Movie Poster Info Information * Movie Poster Guide * Beware of Fake Movie Posters !!

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?

Every now and then we come across a movie poster that seems too good to be true. One that is very old, unused, and in near pristine condition. If you look at other collectibles, there are coins, baseball cards and comic books that have survived for over 50 years in near mint condition. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

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.

Movie Posters: Factors That Determine Value

By David A. Lieberman

The value of a movie poster depends on 6 primary factors; its originality, its rarity, demand, its overall condition, the movie or stars popularity, and its beauty.

ORIGINALITY

Buying movie posters can be a wonderful experience, or it can be a horrific nightmare. There are so many fake and/or reprint posters that appear to be original that sometimes even poster dealers have a hard time determining what is authentic. Yes, there are "fake" posters floating around out there (read more about this below). Most people don't even know they have a fake. Many do know and try to pawn them off to unsuspecting buyers on ebay! Fakes are virtually worthless.

RARITY

Prior to the 1990's, original movie posters were printed in limited quantities. They were supposed to be returned to the studio or destroyed after use, they are truly rare. Usually, the older the poster, the rarer it is. . Some sizes of posters are much rarer and thus more valuable than others. In the U.S. for example, very few 3 sheets and 6 sheets were printed thus they are extremely hard to come by compared to the standard issue one sheet for the same title. Reprints and fakes are printed in unlimited quantities, therefore they are not rare.

DEMAND

A poster may be incredibly rare, but that alone does not make it valuable. There has to be demand for it. For example, there are many obscure films from the 1920's and 1930's where almost no material exists. This does not mean that collectors want posters from them or will pay a premium for them. On the other hand, there are some posters that are in abundant supply yet they always sell at a premium because demand for them is high (e.g. Star Wars style A one sheet).

CONDITION

The condition of a poster greatly affects its value. Since many people inaccurately describe and grade their posters it is very easy to get "taken" without actually seeing the poster in person. Any restoration done will also affect value. We accurately describe all our posters and use the grading scale for movie posters developed by Jon Warren.

MOVIE OR STARS POPULARITY

People collect and display things they love. Everyone has their favorite movie and favorite movie stars. A movie or movie stars popularity is one of the determining factors of how collectible and valuable a poster is. Marilyn Monroe and Elvis posters for example usually demand a premium, even for lesser known movies they were in.

BEAUTY

If a movie poster has a great design or beautiful artwork it can significantly increase it's value. One of the best examples of this is the U.S. poster for the Noir film Chinatown. Several foreign issues have very colorful and incredible artwork, many times surpassing the U.S. version in design quality. For example, the Italian and British version of The Godfather features a profile of Marlon Brando unlike the U.S. version making it highly sought after. The Australian daybill for Halloween is the only poster from the first Halloween movie to actually feature Michael Myers making it extremely collectible and hard to obtain. The From Russia With Love poster from the U.S. can not even compare to the beautiful stone litho French version.

All About Fakes and Reprints

By David A. Lieberman

Movie posters can be found at flea markets, garage sales, local poster shops, and especially on the internet and on Ebay. There are also many FAKES, “generously graded" items, frauds, scam artists, reprints, reissues, reproductions, bootlegs, counterfeits, etc. Yes, these items can be found in your local poster shop! They are CONSTANTLY being pawned off on Ebay to unsuspecting, uneducated buyers. There are MANY people who are not poster experts selling what THEY believe to be an original movie poster. Inaccurate descriptions are quite common. Generally, one only has to worry about blatant fakes for movies released after 1970. Fakes are only known to exist in the insert, half sheet, and one sheet size. REPRODUCTIONS exist for almost all popular titles, but these usually are easily to spot. For example, years ago Portal Publications was a company that reproduced MANY popular older posters. These were licensed, but since some of these are actually 30 to 50 years old some people mistake them for original movie posters. Another example is Suncoast. For years they sold movie posters in their mall stores with labels marked "Original Movie Poster". They were NOT original theater posters, they were printed exclusively for the Suncoast stores. Suncoast was sued because of this false label and has since changed the wording on their label.

Be careful! Reprints, Reproductions, and Fakes are not issued by the studio or NSS for theatrical display. They are not valuable or collectible! They are however found everywhere. At first glance they may appear to be exactly the same as the original. Most however are slightly smaller. They usually come in sizes similar to one sheets or inserts. There are rare instances of posters being reprinted years later by the studio. These usually differ slightly from the real original studio issues. A good example of this is in the early 1980's all the James Bond movie one sheets were reprinted as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark. These constantly turn up on ebay.

There are printers, mostly overseas (some licensed, some not) that copy the real studio issued posters. Sometimes they are marked as reprints, sometimes they aren't. They sell them in bulk mostly to shady U.S. poster dealers. Some dealers correctly advertise and sell them as reprints, some do not. These printers now even print double sided in an attempt to fool the collecting novice. They are usually easy to spot due to subtle differences in size and printing quality, although examples exist that are meant to deceive, including popular titles such as Jaws, all the Star Wars movies, Raiders of the lost Ark, Raging Bull, Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, Blade Runner, Scarface, and others. Even some of the newer popular titles like “Spiderman” and “The Matrix” have fakes and reprints. BEWARE!

Reprints or fakes can be very good, many times even fooling experts. This is especially true for many of the popular movies from the 70’s and 80’s. There are also some dealers on ebay (criminals) selling what they claim are originals, KNOWING they are fakes. Believe it or not, some of the dealers even BELIEVE the fake posters are real! Some just look the other way.

These crooks are mainly from ROCHESTER, N.Y. and OKLAHOMA. (There are a few others scattered around the U.S., the U.K., and the rest of the world.) They have even gone as far as setting up a VERY elaborate website to try and prove that their posters are original. The site is full of ridiculous misinformation and blatant lies. Anyone who questions them on the authenticity of one of these fake posters is directed to the web site where a cartoonish looking "Professor Powers" tells you there are no fake movie posters, just different "printings" and/or they are part of a "warehouse find". The web site is pathetic, there is no such person as Professor Powers. It is a well known Rochester NY dealer (or maybe it's the guy from Oklahoma?) with a fake wig and beard. If one was not an expert and did not know any better and one of these dishonest dealers pointed you to this website, you might tend to believe him.

Some of these fraudulent dealers have been around for over 20 years! If you think being a dealer for a long time and having 1000+ positive feedback on ebay makes one honorable….think again. Most people who buy from these "dealers" don’t know they have been ripped off, and they may never find out. Only when they go to sell their fake years later do they find out the bad news.

One of the saddest things (and we see this quite frequently) is when an unknowing collector tries to sell their fake. They absolutely refuse to face reality that their poster is not genuine. They refuse to believe they were ripped off because the dealer they got it from swore up and down that it was real, seemed so nice, knowledgeable, and trustworthy (these are all the elements of a successful thief!!). Their logic is "well, if a DEALER told me it is authentic then it just has to be!!". This is absolutely absurd, but that is just the way some people think.

Beware of "LIGHTLY FOLDED" Star Wars one sheets!! Ebay scam artists are now lightly folding their fake rolled Style C and Teaser B one sheets. They are doing this because it makes them appear more authentic. They are having trouble selling these rolled fakes so they are trying this method.

How do these deceitful dealers get away with it? Well, this hobby is unregulated. There are no “poster police”. It truly is “buyer beware”. Ebay has become a haven for criminal activity, and they are unwilling and/or powerless to stop it. Sadly, there is no way for anybody to stop it!

So, how do you tell the difference between real and fake movie posters? See our article below about "Minty White" fake inserts. For more information on the origin of fakes and reprints and how to spot them, please visit learnaboutmovieposters.com. In addition, the highly regarded site iguide.net has a movie poster forum that discusses many of the fake posters in detail.

Even if a poster has an NSS tagline and a GAU logo, it does not guarantee authenticity. There are authorized reproductions of classic 50's and 60's U.S. posters that include these.

Here are just of few of the many titles that have been reprinted or faked over the years. Some are easy to spot, some are not. This list is not complete, it is forever growing:

2001 A Space Odyssey, insert

A Clockwork Orange, insert, British Quad

Alien, insert

Apocalypse Now, insert

Annie Hall, insert and one sheet

Barbarella, one sheet

Blade Runner, one sheet and insert

Breakfast Club, one sheet

Casino, one sheet

Enforcer, insert and half sheet

Empire Strikes Back, Style A (Gone with the Wind) insert and Style A half sheet

Grease, insert

Goodfellas, one sheet

Halloween, one sheet

The Godfather, one sheet and insert

Jaws, one sheet and insert

Jailhouse Rock, one sheet and insert

Manhattan, one sheet and insert

The Matrix, one sheet

Pulp Fiction, recalled advance and regular issue one sheet

Pretty Woman, one sheet

Raiders of the Lost Ark, one sheet and insert

Raging Bull, one sheet and insert

Revenge of the Jedi, one sheet

Return of the Jedi, insert

Rocky, one sheet

Shaft, one sheet

Shining, insert

Sixteen candles, one sheet

Star Trek, inset

Star Wars style A, one sheet and insert

Star Wars style B Advance Teaser, one sheet

Star Wars style C, one sheet

Star Wars style D, one sheet

Saving Private Ryan, one sheet

Saturday Night Fever, insert

Scarface, one sheet and insert

Spiderman Advance and Regular, one sheet

Shawshank Redemption, one sheet

Taxi Driver, one sheet and insert

Terminator, one sheet

Wall Street, one sheet

LOBBY CARD SETS- There are also a ton of fake lobby card sets from popular movies like Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Jaws, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Goodfellas, Caddyshack, etc., etc..

"Minty White" Fake Inserts

By David A. Lieberman

As you can see from the list directly above, there are at least 20 highly collectible titles that have fake inserts. Inserts are printed on card stock and measure 14" x 36". There has been much talk about this topic within the past few years between the top dealers and collectors of movie posters. Every major dealer and name in this hobby has expressed their opinion on this and ALL agree that it is a MAJOR problem. The only ones who believe these inserts are real are the ones who are selling them every week on ebay. They say they are from "a warehouse find". This is total B.S.. They have an endless supply. There are also a select few fake lobby card sets and half sheets. Half Sheets measure 22" x 28" and are also on card stock.

So how do you spot them? Well first of all, as far as anybody has researched, the above titles are the only ones known with confirmed bootlegs. The bootlegs have the NSS info. and GAU markings like the originals. If they are "Minty White" and look brand new like they were printed yesterday........they probably were! If they are glossy on both sides, they are fake. If you see it for sale on ebay for a low "buy it now" price, and this same dealer has been selling them continuously for years.....it is most likely a fake. You can disregard their almost perfect feedback record....it is completely irrelevant. They sell a ton of "real" original posters, but they also sell these fakes continuously. They do not care that they are ruining the hobby. None of the buyers knows they have been burned until it is too late and they have already left positive feedback. These dealers prey on newbies that are unaware that fake posters even exist!!

THE TRUTH BEHIND THESE FAKES: Some time ago, a few ROCHESTER, NEW YORK and OKLAHOMA poster dealers got together and hired a printer to run off thousands of these bogus posters. The printer did not know what he was doing was illegal. Not that it matters anyway because no one would press charges against him. These criminal dealers are counterfeiters, they got away with it, and continue to get away with it!!

If you are the unfortunate owner of one or more of these and you ever try to sell them, you will be lucky if you get more than $5.00 for them. No reputable dealer or knowledgeable buyer will go near them.

How do experts know they are fakes? The major problem with these posters is that they are printed on a type of paper that has never been used to print any other movie poster....ever! They look BRAND NEW. They are glossy on both sides (usually). The cropping, markings, and artwork is sometimes slightly different from known originals when compared side by side. The printing quality is pretty good....but not as good as originals when examined closely.

There were thousands of movies released during the same era (1970's - early 1980's). Other than the above highly collectible titles.......NOT ONE OF THESE COMMON ORDINARY "NOT VERY COLLECTIBLE" TITLES HAS EVER APPEARED ON THE SAME KIND OF PAPER AS THESE OBVIOUSLY FAKE INSERTS. The fact is they are pretty easy to spot, but only if you are familiar with what a real insert looks and feels like.

These same unscrupulous dealers that have an endless supply of these fake inserts also regularly sell fake one sheets including Star Wars Teaser B's, "Hairy Belt" Star Wars Style A's, fake Star Wars Style C's, Bootleg "Miramax stamped" Pulp Fiction, Spiderman "recalled version" ....... as well as many others.

I have been threatened with legal action from these criminal dealers if I mention their names. I won't be doing that anymore, all I can say is buyer beware.

8 factors that will help you to determine if you have a fake/bootleg movie poster:

A fake movie poster may not possess all the characteristics described below, but it will definitely have most of them.

1. Is it "minty white"? Just because a poster looks brand new does not mean it is a fake. It is just the first obvious sign that it is. This must be combined with at least some of the other factors below to confirm it is a fake.

2. Have they been continuously for sale by the same Rochester, NY dealers for the past 5+ years?

3. Are they slightly blurry when compared to undisputed originals?

4. Is the art work slightly different than known originals?

5. Is the suspect title one that is highly collectible?

6. Is it on a glossy type of paper, usually both sides glossy, that has not been used on any other type of movie poster ever? (except for the confirmed 19 or so highly collectible bootlegged titles listed above)

7. Are the overall measurements significantly different than known originals? Bootlegs often are smaller by at least a quarter of an inch or more, but this is not always the case.

8. Did you buy it for a "steal"? If you think you got a great deal by buying a poster on ebay, go back and look at the auction. Was the auction description vague? Did the seller have a lot of feedback? Was he from Rochester? Was the picture small or blurry? Did a lot of people bid on it? Were they seemingly knowledgeable people judging by their feedback/experience? Was it a "PRIVATE" auction? Dishonest sellers often make their auctions private (you can't see the bidders identities) so honest people can't warn bidders that they are about to be ripped off.

UPDATE: Minty Whites That Aren't Minty White Anymore!!

Recently in June 2007 we acquired a Jaws insert that looked and felt right. It was not "minty white", was not glossy on both sides, and the printing was fantastic. We listed it as an original. We had no reason to believe it wasn't authentic. We have handled a TON of fake inserts....so we know what to look for. This one completely fooled US!! It was originally acquired about 6-7 years ago on ebay from a known fake seller in Oklahoma. The paper has aged!! It does NOT look fake anymore!! Someone brought it to our attention and after a little investigating we found out where it originated from. These things are DANGEROUS!!! and as time goes by they are going to look more and more real and fool more and more people. They are ruining the hobby for new collectors. BEWARE!!!

STAR WARS Bootlegs/Restrikes/Fakes

By David A. Lieberman

Tons of fakes exist for the Style A, B, and C one sheets. The Style A insert has also been faked (see above).

Style A Style B Teaser Style C

There DEFINITELY ARE bootlegs/restrikes/fakes/whatever you want to call them. They are always on ebay for sale from a few unscrupulous dealers (the same ones who sell the fake "minty white" inserts, the fake "Miramax stamped" Pulp Fiction advances, as well as others). These dealers WRONGLY advertise them as ORIGINAL movie posters (in fact, they HAVE TO say they are original because ebay policy forbids selling counterfeit items!!). THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT REAL, AUTHENTIC, OR ORIGINAL! They were printed without authorization using the same plates and printed on the same printing press sometime in the mid to late 1980's. I AM 100% CERTAIN OF THIS. They are not "original movie posters". They are of outstanding quality though and they still fool many dealers today. They are exactly the same size and the print quality is almost exactly the same. All of this has been well documented before. In short, in the late 1980's Lucasfilm sued and had a bunch of them destroyed. Some of them (a lot of them!) escaped.

They contain most of the same markings, BUT...there are obvious differences if you compare them side by side. The most notable differences are:

Style A 1sh- bootleg/restrike/fake has a hair on Luke's belt.
Style B 1sh- bootleg/restrike/fake has NO GAU logo on the bottom
Style C 1sh- bootleg/restrike/fake has a hair Leia's back.

The only people on planet earth who believe these posters are authentic originals are the criminals who have been selling them every week on ebay for the past 5 plus years. Most of these dealers for some reason come from Rochester. There is also one in Oklahoma and few in other parts of the U.S. and the rest of the world. They have an endless supply. Since word has spread among knowledgeable dealers and collectors, it has become difficult for them to sell these rolled mint fakes....so what do they do now? They make them appear more authentic by saying they are "theater used". They lightly fold them or put pin holes in the corners. They also have now started linen backing them. They sell these fakes along with thousands of other genuine original real posters from other movies. Their feedback is usually near perfect because those who have been duped HAVE NO IDEA!! They have ripped off thousands of people over the years, these fake posters are everywhere!!

These crooks have even set up an elaborate website with a phony "Professor Powers". Anyone who questions these dealers on the authenticity of their items is told to visit the website where this fictional professor basically says there are no such thing as fakes/bootlegs. The site is a total joke and a complete scam.

Dealers have known about these fakes for quite some time. Some choose to ignore the facts because they paid a lot for them and are still trying to unload them.

The Official Tomart's Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles makes reference to these fakes.......BACK IN 1997! This book was authorized by Lucasfilm. It's author, Steve Sansweet, is an employee of Lucasfilm.

Page 135: "Unfortunately, most of the Star Wars style A, B-advance and C one-sheets being sold widely today are bootlegs (the quality is a little less than perfect, with images a bit more hazy than they should be), as are many Revenge of the Jedi posters and the infamous U.S. Triple Bill poster. The artwork on fake style A posters is slightly smaller than the original, and the "©1977 Twentieth Century-Fox" line directly under the artwork on the left side is flush with the border on the bootleg, rather than being indented about one-eighth inch like the real one. The color is also slightly different. Bootleg style B posters have some smearing around a few of the letters, and the oval union label to the left of center in the bottom border is missing. On style C bootlegs, the faces of the characters have a yellowish cast, rather than the original orange-brown flesh tone."

In early 2005, a genuine rolled mint Style C sold for over $1000.00 on ebay.

In 2004, a genuine rolled Style A sold for $650.00 on ebay. In 2005 we sold one on ebay for over $1500.00!!

In 2004, a genuine rolled Style B sold for $575.00 on ebay.

There are also fakes for "The Empire Strikes Back" and the recalled one sheet for "Revenge of the Jedi". For details on these please see our Star Wars page.

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BEWARE OF FAKE MOVIE POSTERS!!

By David A. Lieberman, written for Ebay Guides

There is a good reason why this is the NUMBER ONE RANKED GUIDE in the Movie Memorabilia category on eBay. People are sick and tired of getting ripped off by shady dealers!

Every major professional movie poster dealer and knowledgeable long time collector knows that there are FAKE movie posters all over Ebay. These are illegally printed non licensed reproductions made with the intent to deceive novice buyers. They are NOT ORIGINAL MOVIE POSTERS and have little if any value. They are from very popular movies (the "good titles", the ones everyone wants).

Some of these bootlegs have been around SINCE THE LATE 1980'S.....FOR OVER 20 YEARS! They are very good quality fakes and often fool some experienced dealers and collectors. Some of the ones you see are from sellers who honestly don't know they are not original, BUT THERE ARE A FEW BAD GUYS who know exactly what they have! They have been selling them to newbies (new, non experienced collectors) for years on ebay and at collector shows. They have an endless supply of these reproductions. Their ebay feedback is great because buyers do not know they have been ripped off (until it is too late). These con artists also sell a lot of authentic material, but a good portion of their sales are of bootleg/fake posters. There is no way for anyone to prove they are fake, so they will be able to continue selling them. There are no "poster police" and the major studios really do not care. If you ask any reputable poster dealer or poster expert that has had the opportunity to closely examine them, they will tell you these are not original movie posters.

These bozos have even gone as far as setting up a SCAM website with a phony "Professor Powers" to help sell their fakes. The "Professor" claims to be a former NSS employee with inside knowledge about movie posters. The "Professor" is not a real person. He is actually a dishonest dealer from Rochester N.Y. with a pathetic looking fake beard and wig. The scam website was built by 2 shady dealers from Rochester (Tom and Ed) with the help of another dishonest dealer in Oklahoma (Rick). It is full of ridiculous lies and misinformation.

Star Wars

THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE NEW STAR WARS POSTER BOOK PUBLISHED IN 2005 BY LUCASFILM.

On page 289 of this book, it goes into detail describing exactly what is said below. There ARE bootlegs of Star Wars posters! Don't let any dishonest seller try and tell you otherwise. These bootlegs are of exceptional quality, and to the untrained eye can easily appear authentic. The reason they appear so real is because they were printed from the same plates as the originals, only it was done over 10 years later in the late 1980's! There are very subtle differences, you have to know what to look for or you can easily be fooled.

Look out for "lightly folded" Star Wars style A, B, and C full size 27"x41" one sheets. These are the most counterfeited movie posters in history! To make them appear "theater used", the bad guys have started to fold them because they were having trouble selling them rolled. It makes them appear more authentic if they are folded. Sometimes after they fold them they put pin holes in them and even go as far as getting them linen backed! The style A bootleg will have a small hair on Luke's belt, the style B bootleg will be missing the GAU logo, and the Style C bootleg will have a small hair on Leia's back. If you ask the few unscrupulous dealers who have an endless supply of these (they have been selling them non stop on Ebay since the late 90's) they will try to convince you that they are just a "printing variation" that is common with all movie posters. This is a blatant lie, but to an uninformed new collector it sounds like a reasonable excuse. None of these fakes has EVER come from a theater and none were EVER printed for theater use. These are UNAUTHORIZED RESTRIKES!! (see below). They have been around since the late 80's and they are of excellent quality. These fakes were first documented in The Tomarts' Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles.....back in 1997!!! They are also documented in the new 2005 Star Wars Poster Book. These books are authorized by Lucasfilm. The author is Steve Sansweet who is THE Star Wars collectibles expert and is employed by Lucasfilm. Anyone who tries to convince you that these are authentic original one sheets is just flat out lying to you. They normally sell these fakes for about $100.00. Authentic original ones will typically sell for many hundreds of dollars and sometimes well over $1000.00.

There are also fake "minty white" 14"x36" insert movie posters for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi (see below).

These bootlegs are now about 20 years old! Some can even look aged/old like an original. There are many thousands in circulation.

Also be wary of Revenge of the Jedi one sheets. These were bootlegged within a few months of the posters initial release/recall back in 1982!! The fakes are now 25 years old, just like the originals!! There are at least 3 different kinds of bootlegs of this one!!

Pulp Fiction etc.

Beware of Pulp Fiction recalled advance one sheets. Real ones are extremely scarce and can sell for over $1000.00. The bad guys had a rubber "PROPERTY OF MIRAMAX FILMS" stamp made and take the common $8.99 reproduction poster and stamp the back of it to make it appear authentic. Real Pulp Fiction advances do not have this stamp. Miramax has NEVER stamped any of their posters!! There are also some other differences between the fake and original (this info. can be found elsewhere). LOOK OUT! The thieves in Rochester have also started selling them for "Buy it Now" $75.00. Sometimes with the ridiculous stamp, sometimes without it.

Also be wary of rolled or lightly folded full size 27"x41" Scarface (regular style U.S.) one sheets. These are some of the best bootlegs out there! These are extremely difficult to spot.

Beware of Friday the 13th one sheets that measure 27"x40" and not a full 27"x41". They are restrikes from the early 1990's.

Beware of Raiders of the Lost Ark one sheets that measure 27"x40" and not a full 27"x41". They are restrikes from the early 1990's.

Beware of Manhattan style B "Bridge" rolled one sheets. They measure a full 27"x41" but most you will find are restrikes.

Beware of FOLDED fake TAXI DRIVER one sheets. These thieves are buying a cheap $10.00 reproduction poster, folding it, and then selling it for $170.00 or more.

What is a Restrike?
A RESTRIKE IS NOT AN ORIGINAL MOVIE POSTER!! They were NOT printed for theater use. They are posters that were printed (usually from the original plates) well after the films release. Usually MANY years after. Sometimes they were authorized by the studio, sometimes they weren't. They were sold to dealers in bulk and also directly to collectors through mail order ads. Sometimes it is very hard to determine whether a poster is an original or a restrike.

Double Sided Bootlegs!
Look out for double sided reproduction/fake one sheets of some current titles including:

Spiderman (recalled Twin Towers style), The Matrix, Saving Private Ryan, The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars Phantom Menace Episode 1 Teaser.

Yes, there ARE double sided bootlegs out there!! These are of exceptional quality and come from Europe.

"Minty White" Counterfeit 14"x36" Inserts

Beware of "minty white" (like they were printed yesterday) 14"x36" inserts. There are roughly a few dozen popular titles from the 70's and early 80's that have fake bootleg inserts. Some of the titles include Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Jaws, Taxi Driver, The Godfather, Raiders of the Lost Ark, A Clockwork Orange, Alien, Star Trek, Blade Runner, Scarface, etc.. These minty whites are constantly available from the same sellers for about $70.00 to $100.00. If you question them they claim they are part of a "warehouse find". The truth is that some unscrupulous dealers from Rochester N.Y. and Oklahoma got together some years ago and illegally printed thousands of them. They have been flooding the market with them ever since. If you buy one and compare it side by side with a known original, you will have no doubt it is not real. In addition to being minty white, there are other factors like paper and print quality that prove they are fake.

UPDATE: Minty Whites That Aren't Minty White Anymore!!

In June 2007 we acquired a Jaws insert that looked and felt right. It was not "minty white", was not glossy on both sides, and the printing was fantastic. We listed it as an original, we had no reason to believe it wasn't. We have handled a TON of fake/repro inserts....so we know what to look for. This one completely fooled US!! It was originally acquired about 6-7 years ago on ebay from a known fake/repro seller in Oklahoma. The paper has aged!! It does NOT look new anymore!! Someone brought it to our attention and after a little investigating we found out where it originated from. It is certainly not from the original release in 1975, we believe it is a restrike from the 1980's. These things are DANGEROUS!!! and as time goes by they are going to look more and more real and fool more and more people. They are ruining the hobby for new collectors. BEWARE!!!

"Minty White" Counterfeit 11"x14" Lobby Card Sets

Beware of "minty white" lobby card sets from popular titles from the 70's and 80's (see list above). These are very easy for the bootleggers to reproduce because of their small size. Believe it or not, they have even started printing sets that have never before existed! A good example of this is the U.S. "Halloween" lobby card set. There were NO U.S. lobby cards produced for this movie, so someone in Rochester, N.Y. decided to make their own!!

Please note: This guide has not mentioned every title that there are fake posters for! There are plenty of others that are not listed here. Also, just because a poster appears new and minty white does not mean it is a fake. There are plenty of older posters that have survived in this condition.

Since many of these bootlegs have been around now for quite a few years, some are now starting to be sold again on ebay from the original duped buyers. They honestly don't know they have fake posters and they are inadvertently ripping off new buyers!

Who are the ones selling these fakes?
We can't say here (and please don't email us asking who they are). All we can say is beware of certain dealers. With a little detective work outside of Ebay you can easily find out exactly who they are. There are movie poster forums, movie poster chat rooms, and other places that discuss everything about movie posters and you can find the answers there.

Where do they come from?

As we said above, many of the fakes come from Rochester N.Y. and from Oklahoma.

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Guide created: 07/16/06 (updated 08/15/07)

Caring for Movie Posters

By David A. Lieberman

There have been many articles on this subject so I will only touch on it briefly. If you are going to display a vintage poster, linen backing and then framing it is the best way. Not all posters need linen backing however, but if it is an older poster and you wish to preserve it, it is a good idea. If you are not going to linen back it, it should be framed with acid free backing and UV filtered Plexiglas. Do not use glass. Glass can stick to the face of a poster over time. Do not have your poster dry mounted to foam core as many collectors believe this to be undesirable.

If you collect posters and you do not wish to frame all of them, storing them can become a challenge. The preferred method for rolled posters would be flat, but this is not feasible for everyone so the next best thing is to store them rolled, but NOT in cardboard tubes. The acid from cardboard can age/yellow a poster. Plastic tubes are fine. Some say that over time fumes from PVC tubes can stain posters. We keep our rolled posters wrapped in plastic bags and insert them into open tubes and keep them out of the light to help prevent aging/yellowing. Rolled posters should be stored STANDING UP if possible. If a rolled poster is stored lying down, over time it may sag and waves can develop.

For long term storage of folded posters we keep them in Mylar bags with acid free backing, NOT REGULAR CARDBOARD.

Folding and unfolding posters can cause excessive wear on the fold lines and possibly cause separations. Try not to unfold your stored posters.

Light Box Displays look great in home theatres, however they can fade posters over time and ruin their value. Do not put expensive posters in them.

Cheap Framing

By David A. Lieberman

If you have a lot of posters, displaying them can cost a small fortune. All acid free materials should be used. Never use Glass. Glass can stick to the face of the poster over time. Never use regular cardboard for backing as it is very acidic and will stain/yellow a poster over time.

The following is a cheap, safe way to frame your posters and they are easy to remove and replace with others as desired. This is the method we use in our showroom.

Buy foam core and Plexiglas, these should be available at a wholesale plastics or framing supplier. Be sure to ask for acid free foam core.

They come in 4' x 8' sheets. Foam cor is about $8.00/sheet. It comes in black and white, but black looks really good if you plan on leaving borders. Buy non glare Plexiglas one sixteenth of an inch thick for about $35.00/sheet. UV filtered sheets cost quite a bit more ($60.00 to $80.00). If your poster is valuable, don't skimp! Get the UV filtered!.

Cut foam core and plastic about 2 to 3 inches larger than the poster on all sides. The plastic supplier should be able to cut the plastic for you for a nominal price.

You can frame 3 one sheets from a 4' x 8' sheet of Plexiglas.

Use small office paper binder clips to hold it all together. This works surprisingly well!! You can remove the steel handles from the clips after you put them on for a much cleaner look.

Now, how do you hang it? On the top border in the middle about 1 inch from the top of the Plexiglas, mount on the back a picture hanger. You will have to drill through the Plexiglas and fome cor 2 small holes to do this. You can buy the picture hanger at Home Depot and mount it to the back with tiny screws you will also have to buy.

To frame a one sheet costs less than $20.00. If you use UV filtered Plexiglas it costs about $35.00. It is well protected and the poster will not slide/move at all. It is very light weight and sturdy enough to hang. I've done all sizes including 3 sheets and French One Panels and they look fantastic!!!

Tips on Framing

By David A. Lieberman

The right frame is very important for preserving your original valuable movie posters. NEVER use glass! Glass can stick to the face of a poster over time. Even if the framer uses a mat the poster will almost always touch the glass in the middle. You should use UV filtered Plexiglas to help prevent fading. We prefer the non glare kind.

Use archival all ACID FREE materials like acid free foam core. NEVER use cardboard as a backing because it is acidic and can cause yellowing.

For linen backed posters: Never trim the linen right up to the edge of the poster. Always leave at least a half inch or more border all the way around the poster.

Never let your framer mount it to foam core. It will be considered ruined by the collecting community and VERY difficult to sell.

Never let your framer use ANY kind of tape to secure your poster to the backing. Not even removable tape and not even acid free tape. THE POSTER SHOULD SIT LOOSELY IN THE FRAME.

About Autographs

By David A. Lieberman

Rarely do we sell movie posters that have autographs. A few years ago, the FBI released a study suggesting that up to 80% of celebrity autographs for sale are fake. Even many for sale in high end "reputable" galleries were found to be fake. It is next to impossible to verify an autograph, and it is extremely difficult to get cast members from classic films to jointly sign a poster. Modern era posters are the exception, but these are so easy to fake that finding authentic ones is a virtual nightmare.

We are certain that most celebrity autographs that you see today are just not genuine. When we see "cast" signed movie posters on Ebay, we just cringe. We can assure you that 99% of them are totally fake. Our customers often send us these posters that come with Certificates of Authenticity. We just have to roll our eyes and explain to them that a C.O.A. in today's world means absolutely nothing. "But they have great feedback on ebay, so how can they be selling fakes?" Good feedback on ebay does not guarantee that a seller is selling genuine items. This is a cold hard fact that many people find out too late, usually years later when they try to re-sell the item. Our professional reputation and credibility is far more important to us then the proceeds from the sale of questionable autographs. Occasionally though, we come across an autographed poster where everything points to it being genuine and we can guarantee its authenticity.

Linen Backing: A Method of Poster Conservation

Linen backing can dramatically improve the overall appearance of a poster and it can substantially increase its value. It is an archival poster conservation method where the poster is de-acidified and museum mounted with wheat paste onto acid free Japanese rice paper and adhered to canvas. This process provides stability and prevents possible deterioration. It smoothes and flattens out waves and wrinkles and makes creases and folds much less noticeable (sometimes invisible). If needed, restoration can then be done. Stains can be removed, tears can be repaired, paper can be replaced, and fold lines can be touched up. Almost any flaw can be fixed so you would never know it was there. Once linen backed, a poster is easier to handle, is ready for framing, or it may be rolled for shipping. If not framing a linen backed poster, we recommend storing it flat and not rolled. Should a linen backed poster sustain physical damage in the future, removal of the poster is possible. This cannot be said for most other preservation methods. Framing a poster that has already been linen backed is cheaper than framing one that hasn't been.

When a poster has been linen backed and/or restored, grading the item can be difficult. A poster that was in poor condition could have extensive restoration and appear to be in near mint condition. Only an expert would be able to tell how much restoration was done. If a poster we have has had any restoration, we describe its condition before and after whenever possible.

The value of an expertly restored linen backed poster is enhanced because the poster looks better, will age far less, and is much EASIER TO FRAME. If a poster is linen backed by a less talented restorer, the poster's value is often lessened. The restoration is often noticeable, it often ages poorly, and can be very expensive to reverse.

Buying linen backed posters is a double-edged sword. The plus side is that the poster almost surely looks great (because the restorer almost surely corrected the poster's flaws during the linen backing process) and the poster is now far easier (and far less expensive) to frame, but the down side is that some restorers are so talented that it can be extremely difficult to tell how much restoration a poster has had.

Linen backing is not absolutely necessary for most posters, but for a valuable one it is a good idea because it helps to preserve it. Experts have different opinions on whether a double sided poster should be linen backed or not.

Mounting a poster to foam core is not the same as linen backing. It is next to impossible to reverse the process and most experts consider the poster "damaged".

For posters on cardboard stock like U.S. inserts,