A Weekend of Records at Heritage Vintage Movie Poster Auction!

Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries set a new world record for its recent auction of Vintage Movie Posters, besting its previously held world record by more than $100,000. The latest auction, held July 20 & 21 in Dallas, Texas, realized $2,147,623 for 1,258 lots, although after auction sales are still ongoing. Heritage's previous Vintage Movie Poster auction, held in March 2007, the first auction of vintage movie posters to break the $2 million mark, realized $2,021,459.

"Going into it, we knew that this was going to be a successful auction," said Grey Smith, Director of Vintage Movie Poster Auctions for Heritage, "but we had no idea just how successful it would be. Many pieces sold for well above estimate, with strength shown in every section of the market. Bidding was fierce, as participation, on the floor, on the phone, and over the Internet, was strong. The result was a number of new records set, not only for the overall total, but for individual posters and genres as well."

"The big star of the auction was the Black Cat half sheet," Smith said, "with its eerie portraits of stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. We sold this same copy in 2002, one of only three copies known to exist, for a then-impressive $32,200. This time, this exquisite piece of horror film history sold for $89,625 against an estimate of $40,000 - $60,000, nearly tripling our previous result."

"We all knew that the Stagecoach one sheet would be a standout in this auction," Smith said, "as it's not only one of the finest Westerns ever made, but also the film that catapulted director John Ford and actor John Wayne to instant stardom. Couple that with a truly rare poster that rarely comes to auction and a striking image, and you have all the makings of a real winner. The one sheet bore a pre-auction estimate of $15,000 - $20,000, but came through in the end with a staggering final price of $77,675, setting a new world record for the sale of a Western movie poster in the process."

"The one sheet for Rudolph Valentino's The Eagle was another pleasant surprise," Smith said. "Bearing a wonderful image of Valentino in Russian Cossack garb, we estimated the poster at $8,000 to $12,000. By the time the dust had settled and all the bids had been placed, this magnificent piece of silent film art had sold for $38,837."

"Another strong performer was the insert from the horror classic, Werewolf of London, the first Universal werewolf movie and one of the rarest titles in the entire horror genre," Smith said. "Extremely desirable, this wonderful insert sold for $59,750."

"There were a number of records set for the sale of individual posters as well," Smith said, "including a three sheet for Attack of the 50 Foot Woman at $21,510, a Day of the Triffids British Quad, which brought $3,346 against an estimate of $700 - $900, a wonderful lobby card from the silent classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which fetched $21,510, a Forbidden Planet insert that sold for $5,676, a one sheet for The Creature from the Black Lagoon, which realized $20,315, and a half sheet for The Man Who Laughs, which finished at $19,120."

"One of the factors contributing to the success of this auction was the participation of our new live bidding platform, Heritage Live," Smith said. "By logging into www.HA.com/Live, bidders were able to follow the auction in real time, complete with streaming audio and video, and place their bids instantly, competing with bidders on the floor. Best of all, there's no additional Buyer's Premium required to use this great new service. 214 people participated via Heritage Live, and a number of lots were won in this manner. I anticipate we'll see much more participation through this platform in future auctions, as it truly brings our auctions to a worldwide audience."

"Our next auction, scheduled for mid-November in Dallas, is already shaping up to be extremely exciting," Smith said. "We already have some incredible items consigned, pieces that are rarely offered at auction, so I'd advise everyone to keep an eye on our website at www.HA.com, where they can watch the auction grow, view enlargeable, full-color images of each and every lot, read our complete and informative catalog descriptions, and even place bids online once the auction goes live. Believe me, if you have any interest in vintage movie posters at all, you won't want to miss this next auction."

Highlights of the auction included:

The Black Cat (Universal, 1934). Half Sheet (22" X 28"):
REALIZED: $89,625

Stagecoach (United Artists, 1939). One Sheet (27" X 41"):
REALIZED: $77,675

The Bride of Frankenstein (Universal, 1935). Half Sheet (22" X 28"):
REALIZED: $65,725

Werewolf of London (Universal, 1935). Insert (14" X 36"):
REALIZED: $59,750

The Raven (Universal, 1935). One Sheet (27" X 41"):
REALIZED: $44,812

The Eagle (United Artists, 1925). One Sheet (27" X 41"):
REALIZED: $38,837

The Grapes of Wrath (20th Century Fox, 1940). Six Sheet (81" X 81"):
REALIZED: $35,850

Magician Mickey (United Artists, 1937). Poster (40" X 60"):
REALIZED: $33,460

Modern Times (United Artists, 1936). Six Sheet (81" X 81"):
REALIZED: $33,460

The Cocoanuts (Paramount, 1929). Insert (14" X 36"):
REALIZED: $28,680

Violent is the Word for Curly (Columbia, 1938). One Sheet (27" X 41"):
REALIZED: $28,680

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Goldwyn, 1920). Lobby Card (11" X 14"):
REALIZED: $21,510

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (Allied Artists, 1958). Three Sheet (41" X 81"):
REALIZED: $21,510

La Dolce Vita (Cineriz, 1960). Italian 4 - Folio (55" X 78"):
REALIZED: $20,315

Creature From the Black Lagoon (Universal International, 1954):
REALIZED: $20,315

The Man Who Laughs (Universal, 1928). Half Sheet (22" X 28"):
REALIZED: $19,120

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

To access the Heritage Press Release Archives, please visit http://www.HA.com/MoviePosters

Prospective consignors and sellers of vintage movie posters and related material should contact Grey Smith at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 367, or 214-252-4367, or email GreySm@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please Client Services at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.