POSTERS AND BEATLES MEMORABILIA

            Many readers have had questions about their Princess Diana Beanie Baby. Let me clarify something.  The Princess Di dolls that have fetched up to several hundred thousands of dollars are the dolls that have a heart sewn to the doll. These are rare but still there are many that exist. The red heart tag needs to be in mint condition, preferably in a protector.  The doll also needs to be made in China and kept out of the sun. If your doll has met these criteria’s, then you have then you have reason to be optimistic   If you want, you can contact me for further clarifications regarding these Princess Diana Beanie Babies.

            I did mention in a previous post that there are some collectibles that have risen in value through the years. One such type of collectible is vintage travel posters. They have become very popular since the 1980s. Ski posters are at the top of the list. Collectors are attracted by the nostalgia for years gone by, when travel offered adventure and excitement. Airlines posters as well as those of rail companies and cruise lines enticed people to get away. Travel posters also bring back thoughts of places to which people shared memories when they were younger.

            Art and sport posters are also extremely popular.  Posters of vintage sports teams and players can be very valuable. In addition, posters from Olympic games are extremely desirable.

            Movie posters and lobby cards are very collectible. I will discuss movie posters in a later column, but keep in mind that condition and rarity are critical when determining the value of a movie poster. The popularity of the movie can be a big help also.

            I will give you an example. In my museum I own a 27” x 41” poster of the 1942 movie “Casablanca”. Some of you may know that the original name of the movie produced by Warner Brothers was “Everyone Comes to Rick’s”. The name was changed to “Casablanca” because the movie came out during World War ll when war movies were popular, and the Moroccan city of Casablanca played a prominent role for those wishing to depart from North Africa.

            My “Casablanca” poster has more than tripled in value since I purchased it several years ago.  Only about 25-35 copies are known to exist.  It also does not hurt that the American Film Institute rated “Casablanca” in 1998 as the second best film of all time, trailing only “Citizen Kane”.

            Let me point out that a movie poster needs to be from the earliest release of the movie, not a poster that is a reprint, to be valuable.  There have been plenty of replica “Casablanca” posters, many from the late 1940s. 

            By the way, you might be wondering about lobby cards.  Lobby cards, which usually measured 11” x 14”, came in a set of eight, and were displayed in theaters until the late 1970s. The most valuable of each set was the first card, called the title card. 

            Many of you reading this column may have a movie poster from “A Hard Day’s Night” or from “Help!”.

            Of course, most of us know that the stars of those movies from the 1960s were the Beatles.  An original poster from those movies are worth a few hundred dollars, depending on condition. Not too bad if you have one.

            But almost any original Beatles item is worth a lot.  Hopefully, you saved what you had. The list of Beatles items can go on and on, but include tickets, buttons, programs, albums, vinyl 45s, lunch boxes (with a thermos), wigs, and even record players. Just a note on the vinyl records. In the United States you could buy a 45 record, and it would have an A and a B side. In England, up until the 1970s, you could buy a 45 EP (Extended Play), which has four songs.  For example, on one of my EPs, there are the Beatles songs of From “Me to You”, “Thank You Girl”, “Please Please Me”, and “Love Me Do”.  The English company Parlophone realized that it could make more money by merely having two songs, not four, on their 45s.  Beatles items would sell no matter what, unless one of the Fab Four would make such an idiotic remark that the group was more popular than Jesus.  Remember that?  But after a brief lapse of time, sales picked up again. 

            I will talk more about Beatles memorabilia in another column. Look in your record collection to see if you have the “Yesterday and Today” album.  Does it have the original cover of the Beatles dressed in butcher frocks? If so, it is valuable. There was so much of a public outcry when Capital Records first distributed the album, due to the cover, that as many copies as possible were recalled. A new cover was attached. The original “Butcher cover” albums are valuable, whether the album is in mono or stereo.