03.03.2021 um 09:09 schrieb David Kusumoto <davidmkusum...@hotmail.com<mailto:davidmkusum...@hotmail.com>>: In my lifetime, I think I've owned about 7-8 style As, including a few first printings which - back then - I didn't know the difference and why they might be important to later generations. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: lists...@listserv.american.edu In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
