Your Most Prized Poster

[eatbrie]

God willing, give me another 40 years of collecting and the collection will be pretty good.  Pretty, pretty good.

T

[CSM]

After all this time my Big Sleep daybill still rules the roost but some others have creeped into contention:

[erik1925]

Another I really like.. and the (US) title seems right, too.

[Antoine1973]

Very nice, Jeff!  Did you acquire this French poster recently?

I agree that my favorite poster is whichever one I'm currently trying to get, as I tend to become a little obsessed when going after a specific title.  That said, my favorite poster in my collection at this point is the US 6-sheet for The Leopard Man (1943).  It's not my most valuable poster (I guess the French 47x63 for the original release of King Kong would earn that title), but it's one that's closer to my heart.  This is partly due to its rarity (it may be the only one still in existence), its great graphics, and the fact that the movie itself is pretty cool, like all the horror films produced by Val Lewton for RKO in the 1940s.

[erik1925]

Ben, that's a true beauty and, as you said, rare, to boot (if not the only known copy). 

And no, I picked up The Prize 1P about 3 or 4 years ago. Soubie did a fine job on the art, as he always seems to do, and the colors just pop. That's what also drew me to it.

[okiehawker]

Ben, that's a true beauty and, as you said, rare, to boot (if not the only known copy). 

And no, I picked up The Prize 1P about 3 or 4 years ago. Soubie did a fine job on the art, as he always seems to do, and the colors just pop. That's what also drew me to it.

Beautiful posters, Ben and Jeff!  Okie

[cabmangray]

I have 2 posters that, when the times comes, will be the last to escape my grasp. Both horror, and both for different reasons. One is a THEATRE OF BLOOD 30x40 because it represents the beginning of my collecting "sickness".  The short version is I was always attracted to the posters that hung outside of the theatre and as I got older, I would call up the managers and ask to buy the poster. The answer was ALWAYS the same - "no, no they have to be sent back! Nope, sorry, you can't have it." Naturally the more they deny you, the more you want it. One day a friend said he has gotten friendly with a certain theatre manager and that he would sell us posters. I don't believe him, but I tell him I like the poster to the movie currently showing and would like to get it. A week later I go over to his house and he points to something rolled up in the corner. He tells me to take a look at it, which I do. Holy shit! Theatre Of Blood! This opened the floodgates to a 40+ year hobby and business, so it's more the sentiment than the value.

In the mid 80's I ran the movie poster section of a store in NJ. One of the collections I bought was 2 big boxes of 1-sheets and 8x10 still sets. I have the stills packed up in a long comic book box and was trying to decide what exactly to do with them. A collector friend comes in one evening and asks to take a look at the still sets, which he does. When he's done he asks me not to sell any of the because he wants the entire box. No problem. Early the next week he comes into the store and he's got something in a 22x28 frame. He's got it facing him so I can't see what it is but I know it's something good because the other guys in the store can see it and they've got wide eyed expressions on their faces. My friend says "I would like to trade this poster for the box of stills". I respond "well, I was hoping to get some cash for them. What poster did you have in mind?" He puts the frame on the counter; ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN style B. I don't think twice - "OK! You got a deal, son!" The best trade I ever made and I just can't part with it.

[erik1925]

Looking forward to the pics of these, too, cabman, if you opt to post them.

What great backstories, too. 

[okiehawker]

Looking forward to the pics of these, too, cabman, if you opt to post them.

What great backstories, too. 

Enjoyed the backstory, too!  Okie