Perhaps you’ve seen vintage posters in an office somewhere or along the walls of the newest restaurant in town. They have a certain charm and beauty all their own, depicting a way of life long vanished–when skyscrapers didn’t exist, all proper ladies wore hats and dresses, and only men smoked cigars.
Like the times they portray, these vintage posters have a definite appeal and have become one of the hottest collectibles in the art world, with prices for rare ones doubling, even quadrupling, within a year, dealers have found.
“I have people who tell me they saw (a particular poster) last year at $750,” says Susan Cutler, proprietor of Vintage Posters International Ltd. in Chicago, “and now it’s $2,000. The market is that hot, perhaps a little too hot.”
Why? It’s simple: The demand for these posters has increased while the supply has dwindled. Although posters have been printed since Gutenberg invented the printing press, the colorful posters you’ll find in the galleries were made beginning in the late 19th Century. They were meant to appeal to upper-middle-class Victorians with extra cash to spend on travel and other non-essentials. So these posters, whether they touted the latest liqueur or cigar, were plastered onto train stations and kiosks where travelers would see them.
Oddly enough, most of the old posters found in galleries now have never sold the products theyy advertised. These posters languished untouched for years in warehouses when companies went out of business. Now most of these stashes of old posters have been found and sold to dealers.
But there’s still hope for the collector who’s willing to part with some hard-earned cash. Even a novice can find some good deals.
Even if you don’t feel you can afford an original, most gallery owners advise that you don’t buy a reproduction. “For the same amount of dough, I can give you something real,” says Chicago dealer Spencer Weisz. “(Posters) are still affordable if you don’t get swept away by the Michigan Avenue sales pitch.”
Cutler agrees, noting that reproductions don’t hold their value. “It’s money down the drain,” she says.
For starters, the novice might buy posters that aren’t quite so valuable. Frequently overlooked are small, turn-of-the-century American literary posters that were used to promote periodicals and books, says David Gartler, owner of Poster Plus in Chicago. These sell for $50 to $1,000, depending on the rarity of the piece.
“The artwork is superb,” he says, noting that posters were often created by fine artists and some well-known designers.
Other affordable posters include military recruiting posters from World Wars I and II. At $50 to $1,000, these posters are “still quite affordable,” Gartler says, though their prices will rise as fewer become available.
Travel posters are another collectible, especially as people increasingly visit foreign locales. “People can relate to these posters,” explains Cutler. “They want to connect. These posters are something to remember their travels by.” The best travel posters date to the 1920s and ’30s, and will set you back from $200 to $2,000.
Auction houses are another way to find affordable vintage posters. Sotheby’s in Chicago regularly auctions a few vintage posters. The auction house recently sold a framed poster by popular artist Leonetto Cappiello for $600 to $700. That’s a good bargain, considering picture frames can often cost more than posters.
(Galleries usually sell unframed posters, so the buyer must pay extra for a frame. Since Sotheby’s acquires its finds from estates, the posters are usually already framed.)
The one drawback to auction houses is the limited selection. “If you’re looking for a great travel poster, you might wait a couple of years,” says Gary Metzner, an assistant vice president at Sotheby’s. “In that case, you might be better off going to a gallery where they have a better selection.”
If you regularly scout the galleries, you might come across some finds. Vintage Olympic posters depicting winter sports are an example. “Overnight, these have nearly tripled in value,” says Richard Kasvin, owner of Chicago Center for the Print/Poster. The gold medal winners of these posters sell for $2,000 to $5,000. Kasvin predicts these posters will continue to be collectible through 2000, in time for the next summer Olympics.
Also collectible are 1920s-era posters depicting women playing golf during a time when not too many did. “The market for posters of women playing golf is stronger than men playing golf,” say Kasvin. “There’s a rarity issue.”
With the market as hot as it is, consumers need to become savvy. Reproductions have been passed as off as originals. “Don’t get this wild idea that every poster you grab and stuff in your suitcase is going to be worth something,” Kasvin says.
In fact, most seemingly collectible posters are worthless. What makes a poster collectible is its rarity, image, artist, subject matter, condition and, to certain extent, age. But there are some valuable posters made by well-known artists in the 1970s that are valuable.
Condition is less important as supply dwindles. “If it’s rare, condition might not play as big a part,” notes Cutler.
You can learn this information and more if you educate yourself. Read books on the subject (you should find some at poster stores). Visit galleries before you start buying. Focus on one particular area of interest–for example, vintage posters touting coffee–because “the first time you see posters, they all look great,” Gartler notes.
Be careful when you do buy. “Stay away from the hard seller,” advises Kasvin. Become suspicious if the dealer tries to sell you a particular poster. “If it’s a good poster, it’s going to sell itself,” he says.
Gartler suggests you get to know your dealer and obtain a certificate of authenticity for each poster purchased.
Rest assured that “if you’re purchasing a good poster, chances are the dealer will be happy to take it back in the years ahead,” Kasvin notes.
Whatever you do, be prepared to buy on the spot. And like all antiques, buy what you love. “You can’t go wrong,” says Sotheby’s Metzner, “if you love it and it’s by a well-known artist.
And you will have a piece of artwork that bring an air of sophistication to your office or home. “They’re great conversation piece when you walk into a room,” says Cutler.
