CineMasterpieces FAQ * Hollywood Posters

All posters at CineMasterpieces.com can be purchased easily on line with a Credit Card, PayPal, Bank Wire, Check, or Money Order. We ship the same day your order is placed (or as soon as payment is cleared) so your posters arrive very quickly.

The top left of our home page is where you can start shopping in our Virtual Gallery. Posters are listed alphabetically by title. Click on the letters to jump directly to the pages where the posters are listed for sale and scroll down. For example, to find "THE BIRDS" go to the "B" page. Ignore the word "THE" in the title. If a poster is in stock there will be a button. If it is not in stock it may still be available through our Special Order program.

To see pictures of each poster just click on the thumbnail image. Each one links to a larger photo. If you need help with some of the terms used, click here. For help with sizes/styles of American movie posters, click here. For help with Non U.S. poster sizes/styles, click here.

To see our "high profile" new inventory please visit our front page where you can browse by thumbnail photo.

What is your Return Policy?

We have a very liberal Return Policy, please read this for details.

Do you combine shipping if I buy/win more than one poster?

Yes, we will combine shipping at NO EXTRA CHARGE for multiple purchases!

When can I expect my order to arrive? Why is my international order taking so long to arrive?

My shipment/tracking number does not appear on the USPS website, did you ship my item yet?

We are terribly sorry you have not received your package! Yes, we have shipped it to you. Please do not worry. We process and ship all orders and auction wins within 1-2 business days of payment received. Virtually all of our shipments arrive safe and extremely fast (as you can see if you read our eBay feedback), but every once in a while International Priority and Express Mail gets delayed by Customs for inspection. Please understand that this is out of our control.

Depending on whether you choose Priority Mail or Express Mail, within the U.S. it usually takes 1 to 3 days. Outside the U.S. it usually takes 4 to 7 days, sometimes longer if it gets held up in Customs. We highly recommend Express Mail for orders outside the U.S.

Our sincerest apologies if your international order has been delayed and appears to have been stalled in the tracking system. It is highly likely that it will soon magically reappear in the system so you can track it again. Sometimes PRIORITY and EXPRESS MAIL packages are chosen at random by Customs for inspection, and sometimes they can be held indefinitely. It doesn't happen often (less than 3% of packages shipped), but it does happen. Sometimes they hold them for a few days, sometimes for a few weeks. There have even been a few instances where it has taken up to SEVEN WEEKS for an item to finally be delivered. Please understand that this is out of our control.

All items are sent fully insured. It is extremely unlikely for a package to truly be "lost", but if it is we promise you will be refunded in full. Please feel free to call us at 602 309 0500 if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your patience.

We take all of our packages to a local contract U. S. Post Office. This local small town post office does not always scan/track every package right away. They are not as "up to date" as a regular U.S. post office. All items do eventually get scanned/tracked as they make their way through the postal system. Sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes it doesn't get scanned/tracked until it is delivered!

If you are in the United Kingdom, your package may be delivered by Parcelforce Worldwide. We ship by USPS and Parcelforce delivers USPS packages within the U.K.

How much is the Shipping and Handling Charge?

Please see this page for details.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes! We ship worldwide. We also just implemented Galaxywide Intergalactic Planetary Warp 10 Shipping. Sorry, We will not ship to the Death Star, Romulus, Remus, and LV-426.

How do you know this poster is original?

How can you tell if a movie poster is "original" "real" "authentic"?

How do you know the posters we are selling are real and not reproductions?

Can you tell me if my poster is original?

We have been handling vintage movie posters for over 30 years, we know what to look for. We have written several articles and eBay guides that have helped people from all over the world determine whether their posters are originals or reproductions. Auction houses, memorabilia dealers, beginning and advanced collectors, and non collectors constantly seek our advice. For more detailed information please read this article. Also, please see our ARTICLES page.

I have some posters, what are they worth?

Please read the information at this link.

Why is your International Shipping so high? It shouldn't cost $40.00 to ship a poster!

There are 3 ways to ship internationally through the U.S. Postal Service:

1: EXPRESS - most expensive and quickest (3 to 15 days) with tracking number.

2. PRIORITY - less than Express but still pretty quick (7 to 25 days) with tracking number.

3. AIRMAIL - cheapest, very slow, uninsurable, unreliable, no tracking number.

We highly recommend Express Mail for orders outside the U.S.

Our apologies for the ever increasing U.S. postage rates. We always offer a choice between Priority Mail $39.75 ($25.75 to Canada) or Express Mail $49.75. Our packages normally weigh 1.5 to 3 lbs. We use expensive bulletproof shipping materials so your items do not get damaged. We don't make any money on shipping. The postage fee alone (not including packaging materials) is at least $39.00 to ship overseas by Priority or over $48.00 if we ship by Express. All items shipped by Express or Priority are insured, have tracking numbers, and their delivery can be confirmed by signature.

We will not ship by cheaper U.S. Airmail First Class International with no insurance. Packages shipped this way can easily get lost and/or sometimes take several weeks to arrive. There are NO TRACKING NUMBERS when Airmail is used and there is no way of knowing where the package is or if it is even delivered. You may be willing to take the risk to save a few dollars, but we are not. We strive to provide excellent service and we just can't do that if we use an unreliable delivery method like Airmail. Please do not fault us for not offering this cheaper unacceptable shipping option.

We combine shipping at no extra charge. If you order more than one item and it is possible for us to ship them in the same package, we will ship your items together at no extra charge.

Shipping is FREE (Priority Mail Insured) for orders over $1000.00.

My poster has the same NSS number as yours, how is that possible? Isn't this a numbered limited edition?

No. Movie posters are not limited editions. For more information please read the article at this link.

THE NSS NUMBER DOES NOT INDICATE THAT YOUR POSTER IS A "LIMITED EDITION"

The National Screen Service (NSS) established a dating and coding system for movie posters. Each movie was assigned ONE NSS number. (If a movie was re released several years after the initial release, sometimes a new NSS number was assigned, usually with an "R" in front of it). The NSS number appears on almost all material that was distributed through them. On one sheets it usually appears somewhere in the bottom right side margin. They also sometimes stamped the back of a poster with the title and NSS number. If a poster is from the NSS era and does not have an NSS number, it may be a reproduction. In the examples shown below, Back to the Future was the 64th movie processed by NSS in 1985, Rear Window was the 337th in 1954, and Jaws was the 155th in 1975. Many people mistakenly think movie posters are "numbered/limited editions". We see this all the time! The Rear Window poster was NOT the 54th out of 337 printed! All original U.S. posters issued for Rear Window have the same 54-337 NSS number.

All U.S. Back to the Future posters have the same NSS # 850064, all Rear Window posters have the same NSS # 54-337, and all Jaws posters have the NSS # 75/155.

I've seen 2 posters for the same title with slightly different layouts of the NSS info. on the bottom. What does that mean?

Throughout the 1960's-1980's it was common for posters to be printed at several different National Screen Service (NSS) facilities around the U.S. There were often slight differences in the NSS text and number layout on the bottom of the poster. Also, sometimes if a movie was extremely popular like JAWS or STAR WARS and more posters were needed, there were additional print runs made and sometimes there were slight differences.

To complicate matters, NSS often printed STUDIO ISSUED AND INTERNATIONAL one sheets. Sometimes these had a different design, sometimes they were very similar, and sometimes they had a slightly different layout at the bottom. Often times this included an NSS number without the NSS paragraph. Which version is worth more? Which version is more desirable? If the posters have the same artwork/design, 99% of the time there is no difference in value or desirability. A very small percentage of collectors may prefer a U.S. NSS issued poster to a studio or international one sheet, but the vast majority of buyers just don't think it is relevant in terms of value and desirability.

Can I pick up the posters I purchase in person?

Yes! However you must call us first at 602 309 0500 to make an appointment.

What are your hours of operation? Do you have a store? Where are you located? What is your phone number? What is your fax number? What is your email address?

We have an office/gallery in Scottsdale, AZ that is open by appointment only. Our address is 15721 N. Greenway Hayden Loop, Suite 105 - Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Our phone number is 602 309 0500. Our fax number is 480 773 7273. Our email address is cinemasterpieces@gmail.com.

Our new mailing address is:

CineMasterpieces

David A. Lieberman

6201 E. Cactus Rd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Do you sell cheaper reproductions of this poster?

No.

Do you buy movie posters?

Yes! We offer 3 options: 1. Instant Cash 2. Auction Consignment 3. Fixed Price On Site Consignment. For details please read the information at this link and this link.

Will you use a cheaper shipping method?

No. We will no longer ship First Class International Airmail with no insurance. It is very unreliable. Our experience has shown that packages shipped this way can easily get lost and/or sometimes take several weeks to arrive.

What forms of payment do you accept? Do you accept cashier's checks or money orders?

Yes! We accept all forms of payment (except western union) for almost everything we sell. For items up to $2000.00 we will accept all forms of payment. For items over $2000.00 we will only accept cash, check, money order, cashier's check, or bank wire transfer. We will NOT accept Paypal or credit cards for items over $2000.00 in value.

I bought this poster from someone else, is it real or fake?

Is this other poster seller xxxx selling fakes or originals?

Can you tell me the names of the sellers to avoid on ebay that are selling fakes?

We are sorry, but it is just not possible to determine if someone else is selling fakes or originals without examining their posters in person. We can't tell you if the posters you have bought from others are real or authentic without examining them in person. It just doesn't work that way! Even if you send us photos we probably still won't be able to tell you for certain if they are original or not. We will not go into detail naming names of the criminals on eBay who are selling fakes. You might want to try googling "movie poster forum discussion" and go to a message board that discusses these things on a daily basis. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Other collectors will be more than happy to assist you and tell you who the "bad guys" are. Please also read this article.

You said in the description the poster measures 27" x 41", yet I received it and it only measures 26 1/2" x 40" (or smaller). Why? Did you sell me a reproduction?

Is this poster 27" x 40" or 27" x 41"?

Please don't be alarmed if we said one of our posters measures 27" x 41" and it is actually only 27" x 40" (or smaller), or if we said one is 27" x 40" and it is actually only 26.5" x 39.75" (or smaller). It is NOT a reproduction. We list our posters with a template that says 27" x 41" and we do not always change it when we do a listing. Please understand that we have many thousands of posters and we do not always measure each one exactly. Quoted measurements found on our site (as well as other sites) are often not exactly accurate, they are often rounded up or down.

Most one sheets prior to the mid 1980's do measure a full 27" x 41", but not all of them! During the mid 1980's a change was made and most (not all) posters after then were printed 27" x 40", however there are many examples of 27" x 41" one sheets printed after 1990. Sometimes new collectors think if a poster is not exactly 27" x 41" or 27" x 40" that it must be a fake. This is simply not true! There are thousands of known/confirmed examples of original one sheets that measure as small as 26" x 39" or even smaller! There are even many original one sheets from obscure independently released films and adult films that measure as small as 24" x 35". It is not common, but they are out there! Sometimes there are even slightly oversized one sheets 28" x 42". The exact size of a one sheet is a big factor in determining whether a poster is original or not, but it is not THE ONLY factor. Please read this article for more details.

I'd like to send my posters to you, how do I proceed?

Please read this.

How should we ship our posters to you so they arrive safely and undamaged?

Please go to this page for details.

Why do some one sheets from the 1980's have a white border on the top and bottom?

Some one sheets from the 1980's have a white border across the top and bottom. They are original. From the 1960's-1980's the National Screen Service had posters printed at more than one location. The white border ones we have seen came out of the Cleveland facility. Some titles that come with and without these white borders include "The Terminator", "When Harry Met Sally", "Edward Scissorhands", "Streets of Fire", as well as dozens of others. Why is this? We can speculate that this was during the time when posters were being down sized from 27" x 41" to 27" x 40". For some reason they decided not to trim them down to 27" x 40".

Can anything be done about the fold lines?

What is "Linen Backing"?

Does linen backing affect the value?

How much does it cost to linen back a poster?

Please see our linen backing page for answers to these questions.

Do you take installment payments? Do you have a payment/layaway plan?

Yes. For most (not all) items we can arrange to take payments. Please call us at 602 309 0500 if you'd like to discuss this option. Please be aware that posters bought on a payment/layaway plan are not returnable for any reason and that installment payments are not refundable.

Where do you get your posters?

Everywhere! From all over the world, we are ALWAYS buying! Our inventory comes from collectors, non collectors, other dealers, auction houses, flea markets, old theater employees, heirs, antique shops, etc. We've bought collections from old theater managers, studio executives, old NSS employees, people in the entertainment industry, and even from employees who worked at the print shop where the posters were originally printed 30+ years ago.

How can you call this poster Near Mint to Mint when it has clearly been folded? Can't you see that it is ruined?

Please be aware that most Original Movie Posters issued before the mid 1980's were issued FOLDED (over 95%). This is NOT considered a defect. They were shipped to theaters this way. Vintage rolled posters do exist, however they are extremely rare.

If you think our Fixed Price On Site Consignment fee of 25% is too high....think again!!

For virtually ALL of our rare and very valuable posters we generally get MUCH HIGHER prices than High End Auction Houses get for the same material when we sell them at a Fixed Price on our website and in our ebay store.

Typical Auction Scenario

Lets say you have a one sheet for Breakfast at Tiffany's. If it's in great condition (C8 or better) it normally sells at these high end auctions for between $3000.00 to $4500.00 (hammer price, not including the buyer's premium). After the auction house fee (average 15%), you would walk away with approximately 85% of the hammer price - $2550.00 to $3825.00. Not bad, but not great either.

With CineMasterpieces Fixed Price On Site Consignment

We sell this poster at a retail price of between $7000.00 to $9000.00. So, after we sell yours, you will walk away with approximately 75% of the sales price - $5250.00 to $6750.00.

With CineMasterpieces Fixed Price On Site Consignment, you will walk away with approximately $DOUBLE!!

(Prices and estimates are accurate as of May 2012)

Do signatures/autographs affect the value of a poster? Should I get my one sheet signed by the director or lead or supporting actor or actors?

It really depends on who signed it, when they signed it, and if you can convincingly prove that the signature is authentic. A one sheet from "Rocky" (if authentic) signed by Sylvester Stallone will be worth more than one signed by Talia Shire. It will also be worth more if the signature is dated (or can be dated) from when the film was released in 1976 and not a recent signature. Another factor to consider.....is it an original movie poster that was signed...or a reproduction poster that was signed? Movie stars will sign anything. Their signature will be worth more on an original rather than on a reproduction poster.

The collectibles world is full of fake autographs, and many are accompanied by fake certificates of authenticity. Practically every "cast signed" one sheet you see on the internet is fake. Sure, there are real cast signed posters out there. The problem is that the market is flooded with so many fakes it is almost impossible to find the real ones. We generally stay away from signed items for this reason. Only very seldom will we offer an autographed item.

If you have the opportunity to get an original movie poster signed by an actor from the film or the director, you may want to think twice about it. If you don't care about the monetary value of the poster, then by all means get it signed if you wish. If you do go ahead and get it signed, please be aware that it may actually decrease the value or potential salability of the poster when you wish to sell it. It may be next to impossible for you to convincingly prove to a potential buyer / collector that it is a real autograph thus making it very difficult to sell.

The poster you are selling has sold for less at auction, will you sell it at that price?

No, sorry. If you wanted it at that price you should have bid in that auction.

Is my Breakfast at Tiffany's one sheet original?

Please read this.

Is my Jailhouse Rock one sheet original?

Please read this.

How long will it take to sell my posters? When will you pay me for them?

Please read this answer for Auction Consignment, please read this answer for Fixed Price On Site Consignment.

How can you prove that you have actually sent us your posters?

Upon receipt of your posters we will issue you a written receipt and/or confirmation email.

You can keep detailed written records of everything you send in.

You can keep records of all email correspondence between us and you.

You can record the phone conversations we have with you if you'd like.

You can send your posters to us insured with delivery and signature confirmation.

You can drop them off in person and bring a friend as a witness.

If you have a friend in the Phoenix, Arizona area you can send your posters to them and have them drop them off at our office.

Do you have any references I can contact?

Please see this page.

Why is there no NSS number/NSS paragraph on the bottom of this poster?

Sometimes new collectors mistakenly believe that if there is no NSS (National Screen Service) number or NSS paragraph on the bottom of a vintage poster that it must not be an "original" movie poster. This is absolutely NOT true! NSS Did not print and distribute ALL movie posters. Often times a studio would distribute their own one sheets (not through NSS) at the same time NSS was distributing them. Sometimes they even bypassed NSS altogether. They would have their own print run made (thus the subtle printing differences often seen) and these posters would be distributed to insiders and used for promotional purposes during the time of the films initial release. Although these "Studio Issued" one sheets were not usually intended to be displayed in theaters (sometimes they were, sometimes they weren't) they are still considered "original" movie posters. Sometimes these can be very difficult to determine if they are authentic or reproductions. Which version is worth more, Studio or NSS? Which version is more desirable, Studio or NSS? 99.9% of the time there is no difference in value or desirability. It just isn't that important.

It could also be an INTERNATIONAL one sheet.

I have a large vinyl banner or a large standee from a movie from within the last 20 years, what is it worth? Will you buy it from me?

Most giant banners and standees from within the past 20 years are worth $50.00 to $100.00. We are sorry, but if you have one or more for sale, we are not interested. They are just too big! The shipping cost is often greater than the value of the item.

Why do I need CineMasterpieces? Why can't I just sell my posters on eBay by myself?

Anyone can sell anything on eBay. Yes, you can probably sell your posters there yourself. But the truth is, you will not get anywhere near what we will and you will get MORE if you let us sell them for you. With our excellent reputation as a TOP RATED trusted Powerseller, and with our expert marketing including professional high resolution images we get higher prices than anyone! Many buyers will not purchase high dollar posters on eBay from someone who doesn't have a stellar sales history and outstanding reputation in the poster world.

Also, please note that most of our high dollar sales are NOT on eBay, they occur directly on this website.

Why should you consign your items...and not try to sell them yourself?

Please click HERE for the answer to this question.

My poster has been dry mounted or mounted to a hard board, will you consign/buy it?

Probably not. Unless it is a very valuable poster we will not be interested. Sorry. Most collectors consider mounted posters "ruined" and will not go near them.

What is the best way to store your posters?

If you receive your posters already folded you can keep them that way in pvc free plastic bags or mylar sleeves. If your posters are rolled (never been folded), you can either store them flat (if you have the room) in a flat file or anywhere out of the way that you may have room. If you wish to store them rolled in tubes, it is best to keep the tubes standing up on end and not lying down. The posters should not be touching cardboard anywhere as cardboard can be acidic and cause paper to yellow/brown over time. If posters are stored in tubes they should first be protected with pvc sleeves or acid free paper. To safely frame your posters using archival materials, please see our framing page.

Do you offer framing?

Yes, please see our framing page.

How long have you been in business?

CineMasterpieces.com was established in 2003 by David Lieberman. He has been collecting vintage posters since the mid 1970's and has been a full time vintage movie poster dealer since 2001. Since 1998 he has also been buying and selling posters on eBay, most recently as a Top Rated Platinum Powerseller.

How many of these did they print/make? How many are left in existence?

It doesn't matter which vintage original movie poster (prior to 1980) you are asking about, the answer will almost always be the same: No one knows. If any records were kept they are long gone. Was it hundreds? Yes, definitely. Was it thousands? Probably yes. Was it more than 10,000? Maybe. For newer widely released films (1980-now), tens of thousands of posters are usually printed.

How many are left in existence? Since these posters were meant to be used and discarded, no one knows! For some titles prior to 1940 there may be only one or a few posters known to exist (to the collecting community). Extremely rare titles like Dracula and Frankenstein fall into this category. For all other titles, there may be just a few, there may be around 100, there may be around 1000, no one knows!

Can I come into your store to browse your inventory in person?

Anyone is welcome to call us to arrange for an appointment to stop by and visit our office/gallery. Please be aware that our office/gallery is not set up as a retail environment where all the posters are on display. Please browse our website and let us know if there are any posters you need to see in person before buying. We can pull them from storage and show them to you. All posters we have in stock are in storage. Some are harder to get to than others. Please be serious as pulling them from storage can be time consuming.

Will you ship to a different address?

PayPal, eBay, Visa, and MasterCard have very specific rules and regulations. To protect both buyer and seller against fraud, they state that an item MUST be shipped to the address on file. No exceptions. We will only agree to ship to a different address if payment is made by bank wire, cash, check, or money order. If you would like to pay by one of these methods please let us know and we will email you information on how to proceed.

What exactly is FIXED PRICE ON SITE CONSIGNMENT?

Please read the information at this link.

What exactly is VIRTUAL CONSIGNMENT?

Please read the information at this link.

What does NO RESERVE mean? Why are NO RESERVE auctions a good idea?

A true NO RESERVE auction is an auction where the market decides what an item is worth. There is no hidden minimum reserve price that must be met. Once the auction starts, the item will definitely sell. In our eBay NO RESERVE auctions the bidding starts at 99 cents. If an item receives only that one first bid of 99 cents, it will sell for 99 cents.

You might be saying to yourself......are they crazy? Why should I risk selling my items for 99 cents? Rest assured that if you have quality posters there will be fierce bidding amongst thousands of movie poster collectors worldwide, and the item will definitely not sell for 99 cents. We have been auctioning items like this for over 10 years, and our results speak for themselves. We have many repeat clients that have been sending us posters for years to auction for them at NO RESERVE.

We auction about 200 items a month. Each auction runs for 10 days. The number of items that we actually sell for 99 cents is very small, usually less than 10. If an item does sell for 99 cents, you can be sure that it was only worth 99 cents! We recommend our eBay NO RESERVE auctions for items valued up to $500.00. For items greater than $500.00 we offer FIXED PRICE ON SITE CONSIGNMENT.

Time and time again it has been proven that NO RESERVE auctions gain more interest, more bidders, and ultimately result in higher prices. Many eBayers simply skip over auctions that have a RESERVE.

Auction Mentality: When a bidder sees an item they are interested in buying and the auction starts at 99 cents with NO RESERVE......they get excited! They think that they may have a chance to steal it for a very low price. They follow the auction daily, checking on the price almost obsessively. They feel they have time invested in it and they will ultimately bid more on it than they would have if the item had a high reserve price. This happens ALL THE TIME! We sometimes even sell items in our NO RESERVE auctions for prices higher than the same item listed in our store!!

When auctions for quality items start at 99 cents they usually attract a lot of bids. When buyers are searching thousands of eBay auctions, the auctions with a lot of bids stand out....they attract more attention! Potential buyers think "Well, if so many people are bidding on this item, it must be something special and worth bidding on!". More bids attract more bids......which attract more bids!....etc. etc.

Don't let "NO RESERVE" scare you! NO RESERVE auctions actually encourage more bidding and ultimately result in higher prices realized. Fact: Buyers tend to ignore auctions with RESERVES and/or high starting bids.

Since we start our No Reserve auctions at $.99, they sometimes sit at a very low amount up until the very last minute. Many buyers wait until the last few minutes or seconds to bid (this is called "sniping"). There is very little chance that a very valuable and highly desired item will sell for a small amount.

What info. do we need to pay you by Bank Wire Transfer?

Please read the information at this link

What info. do we need to pay you by Check or Money Order?

Please read the information at this link

My shipment/tracking # does not appear on the USPS website, did you ship my item yet?

Yes, we have shipped your package. We are terribly sorry you have not received it yet! We process and ship all orders and auction wins within one business day of payment received. Virtually all of our shipments arrive safe and extremely fast (as you can see if you read our ebay feedback), but every once in a while Priority or Express Mail gets delayed for one reason or another. Please understand that this is out of our control. We take all of our packages to a local contract U. S. Post Office. This local small town post office does not always scan every package right away. They are not as "up to date" as a regular U.S. post office. All items do eventually get scanned as they make their way through the system. Sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes it doesn't get scanned until it is delivered! All items are sent fully insured. It is extremely unlikely for a package to truly be "lost", but if it is we promise you will be refunded in full. Please feel free to call us at 602 309 0500 if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your patience.

Will you ship my domestic or international package by FEDEX?

We normally use the United States Postal Service (USPS) Express or Priority Mail to ship all our items within the U.S. and to all other countries worldwide. We virtually never run into any problems with them, they are extremely efficient. FEDEX is not cheap. If you would like us to use FEDEX for a delivery within the U.S., the minimum charge will be $60.00. If you would like us to use FEDEX for a delivery to any country outside the U.S., the minimum charge will be $160.00.

I have several posters from the 1990's to present, is CineMasterpieces interested in them?

No. Sorry. We have zero interest in 99.99% of these "newer" posters. We already have thousands in stock and we don't need any more at any price. The only posters that we may be interested in from this era are great titles like Goodfellas, Casino, Spiderman, The Matrix, Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, The Dark Knight, Star Wars Episode I, II, and III, etc.

We are always interested in posters prior to 1990.

We have NO interest in large size banners and standees from 1990 to present.

I have an old movie poster printed on or mounted to wood (or metal). Is it original? How much is it worth?

Zero. Sorry, it is not an "original" poster. Original movie posters were not made of metal or wood, and they were not mounted to metal or wood. Sometimes you'll find a reproduction movie poster that has been artificially aged to look old that has been mounted to wood. Sometimes you'll find a commercial reproduction movie poster made out of metal. They are not authentic, they have no real value.

Do you have the right to sell these posters? What about copyright laws? It says "Property of National Screen Service", is it legal to sell this poster?

Yes, we have the right and it is legal to sell them. Copyright laws do not apply. We are not printing these posters. These are old original cinema advertising posters that were either purchased or given away legally from studio distributors back when the films were originally released. We sell them solely as collectibles with no rights given or implied. The National Screen Service does not exist anymore. Even when they did exist, they never went after anybody who was selling their posters as collectibles.

You said my poster is "low value" (it would likely sell for $5.00 to $20.00 if it were auctioned with no reserve) but you have the same one listed for a lot on your website. Your offer to buy my posters seems very low compared to the prices on your website. Can you explain this to me?

Please understand that this is a retail website and we sell posters for profit to make a living. Just because we have a poster listed for $200.00 does not mean that we will offer you $100.00 for it. Many posters that we have listed under $200.00 can generally be bought by us from wholesalers, at auctions, and from other sources for considerably less. That is just the way it is. We would not be in business very long selling low value posters for 2x or 3x mark up. Sorry, but we will not go into detail and reveal to you our sources. Try walking into a Mall store and asking them where they get their merchandise because you would like to bypass them and buy it for less.

We often acquire low value posters in bulk lots and pay just pennies for them. The only way to recoup our investment is to price them the way we do. Remember, we are talking about posters that virtually NOBODY wants. For every 10 of these that we take the time to list, maybe one of them will actually sell. Remember, each poster we try and sell is unique. It must be photographed, described in detail with any defects, and cataloged and put up for sale. Each poster takes us at least 30 minutes to an hour to completely process before it becomes part of our inventory.

Our cash offer price will depend on several criteria: What condition is it in? How rare is the poster? How much can we buy it for on eBay or other auction sites when it becomes available? Do we have a waiting buyer for it? Do we already have one or more in stock? Is it a desirable poster that moves quickly? Generally (but not always) if we want a poster for our inventory we will pay what the poster normally sells for at auction. This price could be as low as 30% of our website retail price or as high as 80% of our website retail price.

Please note that if you send us posters that we do not want (posters that are undesirable because they are unattractive, or because they are in bad shape), posters that are slow sellers, multiple copies of the same poster, newer titles, or if we already have one or more in our inventory, our cash offer may be less.

Please note that posters with unattractive defects like large tears, stains, water damage, missing paper, fading, etc. will be worth just a fraction of what they would be without these defects. Posters in this condition may or may not be suitable for linen backing/restoration.

Some Other Quick Links and Information

Please also see our Articles Page.

About Us

Advantages of Consigning With CineMasterpieces

You Have Some Old Movie Posters and are Thinking

of Selling Them: What Can You Expect?

Why should you consign your items

and NOT try to sell them yourself?

Which is better for you.....Auction or On Site Consignment?

Examples of Our Auctions How We Run Our Auctions

Auction Consignment Fees Fixed Price On Site Consignment Fee

Comparing Our Fees to Others

How much will you get? An example of how it works.

When will you get paid?

Does CineMasterpieces BUY posters or just consign them?

If you are sending us posters for Auction Consignment you must read this (click here).

Customer Testimonials