Why Vintage Movie Posters Matter

If you're a staunch collector and a movie buff, chances are you've already begun collecting vintage movie posters, or have already entertained the idea of starting. I bet that you've had a tinge of nostalgia looking at an old poster of King Kong perched on top of the Empire State Building, completely aware of the fact that this image has been embedded in the subconscious memory of almost all monster movie fans. You are sure to cause a lot of hoopla if visitors happened to chance upon that legendary poster on your wall. You'll probably take great pride in it too. And why stop there, when you can score that classic poster showcasing the legendary King of Monsters, Godzilla, as he battles for supremacy against the destructive Anguirus (I bet you didn't know that one!).

Although I wouldn't recommend it to be your focal reason for collecting vintage movie posters, collecting vintage movie posters for profit is a very rewarding endeavor for your stash. The main reason for it is because movie producers haven't thought about keeping movie posters up until the hobby boomed during the release of Star Wars in '77. When the movie took off during that year, people wanted to purchase everything that has anything to do with it, and it is easy to guess that it included posters. Since then, movie poster collecting has become fashionable, and collectors have been fervent in their hopes of finding the ones that have been completely ignored before.

The weird thing is that filmmakers themselves have joined the fray, and were buying back the posters that were theirs in the first place. Can you imagine how classic films like Casablanca, Citizen Kane and The Bride of Frankenstein can cost these days? As a point of comparison, take heart that the most expensive piece that was sold went for over $700,000, when the Fritz Lang film, Metropolis, were bought by a US collector at the Reel Poster Gallery in London. Although it's unlikely that this record can ever be broken, there are still a lot out there that are being put on sale for a hefty sum.

A vintage movie poster's cost can be determined by a combination of factors. People collect for a bevy of reasons, such as the graphic artist who made the poster, the movie's popularity, the actors, and the rarity of the poster. In a world where pop-culture icons are always immortalized, vintage poster hunting becomes more exhilarating. Loads of memorabilia have sprung up all over. Go to Memphis and it's very likely that you'll find an Elvis memorabilia. And what type of memorabilia would it be without the King's vintage movie posters? You’ll find them there, and I mean lots of them.

If you are strapped for cash, and don't have the means for purchasing expensive vintage movie posters, you can start by buying the new releases. The cost of your collection is sure to rise decades from now, and you just might be reaping the rewards of being a staunch poster collector. But of course, you can decide to keep the collection if you have grown attached to it. Vintage movie posters are a great way to spruce up the inside of your house. Most of all, the pride and nostalgia that can be derived of having a piece of movie history are priceless.