Somebody finds a box of 50 and the market is kaput.

[Disheveledamethyst]

Every time I spend money on a modern movie poster I can't help but be afraid I could be wasting my money. If I spend $75 on a Beauty and the Beast poster, what if somebody finds a whole box of them in their cousin's basement? Suddenly the poster is worth nothing.

I've done most of my poster-purchasing on eBay. The paper I collect (namely animated movie posters) turn up there most often and I've repeatedly proven myself capable of getting some great deals there, even if every once and a while you get a dud. As somebody who holds out for low prices, I frequently have a long list of posters on my Watch List (in some cases every appropriate result) and have sort of gotten a feel for what a number modern movie posters (1990-onward) can be worth. This expertise is quite limited, and is namely isolated to posters for animated films, but I do feel confident speaking for the small niche I know.

Recently, a seller listed an auction for a John Alvin "The Lion King" poster with a $20 opening and a $30 BIN. In his auction, he includes many detailed pictures of not just the poster he's selling, but the roll of fifty from which he is pulling them from. Before this seller, this poster typically came and went around $40-$50. While his roll of 50 is pretty beat up, he more or less has the ability to dictate the eBay value of the poster as long as he can match the quality of others listed.

After his initial listings ended, he relisted the auction differently now with only a $10 starting bid or a $15 BIN. Clearly well below the previously typical $40 price tag. Assuming all of his posters aren't junk, until he runs out of posters, the market for "Lion King" posters is in his hands, and he has effectively brought down the price and the market.

In the last couple of months I have sent messages to three sellers asking if they would consider letting their "Lion King" poster go for less than their BIN listing and offering $30+ shipping. All three said no. Since then two of the three have sold their poster for what they were asking. In light of this new lot of 50, I received a surprising message from the last remaining seller asking if I would still like the poster for $30. He opened the e-mail with "The value of this poster has gone down".

Long story short, I've seen these "boxes of fifty" before. It happened very similarly with the ensemble poster for "Cars" and "Up" last year when somebody got their hands on 50 posters for each movie left over from an East Coast premiere. I hate it because it hurts my confidence in my value of my collection. I don't really collect as an investment and I don't tend to sell my collection for a profit, but I don't really like seeing my money go down the drain either.

You guys who collect older posters are smart. The world of modern posters is frustrating and stupid. Eventually somebody will probably find 100 Dark Knight teasers and Lost in Translation teasers and they'll be a dime a dozen until they're all bought up. Until then, I'm going to start buying posters I already own just so I can destroy them.

[stewart boyle]

Until then, I'm going to start buying posters I already own just so I can destroy them.

  Viva El Revolucion !!

Stew

[erik1925]

Until then, I'm going to start buying posters I already own just so I can destroy them.

You will be destroying for a LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG time, then... . With the thousands and thousands of post-90s posters out there, at least use them as wrapping paper.... share the love and pass them on....   


 

[oldposterho]

Until then, I'm going to start buying posters I already own just so I can destroy them.

Pretty sure you're joking, but if not, that's a battle you'll never win, and you'll ultimately lose way more than you'd "preserve" in your one poster.  I'd say that trying to corner the market to prop up prices on anything post-1950 is a losing battle.  There's always another one popping up, given enough time.

--Peter

[oldposterho]

One more thing, you've seriously got to wonder at the dimness of the bulb that actually shows the great stash they're about to flood the market with.  Genius, pure genius.

--Peter

[paul waines]

A few years back, Bus stop posters could be had for free. You just turned up at the depot and asked for them or rang them and they would send you one in the post (this was before the scammers of the u.k. cottoned on and started selling them on ebay). Anyway I ordered one to be sent to my house, and when it came, it was wrapped up in two others....Strange times.

[Disheveledamethyst]

If anybody wants in on my brilliant plan I can almost ensure we all come out millionaires.

[jayn_j]

I seem to recall something like this about ten years ago.  Somebody found a suitcase with a half dozen previously unknown posters.  I think it was a universal horror 6 sheet.  He auctioned one and destroyed the other 5.

Anybody remember the details?

[AdamCarterJones]

A few years back, Bus stop posters could be had for free. You just turned up at the depot and asked for them or rang them and they would send you one in the post (this was before the scammers of the u.k. cottoned on and started selling them on ebay). Anyway I ordered one to be sent to my house, and when it came, it was wrapped up in two others....Strange times.

I've had a similar experience, Paul, but not with the actual company like you!
I purchased some Star Wars Bus Stop posters (on ebay) for 'Revenge of the Sith' and the guy I got them off wrapped them in two others ... And one cut in half ... I am sure he worked for the printers because I remember seeing he had loads of Bus Stop posters for many different movies of the time and he mentioned he could get pretty much anything he wanted!

Anthony, I am going to hazard a guess and say this guy you talk about RE 'The Lion King' posters wants to sell them quick?
If he didn't then he wouldn't be selling them for such a lower price compared to the other sellers IMO.

Doing what he is doing can ruin a market altogether; it's the same with model cars.
I know people who are sitting on thousands of model cars, that if released in one go like that poster guy, would destroy the market for them.

I seem to recall something like this about ten years ago.  Somebody found a suitcase with a half dozen previously unknown posters.  I think it was a universal horror 6 sheet.  He auctioned one and destroyed the other 5.

Anybody remember the details?

To me, this is terrible.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

if you collect modern age posters, then virtually everything except .01% of all posters there will be many many multiples available.
Take for instance Star Wars posters. For the most part, every variant is available - all the time. The fact that there are many collectors has not completely stifled the prices, but can you imagine what a style-A would go for if one was not available 24/7/365?

The likelihood someone has a tube of 50 ET bicycle posters is very real (I know one such person)
On one specific film title, I have from 100 to 500 of each style (I might even have more than that on 1 or 2 styles). The difference is that while I can keep the poster on offer 24/7, I don't. I sell a couple a year maybe. Of course that means the posters will outlive me by a considerable margin, but I at least won't be selling them for $1.95. Of course, most people don't want to wait 50 years to sell every copy and instead blow them out, which ruins their marketability. Not my style. It definitely is a philosophy of mine that should be emulated

[joneyyy]

I seem to recall something like this about ten years ago.  Somebody found a suitcase with a half dozen previously unknown posters.  I think it was a universal horror 6 sheet.  He auctioned one and destroyed the other 5.

well thats an idiot.

[Disheveledamethyst]

if you collect modern age posters, then virtually everything except .01% of all posters there will be many many multiples available.
Take for instance Star Wars posters. For the most part, every variant is available - all the time. The fact that there are many collectors has not completely stifled the prices, but can you imagine what a style-A would go for if one was not available 24/7/365?

The likelihood someone has a tube of 50 ET bicycle posters is very real (I know one such person)
On one specific film title, I have from 100 to 500 of each style (I might even have more than that on 1 or 2 styles). The difference is that while I can keep the poster on offer 24/7, I don't. I sell a couple a year maybe. Of course that means the posters will outlive me by a considerable margin, but I at least won't be selling them for $1.95. Of course, most people don't want to wait 50 years to sell every copy and instead blow them out, which ruins their marketability. Not my style. It definitely is a philosophy of mine that should be emulated

I'm currently after a Style D "Circus" poster for A New Hope and it seems that people have these posters in piles Not necessarily hundreds, but tens and twenties. That poster has a pretty solid value of about $250 and I think the people holding them in piles are very aware of how it would effect the market to sell ten at once.

In spite of this, I keep losing. </3

[Tob]

Buy the posters you love and be patient with paying the right price for your budget...that way you can't lose, even if someone finds a box of 500 of them.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

Quote from: jayn_j on Today at 03:00:57 PM
I seem to recall something like this about ten years ago.  Somebody found a suitcase with a half dozen previously unknown posters.  I think it was a universal horror 6 sheet.  He auctioned one and destroyed the other 5.


Jay.. this is a folk tale and completely untrue.
there was a single Frankenstein 6 sheet and Stephen Fishler bought it

[jayn_j]

Jay.. this is a folk tale and completely untrue.
there was a single Frankenstein 6 sheet and Stephen Fishler bought it

Glad to hear it.  I vaguely remember it being all over MOPO.

[oldposterho]

I believe you're thinking of the "Outlaw" six sheet that got auctioned as "the only one extant" at one of them there Londonne auction houses, when 5 others (from the same consigner?) instantly appeared after it went for big pounds).  As I recall, the claim was they destroyed the rest of them, maybe keeping one more.

Or something like that.

--Peter

[eatbrie]

I've said it before, and I will say it again, Anthony.  Do not consider your collection as a piece by piece kind of thing, but as a whole.  Pieces will always go up and down in price, the market fluctuates constantly due to the reasons you explained.  What will not change is the value of your collection if you concentrate on a specific area (like you're obviously doing.)  Sure, someone can buy a Beauty and the Beast poster tomorrow, or a Lion King... but can they get the entire collection Anthony has amassed over his years as a collector?  Doubtful.  This is what's valuable, the time and effort you have put into constructing an entire body of posters that makes your collection.  And if you were ever going to sell it, sell it as a whole.

Focus on that, and forget the ups and downs of the market.

T

[Ari]

I believe you're thinking of the "Outlaw" six sheet that got auctioned as "the only one extant" at one of them there Londonne auction houses, when 5 others (from the same consigner?) instantly appeared after it went for big pounds).  As I recall, the claim was they destroyed the rest of them, maybe keeping one more.

Or something like that.

--Peter

yes thats correct, although there always was very strong doubts any where REALLY destroyed.

[Tang Lung in Rome]

(corner the market)

-Theres 1 obstacle......allposterforum.com !

-I propose.....to END......the DOMINATION...of that site....and leave *us* in control of that market !

(Max Zorin)

[AdamCarterJones]

I've said it before, and I will say it again, Anthony.  Do not consider your collection as a piece by piece kind of thing, but as a whole.  Pieces will always go up and down in price, the market fluctuates constantly due to the reasons you explained.  What will not change is the value of your collection if you concentrate on a specific area (like you're obviously doing.)  Sure, someone can buy a Beauty and the Beast poster tomorrow, or a Lion King... but can they get the entire collection Anthony has amassed over his years as a collector?  Doubtful.  This is what's valuable, the time and effort you have put into constructing an entire body of posters that makes your collection.  And if you were ever going to sell it, sell it as a whole.

Focus on that, and forget the ups and downs of the market.

T

Very good advice, IMO, T.
But I can see Anthony's point, though.

[Ari]

happens all the time, and when a smart dealer/collector finds something like this, we will never know.
And really, if its a modern poster, an extra 50 wont do anything in time.

[archie leach]

Buy the posters you love and be patient with paying the right price for your budget...that way you can't lose, even if someone finds a box of 500 of them.

happens all the time, and when a smart dealer/collector finds something like this, we will never know.
And really, if its a modern poster, an extra 50 wont do anything in time.

QFT

Also, not-so-smart dealers driving down the prices on desireable posters is not always a bad thing.

I wouldn't have a rolled Spinal Tap Quad (which is far better than the one sheet, BTW) if it weren't for one of these 'finds'.  Eventually, those Peeping Tom quads will dry up...

Others that I have seen:
Raging Bull adv
Reservoir Dogs
Halloween '78 non-green box
Any IMAX poster since they went digital

[Ari]

French Eyes without a face. UK quads, She/1 Million years BC, Drac has risen, Aussie reissue Mad Max 1 sheets,

[Zorba]

I hope they find more! I wants me some cool posters!  

I dont see the big deal as Im not an investor Im a loon... There are only a handful of drunk buys I even think about selling...The other 95% I picked up cause I love em. They make me happy.

I am not buying posters. I am buying coffin stuffers.  

I got this Belgian poster from Rich at MPB for $2.01 and it is currently occupying one of my small frames and hanging in my kitchen. It is beat up and doesnt even fit in that frame but yet my gf thinks its great. Go figure. I dont ask.  

[MoviePosterBid.com]

I believe you're thinking of the "Outlaw" six sheet that got auctioned as "the only one extant" at one of them there Londonne auction houses, when 5 others (from the same consigner?) instantly appeared after it went for big pounds).  As I recall, the claim was they destroyed the rest of them, maybe keeping one more.

Or something like that.

--Peter

Oh yeah.. Peter is right.. that poster had that BS story attached
you're still wrong on that other subject tho Peter