NEW LISTINGS Movie posters
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JOHN REID VINTAGE MOVIE MEMORABILIA Newsletter March/April 2007
 
Heritage Signature Auction
 
Once again, Heritage have produced an impressive array of vintage movie posters with their latest signature auction. They have consistently been able to combine quality and quantity with a greater selection of titles than perhaps any other auction house has ever achieved.
 
One the highlights of this auction is the Universal Horror poster…
 
 
The estimate for The Black Cat is in the range of $100,000.00 – $175,000.00. It certainly is a magnificent poster and it will be interesting to see the final result.
 
As a collector of Hitchcock posters it has always been a bit of a mystery to me that Universal Horror posters always seem to fetch such huge amounts at auctions. I have heard all of the arguments but they have never really convinced me. To me a one sheet for, say, The 39 Steps or Blackmail should have a similar value to The Black Cat but, of course, nothing could be further than the truth. At the present time Universal Horror posters remain at the pinnacle of the movie poster collecting fraternity and there are no real signs of that changing.
 
The Universal Horror posters in this auction led me to think about Australian posters for Universal Horror films and the fact is that few have ever been seen. I had some good titles about ten years ago including Ghost of Frankenstein and House of Dracula but consigned them to a major auction and they sold for well below their true value. One dealer in Australia sold a Frankenstein daybill many years ago to one of the most famous Universal Horror collectors but I have seen very few Australian Universal Horror posters since then. I have never heard of an Australian daybill for The Black Cat or a number of the other Universal classic titles.
 
There is a relatively small selection of Australian posters in this auction and it would be great to see some of the highly sought after daybills from Universal Horror, Hitchcock or some of the rarer Richardson Studio titles turn up in future auctions. That will be a challenge for Grey Smith in coming auctions!
 
I guess the highlights of the Australian posters in this auction are the two long daybills for Paul Robeson films:
 
 
and a very rare 3 sheet for:
 
 
The Heritage Auction also includes some wonderful Science Fiction titles and many other superb posters and I wonder if this auction could surpass the previous successes. 
 
Hammer Horror Exhibition – Coming Soon
 
I am planning an Exhibition of Hammer Horror Australian posters in the not too distant future. I was pleased to recently pick up a rare Scars of Dracula daybill that had been autographed by Dennis Waterman when he was in Brisbane some years ago to perform in a stage play.
 
eBay Feedback 2.0 has begun
 
eBay has finally rolled out a new feedback system on certain sites and it does look fairly promising. Buyers rate sellers using a star grading system from 1-5 in addition to the "positive" and "negative" system of leaving feedback. The new system basically means that the the graded ratings that are left are anonymous so that a buyer could leave an overall positive for a seller but might give the seller a very low rating on, for example, postage costs. When the ratings are tabulated over a period of time, it will supposedly give a realistic indication of what to expect. There are one or two issues that need to be ironed out but it does look as if it might be a real step forward.
 
All you need to know about Belgian Movie Posters
  
I have written a detailed guide on what to look for with original Belgian movie posters. These posters often have wonderful artwork that is unique but there are some traps and pitfalls in distinguishing between originals, reissues and repros.
 
 
  
Packaging
  
I buy fairly frequently on eBay and it never ceases to amaze me how often the packaging is totally inadequate. I recently purchased some posters from one seller in the UK and paid for full insurance. The package arrived damaged with a letter of acknowlegement and apology from Royal Mail. The posters had been packed in a flimsy envelope that hadnt even been sealed and the package had been bent a couple of times and some liquid had been spilt on it. I contacted the seller, only to find that he had not insured the package so I am now having to go through the hassle of a claim with paypal. It really is very disappointing that so many sellers pack poorly.
 
My Radio Program
 
If you ever get to the Gold Coast or Northern New South Wales, I have a radio program twice a week on 94.1fm – Monday 12-3pm and Wednesday 6-9pm.
 
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Thats it for this month. Good luck with your movie poster collections and if there is anything I can help with dont hesitate to contact me.
 
 
Best regards to all
 
 
John
 
 
 
 
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