Appraisal
In addition to being a highly regarded art advisor, DeLuca can assist with obtaining certified appraisals and current market valuations for your emerging, contemporary art, modern and vintage photography, outsider and self-taught art.
DeLuca can also assist with appraisals for entertainment memorabilia such as vintage movie posters and antique lobby cards, concert posters, and pop culture memorabilia. As a discerning collector, he has the knowledge to help you understand your vintage items and capitalize on their value.
As a prolific collector of entertainment memorabilia, DeLuca is a renowned collector of extremely rare music and film posters and graphic design, continually seeking out promoters, printers, and estates to expand his own private archive. His personal collections are recognized for their quality and breadth and have been the subject of multiple solo gallery and museum exhibitions.
Why Ralph DeLuca and Not Ebay or an Auction House?
People who use auction houses or online auctions for selling their movie related items must typically wait 6 months or more to get an item into the sale cycle.
Then, they pay anywhere from 15% to 25%, plus photographic fees, plus listing fees and even fees if something doesn't sell!
There are many sellers, possibly like yourself, who believe they have an original poster and want to sell it on ebay, yet have no idea of its value or even if it is authentic. Do not become a seller of a fake vintage poster. There are plenty of fake vintage movie posters that end up on eBay as it is, offered by unscrupulous sellers. If I am interested, I will buy it. If not, you will at least be more knowledgeable about what you have.
How do I find out original movie poster values?
Movie poster values are very subjective. There are no up to date printed price guidelines for movie posters. Movie poster values are usually determined by a combination of factors. The most important factor is the title of the film. A second important factor is the poster's graphics. There are examples of a movie poster being valuable due to its stunning illustration/ graphics created by a well known first half of the twentieth century illustrator, rather than because of the film's title. The third important factor is the condition of the poster.
When determining values for your posters or prints one must take into consideration the size, age, and condition. Some posters from the 1950's are worth more then a poster from 1920 depending on the title.
Vintage movie posters and other memorabilia from the early 1910's through the 1950's usually command the highest prices, although some posters from the 1960's also can fetch good prices. HOWEVER, the value of movie titles from the 1970's up to the present drop dramatically due to the increase in the print runs, which is one reason why I DO NOT BUY ANY MOVIE POSTERS AFTER 1970.
Why don't you buy movie posters of films released after 1970?
Prior to 1970 a normal movie poster print run would range from 3,000 to 5,000 copies per poster. It's hard to believe, but from the early days through the 1960's most posters were simply thrown away after the run of the film. Starting in the 1970's through to the present day, the film poster print runs have ratcheted up to 15,000 to 30,000 for a poster title. Consequently, there are far more first release movie posters available, diluting their value. The 1970's mark the beginning when all types of poster collecting really took off. The trend continues through today.
What exactly is an original (authentic) movie poster?
Typically, this term refers to a poster that was produced by The National Screen Service (NSS) (which closed shop in 2000), one of the movie studios, or by a third company authorized by the movie studio. The posters are for promotional use and/or to display in the theatre when the film is originally released. While a lot of original movie posters will have a NSS number on the bottom somewhere, not all of them do. Also note that sometimes reprint posters include this information to make their reprint look more authentic. If you're unsure or want more info, give me a call or email.