All Poster Forum
Movie Posters => General Discussion => Topic started by: holiday on December 28, 2022, 02:10:31 PM
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APF came online on December 14, 2009 -- 13 years ago. Thierry and I started the place because there was a little tyrant running what was then MoviePosterForum.com. What do two posteraholics do when the forum owner pisses them off? They start a new place! devil 2 And, I suspect that since that time, the two of us have probably inspired others to do the same in one way or another. thumbsup.gif For now, here's to 13 years of APF. We've kept it gloriously ad-free all this time, and that's what brought down MPF. Andy monetized it and that was that. It's gone. We keep this place going, paying out of our own pocket (well, I do, Thierry is cheap), and we keep it online as a gift to the community and because it's fun.
I started out as a collector when I was a kid with Pez dispensers, colored paper, and other stuff. My first serious collecting started with Victorian art glass way back in the late 80s, then first edition books around the early 90s. I have an abiding love of both collecting areas. I still like Pez, too. I cannot really recall why I started colleting movie posters. My first was the onesheet for Gladiator. I'm a Ridley Scott fan, and Gladiator is the first movie I ever saw just myself in theaters. For some reason, it made me want a theater poster of it, and that lead me to discovering an entirely new rabbit hole of onesheets, then lightboxes and the concept of double sided onesheets, then Japanese paper, and lobby cards and....
I had a phone conversation with Theirry, probably 7 years ago or so, when I asked, "Thierry, how do you know if you're a hoarder?" He said something like "If you're tripping over them" and then bragged how organized his stuff is (and let me tell you, I've seen it and it is - the guy can put his hands on any poster in his collection in less than 60 seconds, I believe lol). When he said that, I knew in my bones he was spot on, and I knew that I was a hoarder (collecting, after all, is a glorified term for hoarder I've discovered, at least for me lol).
I had boxes of the stuff everywhere. Boxes and tubes. They would fall over like dominos sometimes. Within a few weeks of that conversation, I packed most of it up, and drove it to Bruce's place in West Plains. But, of course I couldn't relinquish all of it. I culled my favorites, and many of my favorites are also quite rare these days. I also held on to most of the folded onesheets and other folded material, lobby cards, the large bus shelters and similar sized posters, Japanese B0s, and, frankly, a ton of stuff. Bruce sold the rest, and I'm sure a lot of you have some of my stuff in your collections. Enjoy ;)
I fell away from the forum, too. Not because of that conversation, but because my younger brother died of alcoholism about the same time, and that really woke me up to a bigger conversation of what I wanted in my life. That's another story....
Here we are now. I'm 58 and working on the retirement plan. There is a little town in North Florida (I live in South Florida) called Micanopy, about 15 minutes south of Gainesville. On the suggestion of a book collecting friend, I drove through it years ago, fell in love with the old town and it's streets lined with Live Oak and Spanish Moss. It's an old place with centuries of history, and knew I would retire there. Earlier this year, we finally bought a house there. After the closing, we drove down the main street (Cholokka Boulevard) and there was a storefront for lease. The greatest looking place, wide and high with huge walls begging to be filled with good stuff. I hadn't been to the office since the Pandemic, so I closed the office down here, and leased the place up there, building it out to be a gallery, as well as my law office. I now have the greatest, biggest, bestest office anyone could ever want!
A lot of you don't know me, so I wanted to take the time and share all of this with you. Part of opening the store is building out a new website, and I've coded it myself (with the help of a few good software tools). It's called Two Parrots Gallery (http://www.twoparrotsgallery.com). I've been slowly adding not just posters, but also books and my own photography, and frankly it will take me about a year to add all of it. But for now, there is enough posted to take the site live. Have a look and if there's anything you're interested in, let me know. This forum is the first place I'm announcing this, so you get the first chance at it all.
Mind you, a lot of this stuff is not cheap, because a lot of it will simply not come around again for a hella long time if at all. It's been salted away for nearly a decade. But, for anyone from APF, let me know that you are and I'll make an adjustment for you depending on what you're interested in :)
And, of course, if you see any errors, typos, or whatnot, I'd appreciate your help debugging the site. You can send an email to TwoParrotsGallery@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.
PS: Bruce once said that all collectors become sellers/dealers. Thierry will use his last breath to deny it, but for me it seems he was right after all these years .
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That was a good read, thanks for sharing, Holiday. I’ve long admired your collection and your taste inspired me quite a lot too (seeing all those cool Japanese posters you had acquired on your old site). Your new site is super too! I just bought something of been after for a long time! So thank you
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That was a good read, thanks for sharing, Holiday. I’ve long admired your collection and your taste inspired me quite a lot too (seeing all those cool Japanese posters you had acquired on your old site). Your new site is super too! I just bought something of been after for a long time! So thank you
Thanks so much, Tob. And I appreciate you and all you do for the forum. There are some of those Japanese that sold that I wince at. The biggest regret is the B1 for Grave of the Fireflies. Someone got an amazing deal on that poster, and it's so very rare. It's the only one that I think of to this day that really haunts me, and the irony is that I haven't watched the film because my daughter tells me how sad it is lol.
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Wow, so much to say here, but no time until after the new year.
All I'll say for now is congrats on everything, great to know you finally opened the gallery, great name and beautiful website. If only I could afford those Kill Bill B1s :( So many great posters there.
I'll call you soon.
NB: Bruce is dead wrong, not all collectors become dealers!!!
Cheers bud!!!
T
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Thanks Boss, see you on the other side!
H
Wow, so much to say here, but no time until after the new year.
All I'll say for now is congrats on everything, great to know you finally opened the gallery, great name and beautiful website. If only I could afford those Kill Bill B1s :( So many great posters there.
I'll call you soon.
NB: Bruce is dead wrong, not all collectors become dealers!!!
Cheers bud!!!
T
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What a great post! Thank you for creating this forum 13 years ago, for me it's been a great source of information as well as a fun way to connect with other collectors even though I only discovered it relatively recently. Also thanks for sharing the story behind your new gallery, the place looks great and your website is fantastic (your photography in particular is beautiful!). Aside from movie posters, I also collect first editions so I can relate to those interests. Best of luck with the store and please keep us posted!
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Nice write up! I'm new enough around these forums, and new enough to poster collecting in general, than a lot of you - I'm sure. But just had to chime in and say I love Micanopy, too! It's such a cool little town and I could see why you'd fall in love with it. I'm from south south Florida originally. But I also spent time growing up in Gainesville, so we've made plenty of trips down to Micanopy. Do you really sell film posters out of a gallery there? That is too cool! Congratulations. My mother and two brothers are still in Gainesville, I will definitely make a trip to visit your gallery the next time I visit home!
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Holiday, I need to slightly correct what you said I said!
I said that "every collector eventually becomes a seller" UNLESS they pass away before they do it, and THEN (99% of the time) ALL their heirs think about is how to most quickly and effortlessly turn the collection into cash!
I will definitely come see you when I next visit Florida!
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Indeed, and as you write it, that's what you said for sure :) Thierry's kids are gonna have a ball lol
H
Holiday, I need to slightly correct what you said I said!
I said that "every collector eventually becomes a seller" UNLESS they pass away before they do it, and THEN (99% of the time) ALL their heirs think about is how to most quickly and effortlessly turn the collection into cash!
I will definitely come see you when I next visit Florida!
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Well, you know Micanopy, they look good but don't really sell much. It'll be online where much of that occurs. But the amazing walls - about 15 feet high, are quite a canvas to work on. Next time you're around make sure you stop in!
Holiday
Nice write up! I'm new enough around these forums, and new enough to poster collecting in general, than a lot of you - I'm sure. But just had to chime in and say I love Micanopy, too! It's such a cool little town and I could see why you'd fall in love with it. I'm from south south Florida originally. But I also spent time growing up in Gainesville, so we've made plenty of trips down to Micanopy. Do you really sell film posters out of a gallery there? That is too cool! Congratulations. My mother and two brothers are still in Gainesville, I will definitely make a trip to visit your gallery the next time I visit home!
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Thanks for that. All are welcome here :) And thanks for the kind words about the photography. It's where my heart really is!
Holiday
What a great post! Thank you for creating this forum 13 years ago, for me it's been a great source of information as well as a fun way to connect with other collectors even though I only discovered it relatively recently. Also thanks for sharing the story behind your new gallery, the place looks great and your website is fantastic (your photography in particular is beautiful!). Aside from movie posters, I also collect first editions so I can relate to those interests. Best of luck with the store and please keep us posted!
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Congratulations, Holiday! Such great news! I know Micanopy well from back in my motorcycle riding days when I lived in Florida. There was Doc Hollywood and now there is JD Holiday! I'll look forward to visiting you one of these days. I hope there is still a pig to be walked? Okie
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Thanks! You know, there’s a scene in Doc Hollywood where he walks right past what is now my store. It was super cool to see that. The pig, I fear, may have moved on :)
Congratulations, Holiday! Such great news! I know Micanopy well from back in my motorcycle riding days when I lived in Florida. There was Doc Hollywood and now there is JD Holiday! I'll look forward to visiting you one of these days. I hope there is still a pig to be walked? Okie
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NB: Bruce is dead wrong, not all collectors become dealers!!!
T
In your case I DO believe the only way they will get your collection from you is to pry it from your cold, dead hands!
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In your case I DO believe the only way they will get your collection from you is to pry it from your cold, dead hands!
Nah, my kids will sell it all. My son wants to keep the Star Wars collection, but the rest doesn't interest them in the slightest. My wife's work in video games is way more their speed. I can't blame them.
T
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APF came online on December 14, 2009 -- 13 years ago. Thierry and I started the place because there was a little tyrant running what was then MoviePosterForum.com. What do two posteraholics do when the forum owner pisses them off? They start a new place! devil 2 And, I suspect that since that time, the two of us have probably inspired others to do the same in one way or another. thumbsup.gif For now, here's to 13 years of APF. We've kept it gloriously ad-free all this time, and that's what brought down MPF. Andy monetized it and that was that. It's gone. We keep this place going, paying out of our own pocket (well, I do, Thierry is cheap), and we keep it online as a gift to the community and because it's fun.
I started out as a collector when I was a kid with Pez dispensers, colored paper, and other stuff. My first serious collecting started with Victorian art glass way back in the late 80s, then first edition books around the early 90s. I have an abiding love of both collecting areas. I still like Pez, too. I cannot really recall why I started colleting movie posters. My first was the onesheet for Gladiator. I'm a Ridley Scott fan, and Gladiator is the first movie I ever saw just myself in theaters. For some reason, it made me want a theater poster of it, and that lead me to discovering an entirely new rabbit hole of onesheets, then lightboxes and the concept of double sided onesheets, then Japanese paper, and lobby cards and....
I had a phone conversation with Theirry, probably 7 years ago or so, when I asked, "Thierry, how do you know if you're a hoarder?" He said something like "If you're tripping over them" and then bragged how organized his stuff is (and let me tell you, I've seen it and it is - the guy can put his hands on any poster in his collection in less than 60 seconds, I believe lol). When he said that, I knew in my bones he was spot on, and I knew that I was a hoarder (collecting, after all, is a glorified term for hoarder I've discovered, at least for me lol).
I had boxes of the stuff everywhere. Boxes and tubes. They would fall over like dominos sometimes. Within a few weeks of that conversation, I packed most of it up, and drove it to Bruce's place in West Plains. But, of course I couldn't relinquish all of it. I culled my favorites, and many of my favorites are also quite rare these days. I also held on to most of the folded onesheets and other folded material, lobby cards, the large bus shelters and similar sized posters, Japanese B0s, and, frankly, a ton of stuff. Bruce sold the rest, and I'm sure a lot of you have some of my stuff in your collections. Enjoy ;)
I fell away from the forum, too. Not because of that conversation, but because my younger brother died of alcoholism about the same time, and that really woke me up to a bigger conversation of what I wanted in my life. That's another story....
Here we are now. I'm 58 and working on the retirement plan. There is a little town in North Florida (I live in South Florida) called Micanopy, about 15 minutes south of Gainesville. On the suggestion of a book collecting friend, I drove through it years ago, fell in love with the old town and it's streets lined with Live Oak and Spanish Moss. It's an old place with centuries of history, and knew I would retire there. Earlier this year, we finally bought a house there. After the closing, we drove down the main street (Cholokka Boulevard) and there was a storefront for lease. The greatest looking place, wide and high with huge walls begging to be filled with good stuff. I hadn't been to the office since the Pandemic, so I closed the office down here, and leased the place up there, building it out to be a gallery, as well as my law office. I now have the greatest, biggest, bestest office anyone could ever want!
A lot of you don't know me, so I wanted to take the time and share all of this with you. Part of opening the store is building out a new website, and I've coded it myself (with the help of a few good software tools). It's called Two Parrots Gallery (http://www.twoparrotsgallery.com). I've been slowly adding not just posters, but also books and my own photography, and frankly it will take me about a year to add all of it. But for now, there is enough posted to take the site live. Have a look and if there's anything you're interested in, let me know. This forum is the first place I'm announcing this, so you get the first chance at it all.
Mind you, a lot of this stuff is not cheap, because a lot of it will simply not come around again for a hella long time if at all. It's been salted away for nearly a decade. But, for anyone from APF, let me know that you are and I'll make an adjustment for you depending on what you're interested in :)
And, of course, if you see any errors, typos, or whatnot, I'd appreciate your help debugging the site. You can send an email to TwoParrotsGallery@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.
PS: Bruce once said that all collectors become sellers/dealers. Thierry will use his last breath to deny it, but for me it seems he was right after all these years .
Congratulations, Holiday! The site looks absolutely fantastic! I used to spend hours browsing through your old online gallery and reading the little note you put for every single poster, even though my OCD kept telling me to stop because the title of the webpage was something like “1.html”.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Thanks, Chengbo. That's funny! I've gotten a little better at building a website for sure, but those were fun days, too! I still add a lot of descriptions as you can see (at least, to most of them). It's a labor of love, for sure. I'm glad you enjoy the site :)
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a little tyrant running what was then MoviePosterForum.com.
I miss Peanut. Whatever happened to him.
Jason.
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Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I bestowed that name upon him back in the NSFGE days.
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I said that "every collector eventually becomes a seller" UNLESS they pass away before they do it, and THEN (99% of the time) ALL their heirs think about is how to most quickly and effortlessly turn the collection into cash!
This. My wife. Eyes me, all weird-like, all the time. Asks weird questions about "what's this one, that one worth?" Asks about my work insurance policy? :-\
Congrats Holiday on the dream storefront. Very enticing. I'm 44 but sounds like we're looking for the same thing, hope i get there before 60.
Thanks to you and T for the website!
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Those were some good times! I haven't heard from or about Ari in a long time now. Does anyone know if he's ok?
And Peanut, I don't know at all. Somewhere, he just dumped MPF and that was that. To be fare, I really didn't keep up with him back when we were on MPF. He was a little bit of a douche, but then again, so am I lol.
Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I bestowed that name upon him back in the NSFGE days.
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This. My wife. Eyes me, all weird-like, all the time. Asks weird questions about "what's this one, that one worth?" Asks about my work insurance policy? :-\
Congrats Holiday on the dream storefront. Very enticing. I'm 44 but sounds like we're looking for the same thing, hope i get there before 60.
Thanks to you and T for the website!
Thanks, buddy. I don't even get that. I used to get something like another tube? eyeroll
Now I get, "you don't need anything else for the store" lol
Sounds like your wife has her eye on the ball, my friend lol
H
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Very cool, H. Good to see the new website similar to the old days. You inspired some of my humble collection and it's cool to see your stuff online again. On one of my future road trips I'll message you to see about visiting the gallery.
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Very cool, H. Good to see the new website similar to the old days. You inspired some of my humble collection and it's cool to see your stuff online again. On one of my future road trips I'll message you to see about visiting the gallery.
Thanks Neo! Anytime. Just let me know!
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What an interesting update Holiday. You'll never be bored in your retirement, that's for sure. I have to say your photographs are fantastic.
It's great that you add personal notes about your posters too. One thing I'm prompted to ask is how relevant do you think the distinction between single-sided and double-sided posters is today? Back in the day we placed great weight on seeking out the rarer double-sided versions for a particular title - Donnie Darko, Shawshank Redemption, Goodfellas etc - and I'm curious whether that is still important to collectors. It is to me.
Mark
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Hi Mark,
Thanks a lot for your kind words, especially on the photography. That part is a real stretch for me, putting it out there.
I started posting just the posters but could not help myself to add comments to some, and then ended up adding to most of them lol. And it was quite a journey researching some of them for the comments. I learned a lot!
Double sided is ALWAUS the way to go, for me personally. And, without doubt there are some posters which are just more rare as DS versions a la Donnie Darko, Lost in Translation and so many others. And, I have four light boxes up and running in the store - one each for bus shelters, onesheets, Japanese B1s and quads. There is nothing better than seeing them lit up like that. DS onesheets were and remain my first love.
That’s just me though. It’s a great question and I’m curious what others think.
Happy new year everyone!
Holiday
What an interesting update Holiday. You'll never be bored in your retirement, that's for sure. I have to say your photographs are fantastic.
It's great that you add personal notes about your posters too. One thing I'm prompted to ask is how relevant do you think the distinction between single-sided and double-sided posters is today? Back in the day we placed great weight on seeking out the rarer double-sided versions for a particular title - Donnie Darko, Shawshank Redemption, Goodfellas etc - and I'm curious whether that is still important to collectors. It is to me.
Mark
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It’s a great question and I’m curious what others think.
DS, of course.
Great question, and one that I'd like to expend, even though it is the wrong thread. I personally have a very clear set of rules when it comes to US stuff.
1) Some wear on posters pre 1980
2) Extremely minimal wear on posters post 1980
3) No wear at all on posters post 1990 (mint posters exist for every title so there is absolutely no reasons to purchase anything less than mint)
4) No folded posters post 1984
5) No single sided poster post 1990 (except for a few rare titles that do not exist DS, some independents of course) 1988's Biloxi Blues was the first DS poster.
6) No pinholes on lobby cards ever, older or newer. I’m so glad Bruce makes a clear distinction, that helps a lot. I never buy lobby cards in good/very good condition.
7) Only complete sets of lobbies. Most titles are impossible to find as sets when it comes to older ones, but I did manage to get mint sets for more recent titles like Vertigo, Rope, Laura, Notorious...
That's it, I think.
Are there pictures of the inside of the gallery, Holiday? I'd love to c your setup.
T
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I like Thierry’s list a lot. Everyone finds their bounds outside of which they won’t buy. It’s a great day to make it manageable otherwise you’re like a dervish grabbing it all.
I’ll be at the store this weekend and I’ll post some pics. Gonna put up some reels on IG too and when I get there I’ll love the support in getting social up and running :)
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Good list, Thierry.
I am curious why you hate pinholes so much on lobby cards. That always seemed like the flaw of least concern to me, especially when considering paper earlier than 1950. I like the "theater used" aspect, without it messing with the aesthetics of the card at all.
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Congrats Holiday, mad respect for anyone that tries to operate a brick -n- mortar of any kind anymore, though I like the aspect of it doubling as a law office, would certainly be curious to know what clients think when they come in.
Steve Kronenberg was the attorney that first gave me inspiration that my office could contain more than frames of diplomas, bar admissions, and verdicts (and he was another fellow South Florida guy). Walking into his office and seeing the beautiful French King Kong, War of the Worlds half sheet, Bride of Frankenstein, and so many others totally inspired me to redo all of my walls.
Definitely going to try and make a trip to see your place next time I am in town.
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Good list, Thierry.
I am curious why you hate pinholes so much on lobby cards. That always seemed like the flaw of least concern to me, especially when considering paper earlier than 1950. I like the "theater used" aspect, without it messing with the aesthetics of the card at all.
I'd say it's just a matter of preference. I do not care if a poster has been used or not, they all come from the same place so it makes no difference to me. Pinholes really bother me, on posters and especially on lobbies, because they are much smaller. I like everything in mint condition. Like I said, a matter of preference.
T
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I had a phone conversation with Theirry, probably 7 years ago or so, when I asked, "Thierry, how do you know if you're a hoarder?" He said something like "If you're tripping over them" and then bragged how organized his stuff is (and let me tell you, I've seen it and it is - the guy can put his hands on any poster in his collection in less than 60 seconds, I believe lol). When he said that, I knew in my bones he was spot on, and I knew that I was a hoarder (collecting, after all, is a glorified term for hoarder I've discovered, at least for me lol).
Yes, I remember this conversation well, although I thought we had it while hiking the Hollywood hills.
It is extremely important to me that my hobby does not invade my personal space. At least out of respect for my wife and kids who could not care less about it. Like I said multiple times before, I have 2 posters hanging at my house, I rotate them once or twice a year, and any visitor would be hard pressed to know that I collect paper. I like it that way. Many of my longtime friends do not know I collect because I do not talk about it. I do not talk about it on social media either, I never post my collection anywhere, except on this forum because that's what this place is for. It is a hobby, it is my hobby anf I like to keep it under wraps. To each his own I guess. Obviously, organization is what it's all about. A poster comes in and it is filled immediately. Out of sight, out of mind. I have my website to see that it exists.
T
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Yes, I remember this conversation well, although I thought we had it while hiking the Hollywood hills.
It is extremely important to me that my hobby does not invade my personal space. At least out of respect for my wife and kids who could not care less about it. Like I said multiple times before, I have 2 posters hanging at my house, I rotate them once or twice a year, and any visitor would be hard pressed to know that I collect paper. I like it that way. Many of my longtime friends do not know I collect because I do not talk about it. I do not talk about it on social media either, I never post my collection anywhere, except on this forum because that's what this place is for. It is a hobby, it is my hobby anf I like to keep it under wraps. To each his own I guess. Obviously, organization is what it's all about. A poster comes in and it is filled immediately. Out of sight, out of mind. I have my website to see that it exists.
T
That's a really interesting way to go about it. I can't imagine having so many posters and not having them up on a wall or talking about it with friends if it comes up in conversation! Although my fiance doesn't collect posters like I do I'm lucky enough that he shares my love for the films and allows me to cover the walls with them! The dream is to someday own a home large enough to hang up as many posters as possible!
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It’s definitely wonderful to have some big walls to display a lot of them.