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How can you tell if a movie poster is "original"?
An original movie poster can be defined as: A poster that was issued for a movie by the National Screen Service (NSS), or by a movie studio, or by another company authorized by the studio FOR DISPLAY IN AN ACTUAL MOVIE THEATER at the time of the films original release.
Advertising posters used outside a theater (wilding, bus shelter, subway, and billboard) during an original release are also considered original movie posters.
There are also "Studio Issued" original movie posters. These were printed at the same time as theatrical display posters. Although usually not meant for theatrical display, they are still considered original. They were distributed to "insiders" and those who worked on the film.
Posters that were made to be sold to the public in stores or on line are reproductions/reprints or restrikes and are NOT original movie posters, even if they were printed around the time of the films release. Films that are very popular usually have all kinds of reproductions, licensed and unlicensed (bootlegs) and they are always on ebay. The market is flooded with them. Sometimes reproductions are so close in quality to originals that it is VERY hard to tell them apart.
Video posters are NOT original movie posters because they were issued to advertise the movies release on videotape or dvd, not during the films original theatrical release.
Original movie posters are HIGHLY collectible and can be worth thousands of dollars. Reproduction posters are not very collectible and usually have little if any value.
Just because a seller lists a poster in the ORIGINAL MOVIE POSTERS category on Ebay, does NOT mean it is an original movie poster. Sellers often list their reproduction posters there because they know they will be seen by more people as no one really browses the non original category.
Older posters prior to the mid 1980's were usually (not always) issued folded while newer posters are always issued rolled. Vintage original movie posters were normally printed in very limited quantities, thus they are usually pretty rare. All of them were not meant to be saved. After their initial use they were supposed to be returned to the studio or destroyed.
Usually, the older the poster, the rarer it is. Original movie posters usually contain an NSS information tag/paragraph and number. However, this is not always true. There are plenty of original movie posters that do not contain NSS info.. And, to complicate matters, just because a poster has an NSS tagline, NSS number, and a GAU (printer's union) logo, does not necessarily mean it is an original movie poster. There are many fakes and reprints that have this printed on them to make them appear more authentic.
Common standard sizes include: One Sheet 27"x41" or 27"x40", Insert 14"x36", Half Sheet 22"x28", Three Sheet 41"x81", Six Sheet 81"x81", Lobby Card 11"x14", Window Card 14"x22". Measurements on these can vary slightly, but usually by no more than a half inch or so.
Common Reproduction sizes (not original movie posters) are: 24"x36", 20"x30", 11"x17" and anything slightly smaller than a standard size one sheet approx. 26"x39".
The above information applies to U.S. posters. Non U.S. movie posters have different specs/sizes.
How can you tell if a movie poster is "original"?
We get this question all the time. There is never a simple answer. For every poster there are different things to look for. Here are just SOME of them:
What is the exact size?
Where did it come from?
Is it folded or rolled?
Does it have a GAU logo?
Is there an NSS number on the front?
Is there an NSS stamp on the back?
Does it "look" and "feel" right?
What kind of paper is it?
Is the print quality good?
Are there known reprints or reproductions of it?
People send us photos all the time asking if their posters are original. We usually can't answer definitively UNLESS WE SEE THE ITEM IN PERSON. We have handled many thousands of vintage movie posters over the years. We know what to look for. More than 99% of the time we can determine without a doubt, one way or the other, if a poster is an original or a reproduction.
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Thank you.
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This guide created by David A. Lieberman, CineMasterpieces.
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