So, I’ve been wanting to get into collecting movie posters lately, and I thought a good starting point would be the “Freaks” film poster. I’ve always been fascinated by this movie. It’s a classic, right? Plus, it’s got that eerie, old-Hollywood vibe that I love.
First, I hit up some online stores. I started with the usual suspects like browsing through movie poster shops. There were a bunch of options, reprints, originals, different sizes, and conditions. Man, the prices varied a lot! Some reprints were going for like, 30 bucks, but then I saw some framed original prints from 1932 priced at a whopping 250 dollars! It’s crazy how much these things can cost.
I also found some on e-commerce websites. You know, those linen-backed ones that are supposed to be in good condition? I saw a three-sheet poster from a 1949 re-release that looked pretty cool, although I’m not sure if a re-release poster holds the same value as an original.
I spent hours looking at different versions, reading descriptions, and comparing prices. It’s kind of overwhelming, to be honest. The movie’s about a circus trapeze artist marrying the leader of the side-show performers, so there’s a lot of imagery to choose from. And apparently, there are a bunch of different posters for it.
- Check Auction Sites: I had a browse through online auction sites. You can sometimes find better deals there, but you have to be careful about authenticity.
- Research Poster Conditions: I learned that older posters often have restoration work done. An unrestored poster in good condition is more valuable, but they’re super rare and expensive.
- Decide on a Budget: I quickly realized I needed to set a budget, given how pricey some of these posters are.
After all this research, I’m still not sure which poster to get. I found a few that I liked, but I’m hesitant to pull the trigger. I mean, it’s a lot of money! I keep thinking, “Will this look good on my wall?” or “Is this a good investment?” I guess that’s what makes collecting so interesting, though. You have to weigh all these factors and decide what’s worth it to you. If you’re collecting something classic, cult, or just cool-looking posters, these might make good investments.
I read somewhere that an original “Metropolis” poster from 1927 sold for $690,000! Imagine that. It seems like movie poster collecting can be a serious hobby, or even a business. This is getting more complicated than I thought. Maybe I should start with something a little less expensive just to get my feet wet. But the “Freaks” poster is just so cool! I might just have to bite the bullet and get one. We’ll see.
