E.T. Moon/Bike poster: Caveat emptor, authentication tests

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

PRELIMINARY NOTE

This posting summarizes my research on this poster and numerous other postings on other boards and auction sites. Because the monetary stakes are quite high with this poster, a posting is warranted on this new board. Special thanks to Thierry/Eatbrie, Dave Lieberman/Cinemasterpieces, Mark Lawd, Bruce/Emovieposter, Heritage Auctions, and others who have contributed to the universe of knowledge concerning this poster.

BACKGROUND

The beautiful E.T. Moon/Bike poster is one of the rarest and most valuable movie posters from the modern era.  Even in this recession it is selling for $700+ at auction and $1,500+ by dealers.

Very few were printed, although the exact number is unknown. It is rumored there were two print runs for this poster: one of perhaps 100 posters measuring 27x41 and a second of perhaps 1000 posters measuring 27x40.5.  It was never released to theaters and was given to the cast and crew. Some of these posters have personal notes to/from executives and crew members.

Unfortunately, some unknown miscreant(s) printed many – perhaps thousands – fake copies of this poster.  These fakes infest Ebay and are being sold – sometimes intentionally, sometimes not – as originals.   Earlier this year I bought one of these fakes from an Ebay seller with 100% positive 500+ feedback, so you cannot rely solely on dealer credibility when purchasing this poster.

Fortunately, the best known fake (perhaps only fake?) is a not a perfect reproduction and can be differentiated.  However, make no mistake: it is an excellent quality fake. (See attached pic of my fake framed).  

TEST #1: COMPARE MEASUREMENTS

The most obvious way to detect the fake is to measure the size.  The original measures exactly 40.5" vertically and the fake/reprint is 1/4 inch shorter.  

Original measurements:

- Total size: 26 13/16 x 40 1/2.
- Actual art: 25 1/8 x 39
- Top white border: 13/16
- Bottom white border: 11/16

Fake/reprint measurements:

- Total: 26 7/8 x 40 1/8.
- Art: 25 1/8 x 39 1/8.
- Top white border: 5/8
- Bottom white: 9/16

Note: These are the widely-accepted measurements for this poster.  I have personally measured my fake and it has approximately the same measurements. (See attached pic).

TEST #2: LIGHT THROUGH THE TREE

The second way to distinguish the fake is to closely examine the light spots on the tree on the right of the poster.  On the original there are many prominent light spots coming through the tree.  On the fake the light spots are much fewer in number and much smaller in size.  The attached pic shows the dramatic difference between the original and the fake.

ADDITIONAL TESTS:

In addition to the foregoing, other differences are detectable, including different paper, pixilated/irregular fonts on fake, fake poster is overall darker, red line at right edge of fake, etc.  These are difficult to spot without direct comparison to an original, so any purchaser of this poster is well-advised to send it a reputable dealer for authentication.

[guest8]

I give you a hard time Mel .. But its good we have someone willing to take the time to gather this info from your own experience as well as other sites and members and put it all in one place for someone that may be looking for just this kind of info .. And it may save someone from making the same mistake that you did. Good Job!

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

I give you a hard time Mel .. But its good we have someone willing to take the time to gather this info from your own experience as well as other sites and members and put it all in one place for someone that may be looking for just this kind of info .. And it may save someone from making the same mistake that you did. Good Job!

Thanks - this posting is a preview of an article I'd like to write for MPA.

Jeannie wants me to co-author the article with someone who actually owns an original.

Any volunteers?

[eatbrie]

So what you need are pictures of the original, right?  Because from where I stand, it seems that you have it all.  I've said this from the beginning... the best way to differentiate the original from the reprint is by looking at the light through the trees, like your pictures from Dave show.  Size is a factor, but it can be a challenge: I own three reprints of this poster, and they all have different sizes.

Unless someone does it before me, I'll give you some pictures of the original.  You just have to be a little patient, because my posters sit underneath 200 other rolled Spielberg posters (Jeannie knows about them) and it will take me some time to get to them.

Thierry

[guest8]

As far as the size thing goes .. My 2 part question would be what size is the original and have any reprint/fakes been the same size?

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

So what you need are pictures of the original, right?  Because from where I stand, it seems that you have it all.  I've said this from the beginning... the best way to differentiate the original from the reprint is by looking at the light through the trees, like your pictures from Dave show.  Size is a factor, but it can be a challenge: I own three reprints of this poster, and they all have different sizes.

Unless someone does it before me, I'll give you some pictures of the original.  You just have to be a little patient, because my posters sit underneath 200 other rolled Spielberg posters (Jeannie knows about them) and it will take me some time to get to them.

Thierry

Thanks Thierry, I can do all the writing.  Here is all I need from you:

- Exact (within 1/16) measurements of your originals and reprints (including artwork size)
- A high-res picture of at least one of your originals and one of your reprints
- A high-res picture of the tree portion of your 40.5 original and the 40.25 reprint right next to each other (this will confirm Dave's picture)

There's no particular rush but the sooner the better.  I really do believe it is the #1 poster rip-off out there (Spiderman is probably 2 IMHO).

[marklawd]

This is a poster which has always interested me. I don't have a reprint but I do have examples of both size originals - 27 x 41 (first printing) and 26 3/4 x 40 1/2 (second printing) - ignoring the dimensions (which it may not be possible to rely upon if the poster has been distorted through backing) they are noticeably different. I am happy to contribute to your article by doing a comparison of these two versions. Acknowledgements as always to Dan R.

Mark 

[eatbrie]

By the way, talking of Dan R., what happened to the book he was planning on doing?

Anyone knows?

Thierry

[kovacs01]

Thanks Thierry, I can do all the writing.  Here is all I need from you:

- Exact (within 1/16) measurements of your originals and reprints (including artwork size)
- A high-res picture of at least one of your originals and one of your reprints
- A high-res picture of the tree portion of your 40.5 original and the 40.25 reprint right next to each other (this will confirm Dave's picture)

There's no particular rush but the sooner the better.  I really do believe it is the #1 poster rip-off out there (Spiderman is probably 2 IMHO).

I think the Hairy Belt is probably still number one, closely followed by ET, spiderman, and the Dark Knight.

[holiday]

I tend to agree with Jeannie that an authentication based on physical possession of a known original and fake is the best.  The co-authorship idea is a really good one.

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

I think the Hairy Belt is probably still number one, closely followed by ET, spiderman, and the Dark Knight.

Another Spiderman reprint has floated to the surface in the Ebay swamp - seller confirms that back is exact mirror image of front.  I'll put this issue in a separate thread, although MPA already has an excellent article on the Spiderman reprint.

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Well I sniped another E.T. Moon/Bike poster today for $375 today off Ebay.  
It does have a couple of scratches, which kept the price down.  (I managed to beat somebody with a 17,500(!) positive Ebay rating at the end.)

Appears to be the real deal, the seller confirms that all the measurements match the measurements of an original (40 7/16 vertical, 13/16 top white border, etc).

So if this is the real deal, I'll be able to write the MPA article myself.

[kovacs01]

Awesome!  Congrats Mel.

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Awesome!  Congrats Mel.

I didn't think I was going to get it - I just bid $403 at the end and "took a shot." 

This was the third of three auctions of this poster by the seller in the last few months.  He originally sold all three as a group for $1000 but the seller didn't pay.  He then sold them one by one - to his benefit. 

In the first two sales, the price zoomed to $600+ in the final 10 seconds.  I got left in the dust with a lower bid.

This one zoomed from $225 to $375 in the final 10 seconds with three last-second bidders.  It was bad timing by the seller - an early afternoon during the post-Christmas week - plus the two less-than-attractive scratches that kept the price down.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

I have a copy being auctioned right now as well as a mint copy.
if you need help, email me

Rich

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

I have a copy being auctioned right now as well as a mint copy.
if you need help, email me

Rich

Thanks Rich and here's the ET Moon/Bike auction you are referencing. You can tell just from your photo alone that it's the real deal - check out the prominent light spots in the tree.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

oh yeah.. I knew it was real.. but I do have some minty white inserts for star wars movies if anyone is looking for them

:-)

[movieposterodyssey]

In addition I think there are some cropping issues with this poster as well.
Something about the tree...I could be wrong.

Anthony

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Not sure what "tree" issue you're referencing, Anthony.  The light spot patterns are radically different on the reprint and the original and Rich's clearly matches the known original light spot pattern.

Rich, just for the record, what are the exact measurements of your originals, including the art? They should be:

- Total size: 26 13/16 x 40 1/2.
- Actual art: 25 1/8 x 39
- Top white border: 13/16
- Bottom white border: 11/16

[MoviePosterBid.com]

Not sure what "tree" issue you're referencing, Anthony.  The light spot patterns are radically different on the reprint and the original and Rich's clearly matches the known original light spot pattern.

Rich, just for the record, what are the exact measurements of your originals, including the art? They should be:

- Total size: 26 13/16 x 40 1/2.
- Actual art: 25 1/8 x 39
- Top white border: 13/16
- Bottom white border: 11/16

I couldn't access the one in the auction :blocked in by stacks of auction listings which I have rolled each x1 and stacked on shelved cardboard stacks for convenience so I had to measure another (they came from one source), but the measurements are correct with minor correction which is that the bottom border is more like  23/32 instead of 11/16 and the side borders are 14/16's each

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

My ET original poster rolled in today.  I've closely compared it to my reprint (or at least what is considered to be a reprint).  Here are my observations:

1. The original is on thin paper, like the Star Wars posters I've handled.  The reprint/fake is on very thick heavy paper.

2. The reprint art is very very close to the original in appearance and quality.

3. They are readily distinguishable by examining the "light through the trees."  The large tree on the right has more and larger light spots.  Also, there is  a large 1.5" light spot on the smaller tree on the left that is almost invisible on the reprint.  The light spots are actually purple, not white, on both the original and reprint.  

4.  The fonts on the original are sharp.  The fonts on the reprint are fairly sharp too but they are fuzzier and some of the straight lines are fuzzy.

5. The measurements of my original poster are:

Total: 26 11/16" x 40 6/16"
Art: 25" x 38 15/16"
Left & right borders: 13/16
Top border: 12/16"
Bottom border: 11.5/16"

6. The reprint measurements are:

Total: 26 14/16" x 40 4/16"
Art: 25 1.5/16" x 39"
Left border:14/16"
Right border: 13/16"
Top border: 9/16"
Bottom border: 9/16"

[MoviePosterBid.com]

>Bottom border: 11.5/16"<

right... 23/32

 

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

>Bottom border: 11.5/16"<

right... 23/32

 

Yes, gotta love the absurd English measurement system we are stuck with.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

it was just 6 of one, half a dozen of the other

:-)

[MoviePosterBid.com]

on fleaBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial-Rare-Movie-Original-Poster_W0QQitemZ200423246612QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2eaa280b14

the seller says the poster is a full 27x41 which makes it the rare, smaller printing.
However, it clearly has the PG ratings box.. isn't the rarer printing of this poster without the ratings box???