We at eMoviePoster.com no longer accept ANY consignments of sub-$30 items (and we are phasing out "bulk lots" completely)
Eight months ago we announced that the minimum realistic retail value for individual items at auction will be raised to $30, and the individual realistic retail value for bulk items at auction will be raised to $30 per bulk lot.
NOW, eight months later, we have an even bigger announcements. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, we no longer accept ANY consignments of sub-$30 items (and that we are phasing out "bulk lots" completely).
Why? Two main reasons. First, as with so many other businesses nowadays, EVERY single cost we have keeps rising and rising and rising (seemingly with no end in sight), but most importantly shipping costs. Given all this, it just doesn't make sense for us to be auctioning $5, $10, or even $20 items individually, because when we add up all our costs, we lose money doing so.
Second, and just as important, auctioning low value items (especially bulk lots) takes up tons of time, and after doing this 33 years non-stop, I want to "slow down" just a little! I THOUGHT that going to "every four week" auctions from weekly auctions would accomplish that, but actually we are now just as busy as ever!
I see that the answer is to completely stop auctioning low value (sub $30) items completely, EVEN IN BULK LOTS. That will allow us to get back to 1,000 or even 500 items in each set of auctions, and will slow our pace down considerably.
And when you think about it, taking inflation into account, having a $30 minimum for consignments is NOT "setting the bar very high"! Back in 1970 the minimum wage was $1.60 an hour. And now it is mostly at least ten times that! So having a "$30 minimum for consignments" in 2023 is like having had a "THREE DOLLAR minimum for consignments" in 1970!
And for those of you who love super low priced items, know that we will continue auctioning what was already consigned here, and we have a fair number of $10 and $20 single auction items here, and those will keep popping up in our auctions until they are all sold.
And for those of you who love BULK LOTS, know that we will continue auctioning the bulk lot items that are already consigned here, and we have enough of those items here to continue holding bulk lot auctions through the end of this year (or until they are all sold).
BUT REMEMBER, WE DON'T WANT ANY NEW CONSIGNMENTS OF SUB-$30 ITEMS AT ALL (except under VERY special circumstances; contact us if you think this applies to you!).
THIS CHANGE MEANS WE WILL HAVE FEWER, BUT BETTER, AUCTIONS (since every individual item is one that deserves to sell for $30 or more) AND THAT MEANS BIDDERS WILL NOT "LOSE INTEREST", AND WILL HAVE THE TIME AND WILLINGNESS TO LOOK OVER EVERY ITEM!
WE WANT TO BUILD AN EMOVIEPOSTER.COM THAT CAN KEEP BEING THESE BEST AUCTION HOUSE THERE IS FOR YEARS TO COME, AND IT IS ONLY THROUGH MAKING THE ABOVE CHANGES THAT WE CAN DO SO. IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF EVERY COLLECTOR AND CONSIGNOR FOR THAT TO HAPPEN! THANKS FOR BEING UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEED FOR THESE CHANGES.
Over the past 33 years, we at eMoviePoster.com have been at the forefront of the evolution of the poster (and related collectibles) hobbies constantly improving and evolving. For example:
1989: Bruce Hershenson forms "Bruce Hershenson Vintage Movie Posters", to provide a place for collectors and dealers to sell their collections and inventories
1990: Bruce Hershenson organizes the first ever "all-movie poster" auction by a major auction house, and it takes in just under one million dollars, "waking up" a very sleepy hobby!
1993: Bruce Hershenson continues to hold annual major auctions, but adds semi-annual sales lists, with thousands of items that have fixed prices, and DECREASE in price just days after the lists are fully distributed!
1998: Bruce Hershenson moves his major annual auctions to a partnership with Howard Lowery Auctions in California!
1999: Bruce Hershenson sees the potential of the new "internet" in auctioning movie posters and starts weekly Tuesday sets of auctions on eBay, replacing his semi-annual sales lists!
2001: Bruce Hershenson sees how much of the poster hobby has followed him onto eBay, and he moves his major auctions there as well!
2006: After 330,000 eBay auctions, Bruce Hershenson starts his own website, eMoviePoster.com, and the vast majority of his eBay customers follow him there, and within a couple of years, eMoviePoster.com is auctioning more vintage movie paper than all of eBay combined!
2007: With the great success of eMoviePoster.com Tuesday weekly auctions, Bruce Hershenson adds Thursday weekly auctions as well!
[2009: With the great success of Tuesday and Thursday weekly auctions, Bruce Hershenson adds Sunday weekly auctions as well!
2020: At the very start of the year, Bruce Hershenson shifts from thrice-weekly eMoviePoster.com auctions, to three sets of eMoviePoster.com auctions every OTHER week and total annual sales INCREASE!
2021: Halfway through the year, Bruce Hershenson shifts from three sets of eMoviePoster.com auctions every OTHER week to three sets every FOUR weeks and total annual sales again INCREASE!
2022: The minimum realistic retail value for individual items at auction was raised to $30, and the individual realistic retail value for bulk items at auction was raised to $30 per bulk lot.
2023: We no longer accept ANY consignments of sub-$30 items (and we phased out "bulk lots" completely. ALL NEW CONSIGNMENTS MUST BE ITEMS THAT REALISTICALLY FIGURE TO SELL FOR OVER $30 EACH.
