The Next Generation of Poster Collectors.
in The Basics
First off, why put this topic in "The Basics" category?
Simple, it's a topic that comes down to one's planning of the future. How many times have you thought, "if only I had a crystal ball" I still think this today. BUT how do you think the younger generation will perceive the value of posters past.
One suggestion is that websites like Bruce's will influence that and I agree but there are sooo many factors like supply and demand that Dave mentioned.
So what are your thoughts?
Simple, it's a topic that comes down to one's planning of the future. How many times have you thought, "if only I had a crystal ball" I still think this today. BUT how do you think the younger generation will perceive the value of posters past.
One suggestion is that websites like Bruce's will influence that and I agree but there are sooo many factors like supply and demand that Dave mentioned.
So what are your thoughts?
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Well I keep reading the next generation can’t afford housing or find jobs and are lazy etc...
Bit if the return of vynil and mid-century modern furniture are any indication, future generations will always dip back in time for something.
To be honest, I think John’s comments about more and more collections being offered does and doesn’t bode well for our hobby. There will be plenty of stock available and we are continuing to get better at cataloging it online.
So posters will be easy to find but cheap since there will be less collectors the prices will fall within about a 40 year wave. 80s pieces have picked up steam since the 40 somethings now have disposable money. I’m guessing the 90s crowd is next?
The other thing that bothers me about the latest generation is the lack of sentimentality toward original things. Take vinyl and then even Mondo posters. This next generation isn’t worried about it being made in the past but strictly what the content represents. They will buy what ever is popular without much thought to history itself. The latest Mondo Jaws scam was proof enough - that people would spend 3 and 4 hundred dollars on the Mondo reprint instead of finding an original.
Mondo posters also scare me because people are going to think they have a real movie poster when it is actually just a reproduction or knock off.
That all leads to my theories about how the world will eventually do the opposite of what it does now. If people have a choice they will stop buying at mass super stores and focus on local foods. They will stop wasting time on Facebook (supposedly it is already dead to the next generation) and retract back to not over sharing and be more secure of their personal information. They will stop wanting cheap furniture and look towards the quality of the mid-century.
Eventually, the next few generations will look back. Especially with the trend of digital posters, online ads and the lack of physical attachment to a memory. I think they will retract and want to reach back to associate memories with things vs. memories with the digital. I would think this time of replacing real posters with digital will be highly collectible. There in theory will be fewer original posters and when the kids reach back they will be harder to find.
OK my fingers are tired and the wife is making coffee..
Do you know how many rolls of toilet paper I could buy for $421.26
Despite the many collections that are coming on to the market there seem to be more collectors than ever surfacing. The thing that concerns long time collectors is that the values are being affected by the flood of posters and lobby cards.
Titles that were common like Ghostbusters, Terminator, BTTF, Elm St etc have all dried up on ebay. When you can get them they are in the $200+ range.
Pre-internet collectors (who bought their stock for nothing) are holding posters that are generally waning in desirability. One fellow offered me his John Wayne collection for $3500. I valued them at about $600. Another guy has 400 lobby sets, all for Westerns. How much demand for Westerns is there these days?
When you consider that Bruce can liquidate 1000 posters in one session, I don't see any chance of a flood reducing values. It is more about the demand for titles that are actually in vogue.
Purists & niche collectors, like the members of VMPF, represent a very low percentage of the market IMO.
With the advent of digital marketing, it seems that collectors are now moving into other avenues for a physical piece of their favourite films / genres, such as autographed photos. Without new posters to draw in new collectors, the hobby relies on people deciding to seek out a vintage piece in order to 'catch the bug'.
No doubt, the glory days of posters are behind us, but my collection features items from before I was born and I'm sure many other collectors are the same. Some of Bruce's biggest auctions are for posters that are nearly 100 years old, so surely are going to people born after that time.
I think that the key films of any period and any genre will retain interest, but the middle - low end will fall away. I have no illusions that my European sexploitation daybills will ever be more than a curiousity and if / when I move them on, they'll be lucky to generate $10 a title (for the most part) and will probably take a long time to sell.
From what I see, some of their reasons...
- They see the prints as an 'artisan' product - strictly limited editions, created by a skilled artist and screen printed to give it some individuality/personality...as opposed to mass produced advertising. For the films that they relate to (70s/80s onwards), they see some of the original posters as photoshop junk created by the man (the studio), with no artistic value.
- There is a thriving aftermarket of trading and selling which many collectors enjoy. Buying new releases to sell/trade up to acquire older grail pieces is part of the fun to some of the collectors.
- There is a strong community - gallery shows and conferences for meet ups, collectors helping each other out over the internet and in Facebook groups. The artists mingle with the collectors and communicate directly, even to the point of feeding into creative decisions. The galleries are very good at engaging with the collectors and making them feel valued. There's a social element to the hobby.
- The forces that affect market prices are clear - supply is controlled as the editions are limited, so demand is driven by the property, the image, the artist name/reputation, the gallery, the size of the run. Expresso Beans website also tracks sales on eBay and allows for buyers to feel confident that they're not getting ripped off when buying a print on the secondary market as there's a history of sales for that print. It feels more transparent to them than trying to figure out a fair price for an original poster with a couple of sales at EMP in the last decade.
- The 'freshness' of the new creations - we all know what a Jaws one sheet looks like, but the thrill of seeing a good alternative movie poster and a different perspective on a well loved film is addictive to these collectors. The artists in the print scene have different styles, so the fans want artist A to do Jaws, then wonder what artist B and C will do with Jaws. There is always something new for a much loved film around the corner.
- There are currently no worries about fakes/bootlegs
- Being able to buy at source for a low price, then seeing that price potentially shoot up. The attraction of your hobby feeling like an investment (even if this is dangerous and a bit daft).
- The prices are about right for the level of disposable income that these collectors have. At that age, they're not going to be shopping at Heritage. $60 on a new release, or saving up to buy more expensive prints on the secondary market is affordable to them and acquiring the prints they want is challenging, but not impossible. If they like Uni Horror, they can collect officially licensed pieces with very nice artwork...the original poster market for Uni Horror is not really open to them (as a slightly extreme example).
I think the historic element of original posters is lost on most of the print collectors. They think one sheets from their favourite 80s films are cool, but for some of the reasons above, they just have more passion for the print scene. I guess they feel like they're creating history now. Anyway, I collect both and don't really have a preference...just a few thoughts on why I see prints being popular with younger collectors.
EDIT - As for the Jaws reprint 'scam'...I agree it's a bit daft, but the reasons I've seen are "but it's a screenprint!", "no fold lines!", "it's printed on much better paper", "it fits in my 24 x 36" frame". Reasons that seem a little silly to us, but I guess that just demonstrates how they see originals compared to this hobby they're immersed in. Personally, I bought one because it's signed by Kastel and I managed to get it directly from Mondo on the release. I'd rather put $400 towards a folded original than buy the print from eBay.