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I used to buy a TON from dealers (from 1982 until 2002 or so) but in recent years I buy very, very, little.
So I am truly unfamiliar with most of the top dealers, in terms of price and service.
I see lots of threads on who gives good and bad service, but I am curious.
Which full-time major dealers (among those who give good service and don't sell repros) have the HIGHEST prices overall, and which have the LOWEST prices overall.
Of course, auctions don't count, because the bidders set the prices (at least they do in honest auctions!).
So how about some names? It might help newer collectors quite a bit.
Bruce
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My guess would be that Cinemasterpieces & Posteritati would be at the high end. Good luck trying to get collectors to divulge their low priced "go to" dealers. Nothing shuts them up and turns them into Golem, protecting their "precious", faster than that
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Good luck trying to get collectors to divulge their low priced "go to" dealers. Nothing shuts them up and turns them into Golem, protecting their "precious", faster than that
laugh1
I have seen that pattern :P
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Posterati is not all that bad when they run their sales. I have bought from them a few times when they have sales.
I have never bought anything from Cinemasterpieces but I think I will start looking into his auctions. It would be nice if he would runs a sale every now and then...hint...hint...
Cj
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Essentially anything on Cinemasterpieces will have the highest priced posters you can find on the web. $65 for a trash poster, $255 for a mildly popular one, and over a thousand if the poster is sought after.
When it comes to low end prices, there are a lot of them. The biggest problem is these dealers never have what I want. I have fifteen dealer websites bookmarked that I've picked up from lurking MoPo and this forum and every time there's a new poster I want I give them a check. Unfortunately, they never have what I'm looking for. Ever. :(
I've only bought a very small handful of posters from dealers. Everything else has always come from eBay, which in my opinion is the cheapest you will ever find your paper.
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Benito in Spain, always has extremely high prices. He always has posters as BIN on Ebay. He has a lot of beautiful and vintage, foreign material for US titles but a buyer will pay the price handsomely.
Dominique Besson also weighs heavily on the higher priced end of the scale. Again, beautiful and often rare items, but there have been times I have cross checked with other dealers on an identical poster. Dominique is usually much higher. But a good and knowledgeable dealer, notwithstanding.
Jeff
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Posterati all the way. I have never bought from them, and never will. Anyone who charges that much for what is essentially free printed advertisement is a thief in my book. What makes me sick is to see these crooks bid and win posters at your auctions, Bruce, when you know they will be reselling the same items for 5 times what they paid. Truly despicable.
T
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In answering this we first have to qualify "major, "honest" and "dealer"...
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Well, I'm the son of an art dealer. Actually, my family has been in the art dealing business since 1840. So I have met a lot, A LOT of art dealers in my life. My dad was honest, to the best of my knowledge, his partner was not. In general, Dealer and Honest do not belong together. Personally, I do not see Bruce has a dealer, since he lets the market speak. A dealer, in my book, is someone who buys something with the intent to resale it and make a profit. So far, so good. What really bothers me is when the so-called profit are ridiculously beefed up and buyers are taken advantage of. Which is what Posterati does.
T
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Well, I'm the son of an art dealer. Actually, my family has been in the art dealing business since 1840. So I have met a lot, A LOT of art dealers in my life. My dad was honest, to the best of my knowledge, his partner was not. In general, Dealer and Honest do not belong together. Personally, I do not see Bruce has a dealer, since he lets the market speak. A dealer, in my book, is someone who buys something with the intent to resale it and make a profit. So far, so good.
What really bothers me is when the so-called profit are ridiculously beefed up and buyers are taken advantage of.
T
Based on that comment, T, Cinemasterpieces would also have to be included; discussions of his "high, beefed up" prices have been the subject of discussion or commentary both here and on NSFGE on many occasions.
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laugh1
I have seen that pattern :P
When it comes to low end prices, there are a lot of them. The biggest problem is these dealers never have what I want. I have fifteen dealer websites bookmarked that I've picked up from lurking MoPo and this forum and every time there's a new poster I want I give them a check. Unfortunately, they never have what I'm looking for. Ever. :(
And I think we are seeing it again .. wanna share the 15 or so site you have bookmarked ? :)
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T - by your own admission, you get most of your gear for free anyway.
Everyone has to make a living. If you don't like it, no problem, but from you said it shows you don't understand.
If Posterati charges x amount for a poster, and CineMasterpieces charges x amount for the same poster, but Joe Bloggs charges a cheaper amount for the same poster, then logic prevails in buying from Joe Bloggs. However, dealer experience (communication), dealer knowledge, dealer/seller regard and dealer clientele are all factors that come into play - and you must remember, a lot of the dealers who have 'high' prices sell from bricks and mortar, not just the internet.
I for one am becoming increasingly preferred to Bruce's auctions and the Heritage Auctions as opposed to ebay and the like.
Sure ebay can be a hell of a lot cheaper, but listen, Bruce & Heritage know how to talk to their customers; they also know how to package items.
I received a poster last week that I won on ebay. The seller is a major collector, so you would think the packaging would be pretty good, right? Wrong. Poster bunged into tube with nothing else. The poster was mint; now, the edges are damaged.
I find there is much less hassle involved with Bruce and Heritage, and dealers, compared to ebay.
The movie studios don't buy from ebay; most buy from Christies (probably the most expensive).
My point being that if someone wants to buy from Bruce, Heritage, Christies, Posterati or CineMasterpieces, then what's the problem?
The sellers don't force the public to buy - rather the buyers purchase from where they feel most comfortable.
As far as I am aware, Bruce is a dealer.
Correct me if I am wrong, Bruce, but don't you sell your own posters direct from the website?
And have your own archive?
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T - by your own admission, you get most of your gear for free anyway.
Everyone has to make a living. If you don't like it, no problem, but from you said it shows you don't understand.
If Posterati charges x amount for a poster, and CineMasterpieces charges x amount for the same poster, but Joe Bloggs charges a cheaper amount for the same poster, then logic prevails in buying from Joe Bloggs. However, dealer experience (communication), dealer knowledge, dealer/seller regard and dealer clientele are all factors that come into play - and you must remember, a lot of the dealers who have 'high' prices sell from bricks and mortar, not just the internet.
I for one am becoming increasingly preferred to Bruce's auctions and the Heritage Auctions as opposed to ebay and the like.
Sure ebay can be a hell of a lot cheaper, but listen, Bruce & Heritage know how to talk to their customers; they also know how to package items.
I received a poster last week that I won on ebay. The seller is a major collector, so you would think the packaging would be pretty good, right? Wrong. Poster bunged into tube with nothing else. The poster was mint; now, the edges are damaged.
I find there is much less hassle involved with Bruce and Heritage, and dealers, compared to ebay.
The movie studios don't buy from ebay; most buy from Christies (probably the most expensive).
My point being that if someone wants to buy from Bruce, Heritage, Christies, Posterati or CineMasterpieces, then what's the problem?
The sellers don't force the public to buy - rather the buyers purchase from where they feel most comfortable.
As far as I am aware, Bruce is a dealer.
Correct me if I am wrong, Bruce, but don't you sell your own posters direct from the website?
And have your own archive?
My only argument in this case would be that the top end dealers with the highest prices prey on certain types of buyers .. Ones where money is not an issue they want a simple, fast and trusted dealer to buy from and dont mind paying for those services. BUT, then on the other hand Ive seen many times where a new collector stumbled upon Daves site and bought a poster thinking that a poster from the 70s/80s would be hard to come by .. Just to realize after being in the hobby for a little while that they are every where and about 75%+ cheaper than what they paid .. "a lesson learned the hard way" and then you have the casual buyer that just wants one or two for a movie room .. and its the same scenario as the new collector except they dont learn that they over paid so they go on assuming that the poster is worth $1,000 and is still appreciating :P So in a way they take advantage of the lazy and the uninformed .. and as proven in this thread once again buyers will warn you against bad sellers but seem to refuse to share the good ones (as far as low prices are concerned) with the masses.
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I just realized I wrote "Golem" instead of "Gollum", for feck's sake(http://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/doh2.gif)
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I just realized I wrote "Golem" instead of "Gollum", for feck's sake(http://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/doh2.gif)
laugh1
My only argument in this case would be that the top end dealers with the highest prices prey on certain types of buyers ..
I don't believe those sellers prey on anyone.
The buyer approaches them, right?
.. and as proven in this thread once again buyers will warn you against bad sellers but seem to refuse to share the good ones (as far as low prices are concerned) with the masses.
I buy privately most of the time, so the good sellers and dealers I know of have already been discussed on this forum by others on more than one occasion.
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I am totally with Adam on this one.
Actually, new people coming in are likely to stumble upon ebay or one of the repro houses first. Posterati or Cinamasterpieces is going to be a shock to the casual collector.
That said, they have their place. So does Bruce. So does the ebay swamp.
I buy almost exclusively from Bruce because I am willing to bid a bit more with the confidence that I am going to get exactly what is advertised, that it will be authentic, that it is going to arrive in the same condition as it was shipped, and that there are no hidden fees, hassles or gotchas. When it gets too pricey, I drop out, but that is fully my decision.
(Edit: also, I don't have the time or inclination to search out every poster I am interested in for forgeries/reproductions, so I also pay a premium for Bruce's reputation to do that work for me)
I don't think the folks who buy from Cinemasterpieces or Posterati are collectors. My guess is that they are corporate, decorators, and individuals who are looking for 1 or 2 pieces that are perfect and which can be mounted with no apologies. They are not interested in theater used, linen backing or any of the geek stuff we talk about. They just want the best with a minimum of hassle. The point is that they are not us, and we don't tend to be customers.
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I buy almost exclusively from Bruce because I am willing to bid a bit more with the confidence that I am going to get exactly what is advertised, that it will be authentic, that it is going to arrive in the same condition as it was shipped, and that there are no hidden fees, hassles or gotchas
+1
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And I think we are seeing it again .. wanna share the 15 or so site you have bookmarked ? :)
;D
Unfortunately I only have one reasonably priced dealer that I trust enough to mention and he gets mentioned here quite often.
The others are either mid priced or have been mentioned as bad sellers so Im not going there.
Like I have said in other threads I have over payed for quite a few of my posters. Not dave over pay, as thank God I researched a little before going crazy, but still could have gotten far too many of my posters for less.
That is why I mentioned that pattern. Going through all the threads, it was hard as hell finding some of the mid level price guys that I could trust. With my paranoia I still dont really trust anyone 100% :P
P.s> I am still a newb at 18 months so I am not the first guy who should be recommending dealers.
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I buy almost exclusively from Bruce because I am willing to bid a bit more with the confidence that I am going to get exactly what is advertised, that it will be authentic, that it is going to arrive in the same condition as it was shipped, and that there are no hidden fees, hassles or gotchas
+1
Include me in that...
I have bought 50%+ from emovie for those reasons.
Then when you see the high priced guys bidding there its classic. :D
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With my paranoia I still dont really trust anyone 100%
It's the Greek in you lol
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And I think we are seeing it again .. wanna share the 15 or so site you have bookmarked ? :)
I tried to conduct a pretty exhaustive search at one point... My "dealer" sub-folder in my list of poster bookmarks has 69 entries! I think I've bought from and/or sold to about 7 of them.
They run the gamut from the Walmarts to the Barneys.
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I do use Dave's site to convince my wife what a Great "deal or steal", I got on a poster. ;D
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I do use Dave's site to convince my wife what a Great "deal or steal", I got on a poster. ;D
laugh1 cheers
Have actually done that with gf ;D
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It's the Greek in you lol
qip
And proud of it!
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I do use Dave's site to convince my wife what a Great "deal or steal", I got on a poster. ;D
I do that all the time as well... but in my case I've actually sold a few pieces through his site and have been the beneficiary of those prices!
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I tried to conduct a pretty exhaustive search at one point... My "dealer" sub-folder in my list of poster bookmarks has 69 entries! I think I've bought from and/or sold to about 7 of them.
They run the gamut from the Walmarts to the Barneys.
Before I came here, I would spend my days off when I had nothing better to do clicking through dozens of Google results looking for hidden little retailers. I actually found a handful of really great ones that I have bought a few posters from, but that was back when I really didn't know what I was looking for. But for the most part, the websites I've found leave a lot to be desired.
Interestingly, a lot of the dealers all have marquees on their websites saying they'll be adding thousands of new posters very soon or they'll be redesigning their web site in the near future. I've yet to see any of this happen, though.
I've also found a bunch of websites that have been completely abandoned. One specifically I ordered from because the poster was a steal but it never came. They never answered me e-mails and my phone calls would never go through. Eventually Paypal stepped in and gave me my money back, but they never reached them either. The website was still there, and rather nice, but all the people had disappeared...
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Lots of talk about high prices, but who's going to start the opposite end... will anyone reveal their best Bargain dealers. pcorn
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Yes, come on Paul - you must know one or two! ;D
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T - by your own admission, you get most of your gear for free anyway.
Everyone has to make a living. If you don't like it, no problem, but from you said it shows you don't understand.
Thank you Adam for your great knowledge. Your wisdom is always appreciated.
clap
T
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Based on that comment, T, Cinemasterpieces would also have to be included;
Yes, I'd include Cinemasterpieces. The only difference I see here is that Dave runs a very informative website that can be very helpful to newbies, while the other guys don't contribute for shit. So for that, I'd give Dave a higher grade.
There is a dealer by my house. I stopped by last week and was floored to see posters I already owned on display for 10x the price I paid. Then I looked on the wall and saw a few linenbacked French posters. One of them was a Diamond Are Forever 47x63in. Asking price: $700. Printer: SA Lalande Courbet. Now, SA Lalande was active between 1983 and 1986. This poster was an 80s re-release. I told the owner that the original is probably worth $100 (and that's pushing), while this one is not worth the toilet paper I wipe with, let along $700. I didn't really say it like this, but you get my point. The owner couldn't care less. She told me that people don't care, they see the poster, they like it, they buy it, the end. Would she tell them it's an original? Sure. Since it's not a reprint, she wouldn't be lying. Would she mention it's a re-release? Probably not. And thus someone will end up with a $700 piece of linen on their wall.
My beef with all this is that I believe it is our job, as semi seasoned collectors, to let people know that there are other choices. A lot of lurkers on these forums. If anything, I want them to know that they will be paying a lot more at Posteritati that they would at Jerry Ohlinger's shop, or anywhere else for that matter. Both are dealers. One is making an honest living, the other one is a crook. Forums are meant to help and educate, and I'm always ready to expose people who take advantage of others.
T
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Forums are meant to help and educate, and I'm always ready to expose people who take advantage of others.
T
I'll have to say that one of the best things I've been able to take from this forum is who NOT to buy posters from. Before APF my gauge of what a poster is worth was always fair at best, but knowing who is a poor dealer and why has really helped solidify me as an educated buyer. This forum has saved me a lot of money, made sure the money I do spend goes to the right people, and that I'm not getting some cheap reprint.
I'm very thankful for that.
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My answer to the question, would be...in no particular order,...
emovieposter.com
thumbup
Stew
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My beef with all this is that I believe it is our job, as semi seasoned collectors, to let people know that there are other choices. A lot of lurkers on these forums. If anything, I want them to know that they will be paying a lot more at Posteritati that they would at Jerry Ohlinger's shop, or anywhere else for that matter. Both are dealers. One is making an honest living, the other one is a crook. Forums are meant to help and educate, and I'm always ready to expose people who take advantage of others.
T
Educate, possibly. Preach, never.
Do you frequent other, semi-related sites? I spend a fair amount of time on AVSForums.com and satelliteguys.us. Both sites are full of folks who are way up the curve on building home theaters. If you look over in the AVS room construction area, you will see some absolutely spectacular movie palaces. A large percentage include posters in their theaters, entryways or in the associated bars and gamerooms.
Do they care about originality? Not a chance. They all want something from the latest action/adventure movie that will look good on the wall. Often they opt for 11x17 reproductionsbecause they work better with the aesthewtics or acoustics of the room. The few times I have tried to suggest that someone put something different and original on that wall, it is met with a blank stare.
To further emphasize, one of the recent hot threads was how to take a poster and have it printed on acoustic transparent fabric so it could be used as part of the sound treatment.
These folks aren't idiots, and they are careful craftsmen, but their passion is not collecting genuine material, even though we share a love of movies.
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Often they opt for 11x17 reproductionsbecause they work better with the aesthewtics or acoustics of the room.
I would be grateful if you could expand on this point you made.
Stew
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Welcome back Holmes... ;)
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I would be grateful if you could expand on this point you made.
Stew
Sure. To these guys, a poster is a poster. An 11x17" repro of Gone With the Wind is the same as having an original 1 sheet. It is often preferred because it can be fit on a column in the theater. It can also be placed on top of a larger acoustic panel and not affect the sound damping qualities of that panel, where a 1 sheet would present a larger hard reflective surface. Their primary goal is to accurately reproduce the theater experience, and the poster is a small but necessary part of it. Existence of a poster is important, authenticity, not so much.
Edit: I find it interesting that many of them will spend hundreds to get the frame right and then balk at spending more than $10 on the poster.
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Thanks Jayn..if the room or theatre is properly EQ`d,there should be no issues regarding reflective anomolies..but i do agree with your point regards looks over original posters.
Stew
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I guess when push comes to shove, few people want to share their "secret sources", even with buddies.
Well, here's two personal experiences:
1) Dave Rosen, Posteropolis Vintage Movie Posters, http://www.posteropolis.com: Dave advertises his stuff on MoPo. Several times I have seen him list new items, and one or more appealed to me, and I found his price fair (as was his shipping), and I went to his site and ordered in a minute or two. I got the items quickly and well packed, and found them accurately described. I highly recommend him!
2) Dale Dilts, regular poster on forums. I have not bought from him, but have read testimonials to how fair his prices are, how wide his selection his, and how he accurately describes everyone. More importantly, I have NEVER read a single negative comment on him!
Can anyone else recommend ANYONE else?
Bruce
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I think also its good to remember, if you have a "relationship" with a dealer/dealers, it can be very rewarding.
Good dealers in any area will look after their good customers, with price, and heads up on new items that might be of interest. With information and knowledge. Or just for a chat.
For example, people know what I collect by now. Theres been some dealers over the years I've asked if they ever et any Aussie hammer stuff let me know. Dealers who I was in fairly regular contact with (me buying). Only to se an elusive hammer poster listed on ebay by them.
THEN there are others who email me, ARI I THINK YOU HAVE THIS BUT JUST IN CASE I GOT DAYBILL X, IF YOU WANT IT LMK, OR ILL LIST ON EBAY.
Thats a dealer, and I dont expect EVERY DEALER to look out for EVERY BUYER, but when you form a relationship of trust both ways, its bloody good (both ways)
And no Rich I don't have sex with dealers.
And yes Dave at Posteropolis has some good prices (for the buyer).
OH and I might add, Dave also is someone who after I made an order, came along and JUST found something I might like, which I did and bought.
Works for me and him.
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Can anyone else recommend ANYONE else?
Im not an expert on pricing as I seem to usually over pay ( still moron1), so you cant count on me there but I can recommend Hideyuki as someone that is reasonable, very easy to deal with, ships very quickly and has great packaging.
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Yeah, Hideyuki is great. I'm just tired of Japan's high shipping fees. I'm sure what just happened is not going to help.
BTW, Hideyuki, if you read this, I hope you're okay. I don't pray, but I'm thinking of you, my friend.
T
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T,
Here's just one current example of an item currently offered by Cinemasterpieces. Price: $12,995.00. :o
Last July, a copy of this same insert sold at Heritage's July, 2010 auction for $4,481.25, and that price included the 19.5% BP. (Question: Is this the same copy, by chance)? If it is, would you not agree that tacking on $8500.00 eight months later is more than excessive (and I am basing this question on your initial comments about Posteritati buying something, then flipping it & charging X times more)?
And even if this is another copy (but i would think these are pretty rare), that price is VERY high, considering what the other sold for, just last year.
(And yes, I do know that sellers and dealers can charge whatever they like. I am just presenting this example and asking, based on the context of parts of this thread. :) )
(http://images.ha.com/lf?source=url%5bfile%3aimages%2finetpub%2fnewnames%2f300%2f5%2f6%2f3%2f8%2f5638073.jpg%5d%2ccontinueonerror%5btrue%5d&scale=size%5b450x2000%5d%2coptions%5blimit%5d&source=url%5bfile%3aimages%2finetpub%2fwebuse%2fno_image_available.gif%5d%2cif%5b%28%27global.source.error%27%29%5d&sink=preservemd%5btrue%5d)
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Jeff, you forgot to mention that there are WAYYYYY more spectacular posters out there that can be had for $13,000 (and are maybe even worth it!)
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T,
Here's just one current example of an item currently offered by Cinemasterpieces. Price: $12,995.00. :o
Last July, a copy of this same insert sold at Heritage's July, 2010 auction for $4,481.25, and that price included the 19.5% BP. (Question: Is this the same copy, by chance)? If it is, would you not agree that tacking on $8500.00 eight months later is more than excessive (and I am basing this question on your initial comments about Posteritati buying something, then flipping it & charging X times more)?
And even if this is another copy (but i would think these are pretty rare), that price is VERY high, considering what the other sold for, just last year.
(And yes, I do know that sellers and dealers can charge whatever they like. I am just presenting this example and asking, based on the context of parts of this thread. :) )
I don't get your point Erik. I agree that Cinemasterpieces is outrageously overpriced - need I bring back "Pretty Woman" :) But Dave at least participates to the discussion and brings a lot of expertise to the table. Plus, like I said, he runs a very informative website. Posteritati doesn't do any of the above and charges more. So if I had to chose between 2 evils, I'd go with Dave.
T
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I don't know much about Dave and his customer service as I have never bought anything from him. Maybe I will one day.
However, I do know that Posteritati, whether you talk to them on the phone or in person, the staff there is more than willing to help you out, no matter the price of the poster you intend to buy. I know T. and maybe some others may not like the prices they charge for their stuff and they can be a bit high, but the customer service is outstanding. I know they put on a bunch of local poster shows and Sam Sarowitz has published a book or two. Just know from my experience, their prices are not set in stone.
Do you guys recall Mel buying a Planet Terror one sheet for $75.00 (or Less) from Jerry's and then after he posted it up here on the site, Jerrys price immediately went up to around $150 - 200.00 (cant recall the exact amount). In my opinion, thats bull shit but its the way the business goes. It does no good complaining about what dealers charge. It is their business, and they have lasted this long charging the prices they have, whether it is on the low end of the price scale or the high end. Some will support them and some wont.
Cj
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I guess when push comes to shove, few people want to share their "secret sources", even with buddies.
Well, here's two personal experiences:
1) Dave Rosen, Posteropolis Vintage Movie Posters, http://www.posteropolis.com: Dave advertises his stuff on MoPo. Several times I have seen him list new items, and one or more appealed to me, and I found his price fair (as was his shipping), and I went to his site and ordered in a minute or two. I got the items quickly and well packed, and found them accurately described. I highly recommend him!
2) Dale Dilts, regular poster on forums. I have not bought from him, but have read testimonials to how fair his prices are, how wide his selection his, and how he accurately describes everyone. More importantly, I have NEVER read a single negative comment on him!
Can anyone else recommend ANYONE else?
Bruce
Good honest dealers, both. Colin MacLeod is also pretty good from my experience, as is Mr. Ohlinger. Obviously there are others, but there is that whole Gollum thing.
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I'm sure most of you don't remember Jose Carpio of Cinemonde, but from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, he was the premiere movie poster dealer. He published full-color catalogs with elite items (and very high prices) and he developed a strong clientele of rich and celebrity clients who did not mind paying his sky high prices.
But he specialized in items you couldn't find anywhere else, and he absolutely supported his prices. If you offered him a poster he had in his catalog for say, $500 for $250, he would buy it. This is not true of almost all other dealers with high prices.
He also argued that he was not the highest priced dealer, and he would list off ten other major dealers (like Joe Martinez of Cinema Collectors and Jerry Ohlinger) and he was right that all ten of those had prices at least as high as he did.
He stood behind his sales, and whenever a good customer would contact him and want to sell something they had purchased from Jose years before, Jose would try hard to find a new buyer for that item at a higher price, so he could make a commission, and the customer could make a profit on that item.
To me, a big issue is whether a high priced dealer uses deception to sell their items (like saying that an item is a good buy at say $550, when that item usually sells for $50) and whether they sell easily obtainable items for many multiples of their regular retail.
Those two things bother me. But if they offer items you can't find anywhere else for skyhigh prices, that doesn't bother me, and if they have higher than usual prices on commonly seen items that doesn't bother me either, as long as they are not massively over-priced.
None of you have mentioned the many eBay sellers with their massively overpriced items that are offered at Buy It Now, but I guess that's because you don't buy from them (and since the items never seem to sell, it looks like no one else does either!).
Bruce
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To me, a big issue is whether a high priced dealer uses deception to sell their items (like saying that an item is a good buy at say $550, when that item usually sells for $50) and whether they sell easily obtainable items for many multiples of their regular retail.
I cant imagine anyone like that...
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I'm sure most of you don't remember Jose Carpio of Cinemonde, but from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, he was the premiere movie poster dealer. He published full-color catalogs with elite items (and very high prices) and he developed a strong clientele of rich and celebrity clients who did not mind paying his sky high prices.
But he specialized in items you couldn't find anywhere else, and he absolutely supported his prices. If you offered him a poster he had in his catalog for say, $500 for $250, he would buy it. This is not true of almost all other dealers with high prices.
He also argued that he was not the highest priced dealer, and he would list off ten other major dealers (like Joe Martinez of Cinema Collectors and Jerry Ohlinger) and he was right that all ten of those had prices at least as high as he did.
He stood behind his sales, and whenever a good customer would contact him and want to sell something they had purchased from Jose years before, Jose would try hard to find a new buyer for that item at a higher price, so he could make a commission, and the customer could make a profit on that item.
To me, a big issue is whether a high priced dealer uses deception to sell their items (like saying that an item is a good buy at say $550, when that item usually sells for $50) and whether they sell easily obtainable items for many multiples of their regular retail.
Those two things bother me. But if they offer items you can't find anywhere else for skyhigh prices, that doesn't bother me, and if they have higher than usual prices on commonly seen items that doesn't bother me either, as long as they are not massively over-priced.
None of you have mentioned the many eBay sellers with their massively overpriced items that are offered at Buy It Now, but I guess that's because you don't buy from them (and since the items never seem to sell, it looks like no one else does either!).
Bruce
You mean Mrs.Miniver and that goof in the UK that lists posters for millions of £
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You mean Mrs.Miniver and that goof in the UK that lists posters for millions of £
Benito also has BIN listings month after month of VERY high priced (and often hard to find, rare) foreign paper on Ebay. Buying from him will ding the wallet, that's for sure.
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Benito also has BIN listings month after month of VERY high priced (and often hard to find, rare) foreign paper on Ebay. Buying from him will ding the wallet, that's for sure.
Yes, I agree.
Benito has high prices, but his assortment is superb.
Many of his posters I have not seen anywhere else.
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Yes, I agree.
Benito has high prices, but his assortment is superb.
Many of his posters I have not seen anywhere else.
For sure, Ted. If I had unlimited funds.. i would be buying many an item from him, as he has things no one else does!
Jeff
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For sure, Ted. If I had unlimited funds.. i would be buying many an item from him, as he has things no one else does!
Jeff
You`ll have to take this one out of my dead hands...
(http://www.benitomovieposter.com/catalog/images/movieposter/40181.jpg)
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That is absolutely stunning, Matias! That is one of my all-time favorite Chaney images -- Alonzo the Armless!
Was that a purchase from Benito?
More importantly, what other outstanding posters do you own? wynk
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It`s not mine Ted, if it was I wouldn`t be here posting. I`d be bed1
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It`s listed in Benito`s site (but without price :P)
It`s a stunning image indeed. I watched the film today, and was blown away by Chaney`s performance.
Watching classics is now in my must-do list
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Watching classics is now in my must-do list
For those who haven't yet seen this non-Chaney classic, I strongly recommend 1932's ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, with Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi (as the Sayer of the Law). It's the first -- and best -- adaptation of HG Wells' ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU.
I haven't seen either of these posters at auction yet...but when one does appear, I'll be throwing everything I have at it...
(http://www.moviegoods.com//Assets/product_images/1020/206713.1020.A.jpg)
(http://www.moviegoods.com//Assets/product_images/1020/143374.1020.A.jpg)
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wow1
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You`ll have to take this one out of my dead hands...
(http://www.benitomovieposter.com/catalog/images/movieposter/40181.jpg)
That's one-- a perfect example of benito's holdings.. its just a shame that i has been trimmed on either side... but that is a GREAT image of Chaney Sr and Crawford.. sm1
jeff
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For those who haven't yet seen this non-Chaney classic, I strongly recommend 1932's ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, with Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi (as the Sayer of the Law). It's the first -- and best -- adaptation of HG Wells' ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU.
I haven't seen either of these posters at auction yet...but when one does appear, I'll be throwing everything I have at it...
(http://www.moviegoods.com//Assets/product_images/1020/206713.1020.A.jpg)
(http://www.moviegoods.com//Assets/product_images/1020/143374.1020.A.jpg)
Incredible and Beautiful. Nothing like stone lithography... Thanks for posting those, ted.
clap woohoo clap
Jeff
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Incredible and Beautiful. Nothing like stone lithography... Thanks for posting those, ted.
clap woohoo clap
Jeff
+1 Those are sweet.
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And I repeat, IF you haven't already seen 1932's THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS yet, run out and get a copy.
It is absolutely fantastic and might be the most overlooked movie from the Golden Age of Horror.
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Ok, ok, I`ll watch it... Who can not obey a giant screaming gorilla?
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And I repeat, IF you haven't already seen 1932's THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS yet, run out and get a copy.
It is absolutely fantastic and might be the most overlooked movie from the Golden Age of Horror.
(http://www.monsterbashnews.com/front/island-of-lost-souls-lc.jpg)
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Ok, ok, I`ll watch it... Who can not obey a giant screaming gorilla?
laugh1
I'm sorry if I came off demanding or intimidating.
Is this any better?
(http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu12/brude2000/GIFS/KingKongLOL.gif) "Watch the movie...you'll like it." :-*
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(http://www.benitomovieposter.com/catalog/images/movieposter/16181.jpg)
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That's another beauty from this fine film.
Nice find, Jeff.
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And I repeat, IF you haven't already seen 1932's THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS yet, run out and get a copy.
It is absolutely fantastic and might be the most overlooked movie from the Golden Age of Horror.
You mean to tell me there are STILL people that call themselves 'movie fans' or 'film lovers' and have not seen Island of Lost Souls?! eyeroll
Back to the house of pain with them!
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You mean to tell me there are STILL people that call themselves 'movie fans' or 'film lovers' and have not seen Island of Lost Souls?! eyeroll
Back to the house of pain with them!
Apparently, there are a few...and I am sure they'll catch it on youtube and really enjoy themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJajdX0dNZM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJajdX0dNZM)
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You mean to tell me there are STILL people that call themselves 'movie fans' or 'film lovers' and have not seen Island of Lost Souls?! eyeroll
Back to the house of pain with them!
unfortunately i am one of those people but it is now on my list.
it certainly has excellent posters.
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it certainly has excellent posters.
...and it has more monsters in the jungle than you can shake a stick at.
Enjoy it when you watch it.
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Is this any better?
(http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu12/brude2000/GIFS/KingKongLOL.gif) "Watch the movie...you'll like it." :-*
happy1
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Sorry for reviving the dead, it's been a few years since this was last touched on and I'm curious to know, any changes?
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welcome1 ladeda
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Sorry for reviving the dead, it's been a few years since this was last touched on and I'm curious to know, any changes?
Nope - APF remains ad free and oh yeah there are still no honest dealers ;)
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ty rdavey26! :)
Nope - APF remains ad free and oh yeah there are still no honest dealers ;)
where is the love?
(http://s24.postimg.org/p2vatd4p1/krab.gif) (http://postimage.org/)
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1) Dave Rosen, Posteropolis Vintage Movie Posters, http://www.posteropolis.com: Dave advertises his stuff on MoPo. Several times I have seen him list new items, and one or more appealed to me, and I found his price fair (as was his shipping), and I went to his site and ordered in a minute or two. I got the items quickly and well packed, and found them accurately described. I highly recommend him!
2) Dale Dilts, regular poster on forums. I have not bought from him, but have read testimonials to how fair his prices are, how wide his selection his, and how he accurately describes everyone. More importantly, I have NEVER read a single negative comment on him!
Bruce
Above are two great ones!
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Armin at Posteroid has fair prices and is a helpful chap too, excellent service when I have bought from him in the past - http://www.posteroid.com/
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Above are two great ones!
What about Rich?
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What about Rich?
Cheeky, but he is great to deal with.
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What about Rich?
Steve
obviously everyone knows that they get exactly what they're supposed to when they buy from me. I'm a major collector myself and I now what to expect and that's on top of me selling since 1966 and full time since 1976. Until 2005 I was a retailer who did do some auctions on fleaBay, but once I started auctions on MoviePosterBid.com ( I bought the site in April 2006) I got so busy with them that I have been pretty much unable to list set sale merchandise. That is about to change now that I'm really just doing a special auction once a month and have more time. I'm sure that most collectors will feel my prices are right in line with reality and I'll be selling lots of stuff. You can bet on that!
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Well I am someone who has never had a complaint about my purchases from rich, goes above and beyond to help me out. The last mega load was a treat to unpack. Ok, so those "peanuts" or whatever they are called suck. But that's ok. Ha
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Any new additions, deletions, amendments, corrections, praise etc to the discussion at hand?
I did buy from dale dilts last fall; his pricing, packaging, speed of mailing and posters were all top notch & JUST as described! thumbsup.gif
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Not too many honest ones, that's for sure. I'd think Posteritati is at one end of the spectrum and Bruce at the other.
T
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Not too many honest ones, that's for sure. I'd think Posteritati is at one end of the spectrum and Bruce at the other.
T
you don't think Sam at Posteritati is honest?
man, you are really off base T, just like the titling of this thread which is designed to taint dealers as a whole
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for starters he has a poster category called travel and another for political, but when i click on them there are no records found... dontknow.gif
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for starters he has a poster category called travel and another for political, but when i click on them there are no records found... dontknow.gif
Likely means that he just doesnt have any of those genres in stock at the moment. They are more film-oriented, to a big degree.
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Likely means that he just doesnt have any of those genres in stock at the moment.
does it really though Jeff? ;D
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man, you are really off base T, just like the titling of this thread which is designed to taint dealers as a whole
The thread title to me doesn't sound like it taints all dealers...
How does requests for honest dealers with low prices taint them? dontknow.gif
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for starters he has a poster category called travel and another for political, but when i click on them there are no records found... dontknow.gif
pretty loose criteria young feller ;)
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does it really though Jeff? ;D
dontknow.gif hmmm.gif GoOn.gif ;D
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you don't think Sam at Posteritati is honest?
No, I do not think he is honest. ANYONE who sells posters x10 above what they sell for at Bruce's or even Rich's auctions is NOT honest. A scavenger is more like it.
T
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No, I do not think he is honest. ANYONE who sells posters x10 above what they sell for at Bruce's or even Rich's auctions is NOT honest. A scavenger is more like it.
T
I totally disagree with you, however you may want to read a post I might get to later
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There are real costs associated with maintaining a B&M store. Back in the 80s and early 90s, I used to go to a lot of those hole in the wall stores. I'd avoid Cinemasterpieces, etc as they were beyond my means. But 25 years later, the little shops are all gone and the pricey ones survive. So who had the correct strategy?
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Since this topic causes so much rancor, why not simply delete it?
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We don't delete topics, Bruce. We can close them, but I don't see any reasons to do so here.
T
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How about revising the title?
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To be honest, the title is a bit wordy
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I recently had a great transaction with Wolfgang over at Kinoart. I checked his prices and they were really good, plus he was such a pleasure to deal with and I got some really great posters that were worth every penny. Can't say enough about him. A+
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Wolfgang is definitely one of the good guys, and his prices are fair, which shows that you can be a dealer, be honest and survive.
T
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Gonna add another vouch for Wolfgang as well, definitely the most honest dealer I've dealt with, price-wise and otherwise. He even found a poster for me and from what I can tell he didn't make much or even anything personally off the sale, which certainly made me a repeat customer.
Oh and I have nothing but good things to say about our very own Matt(marqueeposter.com), he's always top notch and honest. He's always given me fair prices and worked with me if I needed to negotiate the price a little. Also his detailed condition notes are accurate and his photography is great, what he describes is what you'll get. He's also very knowledgeable.
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Gonna add another vouch for Wolfgang as well, definitely the most honest dealer I've dealt with, price-wise and otherwise. He even found a poster for me and from what I can tell he didn't make much or even anything personally off the sale, which certainly made me a repeat customer.
Oh and I have nothing but good things to say about our very own Matt(marqueeposter.com), he's always top notch and honest. He's always given me fair prices and worked with me if I needed to negotiate the price a little. Also his detailed condition notes are accurate and his photography is great, what he describes is what you'll get. He's also very knowledgeable.
Speaking of Wolfgang, I wonder where he's been lately. Spending too much time in Germany, no doubt. ;D
Would be great for him to spin thru these parts once again. It's been way too long.
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Speaking of Wolfgang, I wonder where he's been lately. Spending too much time in Germany, no doubt. ;D
Would be great for him to spin thru these parts once again. It's been way too long.
I think he's been winding down.
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I think he's been winding down.
"Winding down" .. As in maybe retiring?
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I've made a few purchases from Wolfgang's site as well, it's near the top of my Euro dealer's subfolder in my bookmarks. He's always been super accommodating. Hope he's sticking around for a bit longer.
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He seems to be active for now; I just bought a bunch of posters from him, including a German A1 current release poster which wasn't listed on his site but which he kindly tracked down for me.
If I remember right, on the most recent update on his website, he apologised for the delay between updates and said he would be getting back to a more regular schedule of adding new material.
Like others who have already posted, I too hope he plans to stick around.
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He seems to be active for now; I just bought a bunch of posters from him, including a German A1 current release poster which wasn't listed on his site but which he kindly tracked down for me.
If I remember right, on the most recent update on his website, he apologised for the delay between updates and said he would be getting back to a more regular schedule of adding new material.
Like others who have already posted, I too hope he plans to stick around.
Awesome. Thanks for the update!