INVESTING IN MOVIE POSTERS

Which are the best movie posters to invest in?

We are often asked this question along with "Are original movie posters a good investment?"

They can be a great investment, or a bad investment. Just like the stock market or other collectibles, it all depends on what you buy and how much you pay.

Unlike other collectibles (coins, stamps, comics, baseball cards, etc.), the great thing about vintage movie posters is that you can display them on your wall and enjoy them.

Most of those listed here have been reproduced/reprinted. Some have even been bootlegged! (please see our other guides). You should be very careful when making a purchase. Many reproductions can be difficult to spot, sometimes even professional dealers have trouble.

Unrestored (non linen backed) posters are generally thought to stand a much better chance of greater value appreciation than restored posters. However, please be aware that for many older and very rare titles most of the ones you will find have been restored.

If you can find a rolled (never folded) one sheet for any of the titles listed below prior to the mid 1980's, the price/value will normally be much higher than one that was folded (of the same title).

Double sided posters (printed on both sides) are preferred over single sided ones. In the late 1980's studios started issuing double sided one sheets. They did this because they look better in theater display light boxes. Just because a newer poster is single sided does not mean that it is not original. There are plenty of original single sided one sheets still issued today. Collectors prefer double sided ones because there is less of a chance of purchasing a reproduction (even though there are some cases of bootlegs/reproductions that ARE double sided).

VALUE GREATLY DEPENDS ON CONDITION

Typically, a poster that is in pretty decent shape is graded Excellent to Near Mint Condition (C8 to C9). On average, a poster like this with no or very few minor defects will bring substantially more than a poster in Very Good to Fine Condition (C6 to C7). For example, if a poster normally sells for around $500.00 in C8-C9 condition, the same poster in C6-C7 condition will typically sell for only $100.00 to $250.00. This is because a C6-C7 poster will have some unsightly defects, and many people do not even want to go near a poster in this condition. Unless of course it is an extremely rare poster and there are only a few known copies.

Posters in investment grade condition (Excellent C8 or better) will appreciate more in value than posters in lesser condition.

In our opinion, the titles and genres listed below stand the greatest chance for maximum value appreciation. They are listed in no particular order.

THIS LIST IS NOT COMPLETE!!

We will be adding to it periodically. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of other significant posters not listed.

All are U.S. one sheets unless noted. For simplicity, we have tried to keep this list to U.S. posters only. There are PLENTY of valuable investment worthy non U.S movie posters, we just won't list them here.

Country of Origin: This is a term used to describe a film poster from the country where the film was made. Country of origin posters are often valued more than non country of origin posters. For example: The James Bond British posters from the 1960's often sell for more than the U.S. one sheets. The Japanese film poster for Godzilla is worth much more than the U.S. one sheet (it is also much rarer).

For most new films released today the number of original posters printed is so great that they most likely will never be worth anything. A very small percentage of films do have a limited/smaller amount of posters printed, so some of these may one day be valuable.

1990's - Present

Rolled, never folded Graded Near Mint (NM C9) or better, no restoration. Double sided (d/s). Single sided (s/s).

Goodfellas d/s
Pretty Woman d/s
Silence of the Lambs (Double face) d/s
The Matrix d/s
The Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring Style A, B, C, D d/s
Pulp Fiction (Recalled) s/s
The Usual Suspects d/s
Napoleon Dynamite (Advance) d/s
Spiderman (Recalled) d/s
Reservoir Dogs s/s
The Shawshank Redemption d/s
Saving Private Ryan d/s
Star Wars Episode 1, The Phantom Menace (advance) d/s
The Nightmare Before Christmas d/s
Braveheart d/s
Casino d/s
Fargo d/s
Thelma and Louise d/s
Dazed and Confused (Advance) s/s
Beauty and the Beast (Advance) d/s
The Lion King d/s
Toy Story d/s
The Little Mermaid (Advance) d/s
Kill Bill d/s
The Notebook d/s
Donnie Darko d/s
Swingers d/s
Unforgiven (Advance) d/s
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Lenticular)

1980's

Rolled or Folded, Graded NM C9 or better, no restoration, s/s.

Scarface
Blade Runner
The Empire Strikes Back (recalled style A)
Risky Business
E.T. (bike/moon version)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Raider's of the Lost Ark
The Terminator
When Harry Met Sally
Evil Dead
The Blues Brothers
Revenge of the Jedi (dated and undated versions)
Caddyshack
The Goonies (map style)
Back to the Future
A Christmas Story
Vacation
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Breakfast Club
Sixteen Candles
Valley Girl
Friday the 13th
Die Hard
The Untouchables
Wall Street

1970's

Rolled or Folded, Graded Excellent (EX C8) or better.

Star Wars Style A First Printing NSS # 77/21-0
Star Wars Style B
Star Wars Style C (Intl. U.S. one sheet)
Star Wars Mylar Advance
Jaws
Jaws 2 (red advance)
Taxi Driver
The Godfather
Alien
Alien (advance)
Halloween
Rocky
Animal House
Dawn of the Dead (green text version)
Dirty Harry
The Sting
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Grease (Advance)
Debbie Does Dallas
Behind the Green Door
Deep Throat
Superfly
Shaft
Foxy Brown
Diamonds Are Forever
Live and Let Die
The Man With the Golden Gun (Villains)
Blazing Saddles
Young Frankenstein
Superman
Easy Rider (re release)
A Clockwork Orange (rated X version)
The Outlaw Josey Wales
High Plains Drifter
Le Mans
 

1960's

Folded (extremely difficult to find rolled) Graded EX C8 or better.

Cool Hand Luke
Planet of the Apes
Barbarella
Breakfast at Tiffany's
The Graduate
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Thunderball
Goldfinger
You Only Live Twice
Endless Summer
The Birds
Psycho
Night of the Living Dead
The Hustler (1964 re release)
Faster Pussycat Kill Kill
Ocean's 11
Easy Rider
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Yellow Submarine
A Hard Days Night
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
2001 A Space Odyssey (all versions, although some styles are much more valuable than others)
Bullitt
Lawrence of Arabia
The Great Escape
To Kill a Mockingbird
Downhill Racer
Italian Job
You Only Live Twice
The Wild Bunch
Midnight Cowboy (rated X)
War of the Worlds (re release)
North By Northwest (re release)

1950's

Folded, Graded EX C8 or better.

Rebel Without a Cause
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1/2 sheet (style B, spotlight dance style)
Invasion of the Saucer Men
Forbidden Planet
Godzilla
Plan 9 From Outer Space
The Mole People
The Blob
House on Haunted Hill
The Thing From Another World
Creature From the Black Lagoon
Revenge of the Creature
The Creature Walks Among Us
Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman
Vertigo
To Catch a Thief
Rear Window
The Seven Year Itch
Some Like it Hot
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Bus Stop
Niagara
Jailhouse Rock
Sunset Boulevard
The Incredible Shrinking Man
War of the Worlds
White Christmas
Astounding She Monster
Not of This Earth
Tarantula
The African Queen
The Lone Ranger

1900-1949

Folded, Graded VG/Fine C7 or better.

Gun Crazy
The Maltese Falcon
Casablanca
Gilda
This Gun For Hire
Frankenstein
The Bride of Frankenstein
Dracula
The Mummy
King Kong
Son of Kong
Mighty Joe Young
The Wolf Man
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
The Invisible Man
Laura
Freaks
The Philadelphia Story
The Mark of Zorro
Grand Hotel
The Wizard of Oz
It's a Wonderful Life
Gone With the Wind
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Pinocchio
Fantasia
Dumbo
 

Categories/Genres

Three Stooges
Marx Brothers
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chaplin
Serial Posters
Batman
Superman
Western Posters, Roy Rogers, John Wayne etc.
Greta Garbo
Universal Horror
Disney/Mickey Mouse

Thank you.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This guide created by David A. Lieberman, CineMasterpieces.