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Grading Standards for Movie Posters and Related Memorabilia
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Version 6.1.1 of Grading Terminology is current as of September 14, 2006. If your company would like to use these grading terminologies and definitions on your site, please email jon@iguide.net ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I would like to thank Andrew Roberts for his contributions to this document. by Jon R. Warren, author, Warren's Movie Poster Price Guide |
Who should read this: dealers and collectors of movie memorabilia who have a long-term, vested interest in the growth of the market for movie memorabilia. |
Collecting original movie posters and related memorabilia is gaining popularity in the United States and worldwide. The movie memorabilia areas on eBay are among their most popular, and auction houses are reporting record prices for rare items. Until the introduction of our 10-point system, the movie poster marketplace suffered from a lack of a standardized system for ranking of condition. Each movie poster merchant more or less "invented" their own system. In our opinion, lack of grading consistency among varied merchants is a major obstacle to hobby growth. Why? Because buyers feel more secure with "sight unseen" internet buying when they are familiar with a consistent grading system. New collectors in any hobby become advanced collectors through knowledge, including knowledge of terminology. Without such a set of grading terms and definitions, buyers may feel confused and uncertain about the quality of items they are buying over the internet or through the mail. Confusion and uncertainty are not good for the growth of any hobby. Our 10-point scale for rating movie posters is similar to systems being adopted in other hobbies. By using a set of standardized grading terms, we can ensure the growth of the movie memorabilia hobby now and in the future. I welcome your feedback. Please email me with comments and suggestions. My email address is jon@iguide.net. |
Green | Investment quality |
Yellow | Collector quality |
Blue | Unsuitable for collecting or investment |
GRADE | GRADE DESCRIPTION |
General Notes: When grading items, one should remember the goal: to paint an accurate picture in the mind of the
potential buyer of what to expect upon receipt of the item. Of course, a picture is worth a thousand words, and often
a seller can include high-quality images to help describe the poster, but too frequently an image does not
clearly show all flaws. This is when a good grading description becomes invaluable. The buyer relies on the seller's
honesty and accuracy in disclosure. It is therefore incumbent upon the seller to do the best job possible.
This being said, writing grade descriptions is more of an art than a science. One can be too brief, or too comprehensive, with equally bad effect. If too brief, the reader has an eerie feeling of uncertainty which causes a decision not to buy. Too much detail, and the opposite can happen: the buyer imagines the accumulation of flaws in the description of every tiny detail and pictures an item that is in horrible shape, when truly this is not the case. Particularly in the higher grades, all flaws should be described (C8 or higher) in detail. Any obtrusive flaws should always be described, regardless of the grade. It is our opinion that the buyer must be satisfied with the condition of the item upon receipt. If not, the seller must be willing to give a refund to the buyer upon return of the item in the same condition as when sent. This follows generally accepted policies in other mail-order retail activities. If you order a gadget from Sharper Image, are unhappy with it upon receipt, you have the right to return it for a no-questions-asked refund. This is as it should be in our hobby as well. We should follow the "customer is always right" rule. Buyers are human too, of course, and are subject to the limitations of our species. In the course of your selling, you will encounter buyers who are "return prone" and who never seem to be happy with a description, no matter how detailed. You are under no obligation to sell to these people; and, once you have identified them you are within your rights to ask them to never purchase another item from you. |
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C10 | Mint condition. |
An extremely rare grade for all but the most recent items. Item is "as new" or
in the same condition as the day it was made.
We highly recommend that you never grade an item C10 unless it is absolutely perfect! The item exhibits an amazing state of preservation with virtually no perceptible flaws of any kind, other than very minor flaws which may have occurred during the printing process. Printing registration should be perfect. In many cases an otherwise "mint" poster may have printing flaws in the registration, or alignment, of colors causing one color to stand slightly offset from the others. This should be almost imperceptible otherwise reduce the grade to C9. The folding/trimming process should not have resulted in any damage to the item of any kind. Sometimes a poster may have slight fold lines which occurred when the poster was put through the folding machine. If the fold line broke the ink, causing a faint white line, the item should not be graded C10. No edge fraying or dents/impressions are allowed in this grade. |
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C9 | Near Mint condition. 90% of C10. |
Item may be in "never-used" condition or may have been used in the
theater, but was carefully preserved after use. The poster should appear to be in
absolutely superb, unusually excellent condition. Older posters in this condition are very rare.
The following flaws are acceptable in this grade, but should be described:
The following flaws are NOT acceptable in this grade:
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C8 | Excellent condition. 80% of C10. |
Also called Condition A or Very Fine.
Item may be in "never-used" condition or may have been used in the theater, but was carefully preserved after use. If a C9 is almost like new, then a C8 is not as nearly perfect but still quite excellent. Poster should be bright, supple, and clean. An accumulation of more than two or three of the following flaws should cause the grader to assign a lower classification. The following flaws are acceptable in this grade, but should be described:
The following flaws are NOT acceptable in this grade:
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C7 | Very Good to Excellent condition. 70% of C10. |
Sometimes referred to as "Condition B."
A nicely preserved item. An item in this grade has many of the same flaws as the higher C8 grade, but,
because of a greater accumulation of flaws, can not be assigned the higher classification.
Whereas a C8 grade may only have two or three of the above flaws, a C7 may have 7 or 8 of them. The following flaws are acceptable in this grade:
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C6 | Very Good Condition. 60% of C10. |
Also sometimes referred to as "Condition C."
A Window Card with the top border trimmed away should not be rated higher than C6, even if in otherwise C10 condition. Several pinholes in each corner of the poster, from being displayed, is acceptable in this grade. Pinholes may be present in background, artwork or typography areas. Tears in this grade should be no longer than 1 inch to 2 inches in length, and totalling not more than four tears. Minor fold tears are acceptable but should be described. Light creasing is allowed in 1 or more of the four corners and/or along 1 or more of the four borders. Creasing may affect background, artwork or typography areas but should be described as such. Minor writing and/or marks, i.e. (marker pen, biro etc.) on the front of the poster, is allowed in this grade, however, such writing should be described. Writing on the back of the poster, which DOES NOT BLEED THROUGH, is acceptable in this grade but once again should be described. Posters which have been folded may have fold wear in this grade. This is acceptable, providing the wear does not significantly affect the eye appeal of the image, and has not damaged any print on the poster. Poster should be bright and supple. Poster should be the correct measurement for its size, and show no signs of it having been trimmed on any of its four borders. Minor edge fraying or wrinkling is allowed in this grade but should be described as such. Minor surface paper loss is allowed in this grade if documented in the description. The following flaws are acceptable in this grade, but should be documented and described:
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C5 | Good to Very Good condition. 50% of C10. |
The observer should note that all of the above variables (from the C6 description) also apply to the C5 grade, so we won't repeat them here. Instead, we would like to make it clear to the reader that the C5 grade is a transition grade, heavily worn, obviously used and unable to please most collectors because of the great accumulation of flaws. | |
C4 | Good condition. 40% of C10. |
Often referred to as "Good" condition.
Poster will exhibit any or all of the following flaws, which seller may or may not describe in detail:
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C3 | Fair condition. 30% of C10. |
Often referred to as "fair" condition or "Condition D."
Item will exhibit some or all of the defects described in C4, but to a greater degree. |
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C2 | Poor to Fair condition. 20% of C10. |
Countless pinholes in each corner of the poster, from being displayed, are expected in this grade.
Pinholes may be scattered around borders, background, artwork and typography areas.
Some/many of these pinholes may be larger and may have been dragged when the poster was removed from
display.
Tears in this grade are to be expected. Tears may have caused heavy surface paper loss. Heavy creasing in all areas of the poster is to be expected. Heavy writing and/or marks, in marker pen and/or biro, on the front of the poster, is expected in this grade. Heavy writing and/or marks may be over faces/bodies of actors/actresses, and may include defacement. Heavy writing and/or marks which bleed through from the back of the poster is expected in this grade. Heavy writing in bigger letters/numbers, such as displaying show times and/or dates on the poster will be found over any background/main artwork or typography areas. Posters which will have been folded will exhibit heavy fold wear in this grade. Any or all of the following flaws are normal for this grade:
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C1 | Poor condition. 10% of C10. |
Item will exhibit some or all of the defects described in C2, but to a greater degree. |