Issue with French Line poster

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

So I paid $200 for this French Line poster.  It looks pretty decent except for spots on the face, which the seller did not disclose (and should have obviously).  It looks fine from a distance.

Should I (a) return (b) demand a partial refund (c) keep and just live with the damage or (d) spend $200 linenbacking/repairing it (and $200 is not chump change to me)?

[wonka]

If that bothers you, I would contact the seller and discuss a partial refund...$25 or something.  Most of the time that is what I do, unless the condition issues are something I cannot get over...depends on the poster of course.

[paul waines]

What Wonka said. 

Very nice poster Anyway Mel.

[Disheveledamethyst]

I don't have anything really different to say, but that would bother the hell out of me. I can deal with minor imperfections, but if they're right on the face of the focal character I would politely demand to be compensated. I'd either outright return the poster (because I know I'd be looking for a better one anyway, I'm a stickler for condition) or ask for 15% back.

15% isn't a magic number, but it usually makes me feel better. However, the cheaper the poster, the larger the refund I ask for. (If I spend $30 on a poster that was damaged, I'd ask for $10 back.) Your best bet is to just think of what you think Jane Russell's face is worth and ask for that amount.

If they refuse, you file some sort of claim. It's pretty major not to disclose an imperfection like that, at least in my eyes.

[jayn_j]

My feeling is that if it bothers you, a small discount isn't going to make you feel better about it.  Figure out the max price a perfect one is worth to you and then see if you can get under that price with the purchase plus cleanup costs.  If not, get the refund or sell it and try again.

Personally, I prefer my posters to show some degree of wear.  It adds authenticity and I can honestly say that my posters are seasoned veterans.

[Dr Hackenbush]

Who looks at Jane Russell's face?

[wonka]

Who looks at Jane Russell's face?

Hahaha!

---

On a related note, one time I received a poster in a flat Priority mailer that was unprotected.  It managed to stick in the mailer's sticky sealing residue, and so I could not remove the poster.  I contacted Dario who said to use a hair dryer and move it around the poster at the point of stick for several minutes.  It took awhile, but it did free up.

However, there are some slight damages because of this, but nothing that really bothered me at all.  I emailed the seller, told him the situation and sent pics of before and after the emergency surgery, and politely asked for a partial refund...forget how much.  Anyway, he told me to just keep it, that it wasn't worth his hassle trying to sell and ship again, and gave me a full refund.  The poster was around $100, I valued it at $250 or so.

Now that is extreme, and will probably never happen again, so don't get your hopes up, but I have found that most sellers appreciate quick and informative communication along with pics in regards to damages or condition issues...to them, a few bucks via a partial refund isn't worth having to deal the same item again, and both sides are happy.

[CSM]

Who looks at Jane Russell's face?

 

[paul waines]

Who looks at Jane Russell's face?

The other option is wait for another, buy that and then sell the one you have. Though if your like me you'll keep both...

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Figured out that the spots on the face are bits of "bleed-through" from the NSS stamp on the back.  Still not sure what to do with it. The spots are not noticeable from normal viewing distance and look like freckles a bit.

Viewed with light source in back:





Bad placement of the stamp - but I wonder what the 3-D poster looks like?:



Looks fine from a distance:

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Bad placement of the stamp - but I wonder what the 3-D poster looks like?:

Whoa - I'll answer my own question.  The film was shot in 3-D.   Here's a webpage devoted to the 3-D film.

[CSM]

I thought it would have been filmed in DD?

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

I thought it would have been filmed in DD?

Now that I'd like to see!  The reviewer said about 3-D:


"When the posters outside of the theatre proclaimed “JR in 3D!”, they really meant what they said. During several musical numbers, when she would turn from profile and face the camera with her chest thrust out: watch out! You almost felt you should move away from the screen."

[longdog]

Or lean in a bit closer   

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Well, I decided to send it off to Poster Mountain for linen-backing and repairs.

It looks pretty good by itself but really looks beat up compared to my Blonde Sinner LB.

I figure linen-backing will significantly increase the value anyway for THIS particular poster, which is not true for every poster of course.

[Harry Caul]

You sent this poster off to be linen backed Mel?  Are you nuts?  It looks damn near perfect.

[wonka]

Yeah, Mel...not sure why you wanted that put on linen, even with the stamp 'issue'.

Not too late, tell them to return to sender!

[AdamCarterJones]

Yeah, I have to agree with Wonka and Matt!
Do not get this piece linen backed, Mel! 

I figure linen-backing will significantly increase the value anyway for THIS particular poster, which is not true for every poster of course.

The above statement would suggest you purchase for investment over looks (for this poster at least).
That is fine by me, but if that is the case, then if a poster is not torn to shreds, badly beaten up or drawn all over, then don't send it to get linen backed, mate.

The real value in posters lies in unrestored pieces.
Once linen backed the poster will never be the same.

[50s]

Just touch up her whiskers with watercolor pencil

[50s]

Be careful Mel, backing might cause the ink to bleed through even more noticibly and spread (when the paste saturates/wets the paper). My backer sands off the ink stamp first so it wont bleed through to the front as a blue mess. The ink on this poster may be embedded too deep to sand off...

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Actually, it looks worse closer up than shown in the pics.  Need a better camera.  The vertical fold is very rough and won't flatten out:



As far as the technical issues, I'm sending it to Poster Mountain.  They know what they're doing.

The math works.  I bought it for $200 and I'll put in $200 to fix it.  That's $400.  I can probably sell it for that much - if not more - if I ever want to sell it.  It would probably qualify for the major sales.

Linen-backing will dramatically improve the appearance and I'll probably permanently frame it, so appearance does matter.  Look at the difference with my Blonde Sinner (paid $400 for it already linen-backed, but happen to have the "before" pic):

[marklawd]

Majestic Posters have the same French Line poster for $100 - even less if their 25% discount offer is still valid - although it has a ragged edge this could easily be hidden with framing.

Mark

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Actually I bought my copy from Majestic.  The one for $100 has significant issues - loss of paper, extra vertical fold, tears and loss of paper on folds:

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Here's the latest photo from Poster Mountain of the linen-backing. It looks pretty good but I'm also requesting that the white spots on the body be fixed as well.  So what do y'all think?

[CSM]

I think you should request John make her boobs bigger (on a Howard Hughes-like impulse!)