A Guide to Buying Original Vintage Posters

Original posters were made to sell something: a film, a journey, an exhibition, a drink, a concert, an event. Most were never intended to survive for decades, which is part of what makes collecting them so enjoyable today.

If you are buying your first original, you do not need to memorise a century of printing history. You do need to ask the right questions.

What does “original” mean?

We use it to mean a poster produced for its original campaign, release, event or documented issue at the time stated. A later reproduction of the same image is a different object.

Choose a subject before chasing rarity

Film, travel, advertising, music, sport, exhibitions and fashion all have their own histories. Start with the material you genuinely like; expertise grows much faster when you enjoy looking at it.

Learn the exact edition

Ask for the year of the physical poster, country, format, dimensions and artist or printer where known. A familiar image may exist in multiple original and later editions.

Check authenticity as a whole

Paper, printing, dimensions, credits and provenance should support one another. There is no universal shortcut. Read how we check authenticity.

Understand condition

Old does not need to mean battered. Equally, folds and light handling may be completely normal. Check our condition guide and ask about restoration.

Think about framing before the poster arrives

Original paper deserves reversible mounting and appropriate glazing. Our framing guide covers the practical side.

A typical original

This 1960 TWA Switzerland poster by David Klein has a clear date, designer, campaign and format — exactly the sort of information a useful listing should give you.

Do not begin with investment promises

Poster prices can rise or fall. Buy something you would still be happy to own if its market value never changed. For the factors that can affect price, see our value guide.

Then explore. The fun is discovering how much graphic history exists beyond the handful of famous images everybody already knows.

Explore the posters featured above: British Railways · Raiders of the Lost Ark · Yves Saint Laurent · Roland-Garros. You can also explore our collecting guide, authenticity guide, condition guide and framing guide.