How to buy a Vintage Movie Poster

You want to buy or give an original movie poster.

Here are the right questions to ask yourself before buying.

As a preamble

The so-called "original" movie posters are those displayed in movie theaters for the promotion of a film. They are considered collector's documents because they are published in limited quantities for the film's theatrical release, and only a small number survive in good conditions to use and hazards. For collectors and film buffs, for those who liked a particular film, they have a strong emotional impact because they date back to the film's theatrical release. It is also a good investment because their value increases over time.

Reproductions (or copies) are published on demand, with no limit on quantity, and are therefore cheaper. They also have the advantage of being "new" because they are never displayed, but apart from art copies, the print quality is often poor and they do not increase in value over time.

Important: the rest of this article will only concern original movie posters.

1. Which film, what kind of film to choose?

If you have a clear idea of the movie to look for, move on to the following question. If not, ask yourself about your tastes in cinema (or those of the future owner), about the films that have marked you. Is it essential that you know the film or the actor, or are you looking to create a mood in a certain location? To make the right choice, it is essential to think about the place where the poster will be displayed (the office, the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen?). Once these questions have been clarified, direct your research towards the most suitable films or film genres: Crime, Western, Cartoon, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comedy, French Cinema, an actor, a director?....

2. What format?

There is no right or wrong poster format. Choose the format according to the place where it will be displayed, and of course according to the tastes of the person for whom the poster is intended (collectors of very large posters do not necessarily intend to display them). Note that original movie posters come in many formats, which vary greatly depending on the country of origin of the poster. If you want to buy a very large poster, opt for the large French format (about 120x160 cm), the noble format of cinemas in France. The small formats are also available in French (40x60cm and 60x80cm formats), Belgian (35x55cm), Czech (28x40 cm) versions... Click here to read more about our special article on country formats.

3. First outing or re-outing?

When it is released in theaters, the promotion of a film is ensured in particular by movie posters, and sometimes even several versions of posters for a given release. Some of the most popular films have been released in theaters several times. With each release, the studios produce new versions of posters, photos, programs and other promotional materials, all legitimate as original collector's items. It will then all depend on your tastes in terms of visuals but also price. Indeed, documents associated with the oldest releases, in particular the first theatrical release, are generally more sought after by collectors, and therefore often have more value than documents associated with the most recent releases.

4. What budget?

The price of original movie posters varies from very affordable (less than 10 euros) to high depending on the case. It all depends on the rarity of the poster and its popularity. It's the famous law of supply and demand! (See also our articles on the evaluation of the price of posters, and on the most expensive movie posters in the world). If you are looking for a poster for a specific film, you should know that the price will depend on many factors including the reputation of the film, the origin of the poster (its country), the format of the poster, its age, its condition (like new or with some defects), the fact that it is a first release or a re-release in the cinema... All these criteria will allow you to make your budget coincide with the cost of the poster, for example by choosing one format or one state rather than another because it is more affordable.

If it is an investment, prefer the classic "timeless" ones. The poster market is very active. The classics of the 70s and 80s, until now very accessible, are becoming more and more popular, mechanically driving prices up.

5. Which state to choose?

A poster with a few defects (yellowing of the paper, staple holes, tears) is not necessarily a bad poster. Some collectors appreciate the "vintage" side of the documents with these imperfections, which often become discreet once the poster is framed. The fact that the poster is folded is not considered a defect, if it is an original fold. Indeed, many posters were delivered folded (by the printer) to cinemas.


Note above all that the condition of the poster influences its price. For a given poster, it may therefore be interesting to accept a few imperfections to benefit from a better price. Clean tears, for example, become discreet once the poster is framed. A missing piece, on the other hand, will be more visible, depending on the location concerned. If it's an investment, avoid posters with a missing piece as they are more difficult to resell

6. Where to buy?

Prefer recognized poster stores, which guarantee the authenticity of the posters in their catalog. And if not, choose retailers who accept returns and ask them for as much information as possible about the poster because nothing is more frustrating than receiving a reproduction when you think you have ordered an original poster. Important: all the posters in our catalogue are original posters, having been used in cinemas. WE DO NOT SELL REPRODUCTIONS OF POSTERS.

We hope this article was helpful,

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The Mauvais Genres team.