Learn Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Movie Posters
(Even how to Sell and Make a Profit)
Collecting authentic movie posters is among the fastest growing hobbies in America and around the world. The movie poster category on eBay is among the most active. But what exactly is an original movie poster, and how does a beginner keep from buying fakes or reprints?

Learn About Movie Posters by Ed and Susan Poole answers the important questions collectors need to know about this fascinating hobby. It’s one of the most comprehensive book ever compiled on original movie posters and how to collect them.

In over 448 pages you will learn about
* The birth of the movie poster
* The sizes and types of movie art
* Common forms of movie art
* How movie posters were processed and distributed
* The different types of International movie posters
* Movie art as investments
* Assessing the condition of your movie art
* How to buy and sell movie posters
* The poster artists, who they were and which posters they created
* Caring for your collection
And much, much more.

Ed and Susan Poole’s Learn About Movie Posters is the first book that teaches you everything you ever wanted to know about collecting authentic movie posters.

This is no skimpy little booklet. This Movie Poster guide contains 448 pages of valuable information, and lots of photos.

Look what people are saying...
"When I got my copy of Learn About Movie Posters I started reading right away. It really helped me feel like I could understand how to collect." Mary R.
"I was so excited after I read through it, the next thing I did was go to eBay and place three bids. I was too worried to do that before. Now I buy and sell with confidence." Jim S.
"Without Learn About Movie Posters I would be just shooting in the dark. Because of the guide I can find the bargains and snatch them up." George K.

What the authors spent a lifetime learning through trial and error, you can learn in one evening curled up with this fascinating and informative guide book.

(view complete Table of Contents - click here)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LETTER FROM AUTHORS .....................................................................................15
OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK....................................................................................16

PART I - HISTORY ....................................................................................................21

Birth of Movie Poster .......................................................................................23
Early Inventors and Their Inventions ......................................................23
It’s Showtime ........................................................................................26
Movie Poster Advertising ...................................................................27
A Star is Born .......................................................................................34
The Silent Era .......................................................................................36
The Golden Age of Film ......................................................................38
Patriotism Reigns ................................................................................39
Invasion of the “B” Sci-Fi Film .............................................................40
Enter the Gimmick ...............................................................................41
Stone Litho Fades Into the Sunset .....................................................41
Creation of the Multi-Plex ....................................................................42
Movies on Video ..................................................................................42
The Movie Posters of the Future ........................................................43
American Movie Studios ................................................................................44
The Trust ...............................................................................................45
Independent Studios ............................................................................48
Changing Ownerships .........................................................................50
The Struggle for Power ........................................................................51
The Big Five .........................................................................................52
The Little Three .....................................................................................54
Significant Others ................................................................................55
And the Beat Goes On ........................................................................57

PART II - STUDIO RELEASED MOVIE ART ..............................................................59

Movie Art Sizes and Types ............................................................................62 Display .................................................................................................62
One Sheet ................................................................................64
Three Sheet ..............................................................................67
Six Sheet ..................................................................................69
Twenty Four Sheet ...................................................................72
Lobby Cards ............................................................................74
22” x 28” Half Sheet .................................................................80
Insert card .................................................................................82
30” x 40” ....................................................................................84
40” x 60” ....................................................................................86
Color Panels ............................................................................88
Color Gloss Lobby Card .........................................................89
Banners ....................................................................................90
Door Panels .............................................................................92
Standees ...................................................................................93
Window Cards ..........................................................................94
Bus Stop ...................................................................................98
Subway Poster .........................................................................99
Twelve Sheet ..........................................................................101
Thirty Sheet ............................................................................101
Snipes ....................................................................................102
Experimental Sizes ...............................................................103

Press .................................................................................................105
Press Kits/Campaign Kits ....................................................105
Pressbooks ............................................................................105
Ad Slicks ................................................................................106
Press Stills ..............................................................................107
Color Slides ............................................................................107
Presskit Photography CD .....................................................107

Promotional Items ..............................................................................108
Programs ................................................................................109
Heralds ....................................................................................110
Mini Sheets ............................................................................112
Promotional Giveaways ........................................................113

Common Forms of Movie Art .......................................................................114
Advance/Teaser .................................................................................115
Anniversary Issues (Studio Released) .............................................117
Awards Issue ......................................................................................119
Combo ................................................................................................120
Double-sided ......................................................................................122
Duotone ...............................................................................................123
Hologram/Lenticular ...........................................................................124
Military .................................................................................................125
Mylar .....................................................................................................126
Personality ...........................................................................................127
Premiere ..............................................................................................128 Reissues/Rereleases .........................................................................129
Renames .............................................................................................130
Review .................................................................................................131
Roadshow ...........................................................................................133
Serials ..................................................................................................134
Shorts ..................................................................................................136
Stock Sheet .........................................................................................138
Styles ....................................................................................................139
Processing and Distribution of Movie Posters ...........................................142
Lithographers .....................................................................................142
Printing Processes ............................................................................143
Stone Lithography ..................................................................143
Color Offset Printing ..............................................................145
Rotogravure ............................................................................145
Photogelatin/Collotype ..........................................................146
Lenticular ................................................................................146
Double-Sided .........................................................................147
Distributors .........................................................................................147
National Screen Service (NSS) ...........................................148
Technicolor .............................................................................152
Studios Direct ........................................................................152
Other Companies ..................................................................152
United Theatrical Amusement ..................................152
Donald L. Velde Company .......................................153
Secondary Printers ................................................................153
Leader Press .............................................................153
The “Other” Company ................................................154
Globe Poster Printing Corp. .....................................155
Hatch Show Prints .....................................................156
Benton Card Company .............................................158

PART III - INTERNATIONAL MOVIE POSTERS ....................................................163

Movie Market Outside the U.S .....................................................................165
What Is Considered International? ...............................................................166
Are International Posters Collectible? ..........................................................167 Australia ..............................................................................................168
Belgium ...............................................................................................169
Canada ................................................................................................170
France .................................................................................................171
Germany ..............................................................................................173
Hong Kong ..........................................................................................176
Italy .......................................................................................................177
Japan ...................................................................................................178
Mexico .................................................................................................179
New Zealand ......................................................................................169
Poland .................................................................................................180
United Kingdom .................................................................................181
U.S./International Release Materials ............................................................183

PART IV - QUASI AND NON-COLLECTIBLE MOVIE POSTERS ......................185

Limited Edition ...............................................................................................187
Film Prints, Inc. ..................................................................................188
Kilian Enterprises ..............................................................................189
S2 Art Group ......................................................................................190
Suncoast .............................................................................................192
Ghost ...................................................................................................193
Video ..............................................................................................................194
Cable TV .........................................................................................................197
Reprints ...........................................................................................................198
Fakes/Bootlegs ..............................................................................................201
Misrepresentation ......................................................................................... 203

PART V - MOVIE ART AS COLLECTIBLES .........................................................207

Movie Poster Collecting As A Hobby ..........................................................209
Movie Posters as Investments ......................................................................210
What You Need to Know to Collect Movie Posters ........................212
What Is Collectible Movie Art? .........................................................213
Common Sizes of Movie Art .............................................................214
What Are The Different Forms of Movie Art ....................................219
Difference in Original and Re-issued Movie Art .............................221
Determining the Age .........................................................................222
How to Assess The Condition of Movie Art ....................................225
Bleed-Throughs/See-Throughs.............................................226
Creases ..................................................................................228
Drill Holes ...............................................................................228
Fading ....................................................................................229
Holes .......................................................................................229
Marks .......................................................................................230
Stains ..................................................................................... 231
Tape ........................................................................................231
Tears .......................................................................................232
Trimming .................................................................................232
Wrinkles ..................................................................................233
How to Grade Movie Art ....................................................................234
6-Grade System ....................................................................234
9-Grade System ....................................................................236
Warren’s 10 Grade system ...................................................236
Auction Houses ......................................................................240
Determining Market Value ................................................................242
Supply .....................................................................................243
Demand ..................................................................................243
Objectivity ................................................................................243
Research .................................................................................244

PART VI - BUYING AND SELLING MOVIE POSTERS ........................................ 247

Buying Movie Posters ...................................................................................249
Local Collector Shop .........................................................................249
Traveling Mall Shows .........................................................................251
Collector Conventions .......................................................................251
Catalogue and Mail Order ................................................................252
Internet Dealers ..................................................................................253
Internet Auctions ................................................................................254
In-House Auctions ..............................................................................255
Buying Collections .............................................................................256
Selling Movie Posters ...................................................................................258
Collection Selling ...............................................................................259
Selling Individual Posters ..................................................................259
Selling Rarer Items .............................................................................261

PART VII - SPECIALIZING YOUR COLLECTION ..................................................263

Poster Artists .................................................................................................266
American Movie Poster Artists ........................................................266
American Studio Artists ....................................................................310
Columbia Pictures ..................................................................310
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ............................................................311
Paramount ...............................................................................311
RKO .........................................................................................312
United Artists ..........................................................................313
Universal Studios ...................................................................313
Warner Brothers ....................................................................314
International Artists ............................................................................315
France .....................................................................................315
Italy ...........................................................................................318
Poland .....................................................................................323
United Kingdom .....................................................................332
Character ........................................................................................................335 Country ............................................................................................................336
Director/Producer ..........................................................................................336
Era ...................................................................................................................336 Form ................................................................................................................338
Genre ..............................................................................................................338
Size .................................................................................................................338
Special Distribution .......................................................................................339
Star ..................................................................................................................340 Studio ..............................................................................................................341
Subject ............................................................................................................341
Title ..................................................................................................................341

PART VIII - CARING FOR YOUR COLLECTION ...................................................343

Preservation ...................................................................................................345
Storing Posters ..................................................................................346
Storing Your Folded Posters ................................................347
Storing Your Rolled Posters .................................................348
Storing Your Posters Flat ......................................................350
Displaying Posters ............................................................................351
Boards and Bags ..................................................................351
Shrink Wrap ...........................................................................352
Shrink Wrap for Larger Posters ...........................................353
Sleeves/Binders .....................................................................356
Sleeves For Larger Posters .................................................357
Racks ......................................................................................357
Encapsulation .........................................................................358
Lamination ..............................................................................359
Dry-Mounting ..........................................................................360
Linen Backing ........................................................................361
Framing ..................................................................................362
Lightboxes ..............................................................................368
Insuring Your Posters ....................................................................................369 Dealer Insurance ................................................................................369
Collector Insurance ............................................................................369
Shipping Movie Posters ...............................................................................370
How to Ship .......................................................................................370
U. S. Postal Alert ................................................................................371

PART IX - FINAL ANALYSIS .....................................................................................375

Internet Auctions .............................................................................................377
What We See As The Future of Older Posters As Collectible .................378
What We See As The Future of Newer Posters As Collectible ................379
Old vs. New Collectors ..................................................................................380
Grading Systems ...........................................................................................381
Restoration Code ..........................................................................................382
Overall Outlook ...............................................................................................383

PART X - REFERENCE ..........................................................................................385

Reference Resources ...................................................................................387
Books ..................................................................................................387
Price Guides ......................................................................................388
Publications ........................................................................................388
Internet Sites .......................................................................................390
Abbreviations .................................................................................................391
Glossary of Commonly Used Terms ............................................................392
Bibliography ...................................................................................................409
Index of Illustrations ........................................................................................410 Index ................................................................................................................414