We are now selling original cinema posters!

You may have seen on our site, our facebook page or our newsletter that we have started selling original double sided cinema one sheet posters. If you have seen them you may be wondering why they are more expensive than our normal maxi posters and wondered about whether you should buy one or not. These posters are a little bit special and we thought we'd right this blog post to explain exactly what original cinema posters are, why they are a bit more expensive and how they may well be a good long term investment.

So, what are original cinema posters?

An original cinema poster is a poster that was issued by the movie studio who produced the movie, or the studio's distribution partner in country, and are used to market the movie (before and during it's run) at the cinema. The posters are double sided, ie. the image is printed on one side and a mirror image on the other, which means they can be placed in the lightboxes at the cinemas. 

What is interesting and makes these posters highly collectible is that they never officially go on sale. Posters that were made to be sold to the public are classified as reproductions or reprints and are not original cinema posters, even if they are printed and made available for sale at the same time as the movie is being advertised or is playing in cinemas.

Due to the fact that the original cinema posters never go on sale they are quite rare. People collect the posters from the cinemas when they no longer need them, they are not put on sale to the general public. It's a rather painstaking process to put together a collection of these posters as you need to scour the internet, visit cinemas regularly and find other collectors who have surplus stock.

All told, an original movie poster should link directly to the movie studio that released a film, and this is often evident in the small print on the bottom of the posters.

At EgoAmo Posters we love posters, but we also love movies. It's the perfect mix as we are passionate about posters that invoke a response, either tied to the emotion of watch the film or as a reaction to an amazing piece of art or design work embodied in the poster itself.

Why would I want to buy an original cinema poster instead of a reproduction?

Our original cinema posters hold a direct connection to the film which it was created to publicise. The production team will have worked with a number of designers and artists and considered hundreds of potential posters, before deciding on the final posters which were used to market the film. These posters therefore represent everything they wanted to convey to the world about the film. In a world where the marketing of a film contributes as much to its success as the quality of the film itself, these posters form an important and integral connection to the history of the film. 

The original movie posters which are now available on the site extend that connection. They have been distributed to cinemas and have told a story to the public. 

That history, sometimes visible in the form of wrinkles or pin-holes, can be felt in the poster. It is as much a vintage piece as your favourite 1960s sideboard or Victorian fireplace. It has an honesty and an originality that can't be gained from a reproduction.

Are original cinema posters an investment?

There is currently a lot being written on this topic, with a rare Star Wars Return of the Jedi poster having sold for over $26 000 last year (https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1001329/star-wars-poster-sells-20-000-auction-the-empire-strikes-back). But, as with any artwork for your home, you should buy what you love and what resonates with you. 

With the current uncertainty around returns in the financial markets, people have started to diversify their investment portfolios with art, wine, classic cars, luxury timepieces and now original movie posters being considered as assets which allow investors to do that. This has lead to fine art records being broken at auction houses, and, the rebirth of the art print market. Even a print on paper from a modern, non-traditional artist, such as Banksy, will now cost many thousands of dollars.

Internationally there has been a definite increase in the interest in movie poster over the past ten years. They are recognised as an affordable and accessible art form with an extremely wide range of aesthetically pleasing choices. Prices for old posters are rising, as are the values of posters from the most popular films of the last 30 years.

However, as with all investments, there is no certainty that the current trends and interest will continue. Whether original movie posters becomes an "investment class" of its own, only time will tell. And whether it does or doesn't, any original cinema posters you add to your collection will provide you with a beautiful focal piece for your home or office. You will have a beautiful piece of cinema history and that, in itself, is priceless.

Check out our collection of original cinema posters in our collectible posters section by clicking on the image below