Good one!
Not trust-fund babies, just idiots. Yes, I truly believe you have to be an idiot to spend 5 times over what a movie poster is worth. Trust me, I know a few extremely rich people, some in my family, and I can tell you that the one thing they all have in common is that they are very astute buyers and investors. They don't get caught in bidding wars. But I don't expect a dealer, or someone who sells posters or makes a living from posters, to agree with me. It's not good business, and I understand that. It's an ongoing argument that I have with some of you on this forum, and I understand where it's coming from.
Well then, I will never have a good poster collection, because I will never sacrifice life over movie posters. Posters come dead last in my discretionary income.
Not just a good one, it's the truth (that he has a brain).
I will agree that the price on the Casablanca seems extremely high and it is unlikely the purchaser will ever be able to resell for a profit, but that may not be a concern for the buyer. I don't pretend to know another person's pocketbook. I will say that as the underbidder on the copy that sold at auction earlier this year, I was prepared to bid higher on this nicer copy but not to such a level (and you forget I don't make my living from posters).
There are absolutely some items I have purchased where I have paid multiples of their worth and will probably never recoup my investment either that I bought for the sheer joy I have from looking at and admiring the piece. The opportunity cost of those dollars for me was best spent in overpaying for a poster.
As long as there is a roof over their family's head, food on the table, and money in the bank for later who cares how someone spends their discretionary dollars? It's does not make them an idiot*.
* with the caveat that we are talking about pieces that rarely, if ever, surface for sale. If someone decides to start paying $5,000 for Star Wars 1-sheets, then yes that person is an idiot.
