Media Relations
Press Release - April 3, 2007
Heritage Vintage Movie Poster Auction Posts Record Results!
$2 Million+ Event Sets New World Record
Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries' most recent auction of Vintage Movie Posters, held March 30 & 31 in Dallas, Texas, set a new world record with final prices realized of $2,022,521 for 1,133 lots offered. This exceeds the previous record of $1, 568,744, set by Heritage in November 2006, by a wide margin. After auction sales are still ongoing, and are expected to push the final total to even higher levels.
"I'm thrilled by the results of this most recent auction," said Grey Smith, Director of Vintage Movie Poster Auctions for Heritage. "Breaking the $2 million mark has always been my 'Holy Grail' in regards to these auctions, and I'm very grateful to everyone that participated, both bidders and consignors, for helping me to achieve this goal. No auction house - or private poster dealer, for that matter - has ever posted results like this for a single event, and I'm very proud that Heritage has set this new high watermark."
"Of course, the star of the show was the spectacular Black Cat one sheet that we offered in our Friday Night session," said Smith. "The buzz in the hobby was that it would most likely sell in the $110,000 to $130,000 range - our pre-auction estimate was $100,000 - $175,000 - but there were two highly motivated bidders who had their eye on the prize, and when the dust cleared, one winner emerged victorious with a final bid of $286,800. There was a feeling of electricity in the room during the bidding, with a round of enthusiastic applause when it was all over."
"Horror material is as hot as it has ever been," said Smith, "as proven with The Raven Style B half sheet and the Frankenstein title card that both performed well in the auction, bringing $50,787 and $33,460 respectively. This genre continues to reign supreme in the field, with no signs of slowing down."
"A pair of important six sheets also brought impressive results," said Smith. "A beautiful six sheet for Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood and a gorgeous stone litho six sheet for Basil Rathbone's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, previously unknown to exist, finished at $31,070 each. Both are the only known copies of their type. The new owners of these spectacular pieces are no doubt very happy with their auction wins right now."
"Even though we've set a new world record that will be hard to beat, we're already hard at work on our next Signature auction," Smith said. "Although it's far too early to announce anything in that event, I can truly say that fans of vintage movie paper will not be disappointed. I'd recommend watching our website at www.HA.com, where interested collectors can watch the auction grow with full color, enlargeable images of each lot, complete and thorough catalog descriptions, and the ability to bid online from the comfort and convenience of their home or office."
"There's still time to consign material to our next auction," Smith added. "The poster market is extremely strong right now, making this an excellent opportunity to sell the treasures you've collected over the years. If you want to be a part of our next record-setting event, I'd invite you to contact me today."
Heritage Auction Galleries' upcoming Vintage Movie Poster Signature Auction will be held on July 13, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. For more information, or to bid online, please visit www.HA.com/MoviePosters.
The Black Cat (Universal, 1934). One Sheet (27" X 41"):
REALIZED: $286,800
The Raven (Universal, 1935). Half Sheet (22" X 28") Style B:
REALIZED: $50,787
Frankenstein (Universal, 1931). Title Lobby Card (11" X 14"):
REALIZED: $33,460
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner Brothers, 1938). Six Sheet (81" X 81"):
REALIZED: $31,070
Moon Over Miami (20th Century Fox, 1941). One Sheet (27" X 41") Style A:
REALIZED: $31,070
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (20th Century Fox, 1939). Six Sheet (81" X 81"):
REALIZED: $31,070
The Wayward Canary (United Artists, 1932). One Sheet (27" X 41"):
REALIZED: $26,290
Sally of the Sawdust (Paramount, 1925). One Sheet (27" X 41"):
REALIZED: $17,925
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (RKO, 1937). One Sheet (27" X 41.25") Style C:
REALIZED: $17,925
Werewolf of London (Universal, 1935). One Sheet (27" X 41") Style C:
REALIZED: $17,925
Beau Brummel (Warner Brothers, 1924). One Sheet (27" X 41") Style A:
REALIZED: $17,925
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 www.HA.com/MoviePosters/common/info/press
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 Customer Service at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.

