Metropolis Poster Auction in Classic Horror Movie Memorabilia Forum

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Metropolis Poster Auction

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creepycrawley	Metropolis Poster Auction	Lead	[-]
Nov 15 05 8:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	LONDON (Reuters) - A poster for the classic German 1920s film "Metropolis" has been sold for a world record $690,000 to a private collector from the United States, the London gallery which arranged the sale said on Tuesday. The sale beat the previous record for a movie poster of $453,500, set in 1997 by a poster for the 1932 film "The Mummy," the Reel Poster Gallery said. Graphic artist Heinz Schulz-Neudamm designed the sepia-colored poster featuring the futuristic skyline which helped make Fritz Lang's film famous. The art deco poster is one of only four known copies in existence. The Museum of Modern Art in New York and Berlin's Film Museum have one each while another is in a private collection. The poster was bought by California-based collector Ken Schacter from British businessman Andrew Cohen, chairman of mail order firm Betterware, a spokeswoman for the gallery said. WOW!
taraco	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#1	[-]
Nov 18 05 1:15 AM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	If I had to pick one film which has the best run of posters and promotional material -- from its beginnings even to its reissues today -- I'd pick METROPOLIS by a huge margin, even over some of the classic universals. City vistas, great deco lettering, scifi imagery, workaday giant clocks, Maria the robot, it just all looks great and has never not looked ... futuristic. david
BixB	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#2	[-]
Nov 18 05 12:07 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	My aging brain is not always functioning as it once did but I vividly recall seeing a newspaper article amost 20 years ago with the announcement of the "first million dollar movie poster". As in this recent case, the poster was METROPOLIS. Joe Busam Producer Monster Kid Home Movies
rvoyttbots	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#3	[-]
Oct 30 06 2:07 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	World record of $690,000? Didn`t a FRANKENSTEIN poster sell for more than that a few years ago?
soundstage28	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#4	[-]
Oct 30 06 6:36 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* If I had to pick one film which has the best run of posters and promotional material -- from its beginnings even to its reissues today -- I'd pick METROPOLIS by a huge margin, even over some of the classic universals I'd agree. Not sure which METROPOLIS version it was, and almost all are incredible, that sold for 690K - The best Universal by a wide margin, in my opinion, is shown below. It's a 6 sheet (81" x 81") for FRANKENSTEIN owned by dealer/collector Steven Fishler in New York. Supposedly he bought it from a guy who bought a jammed shut briefcase at a garage sale and when he popped it later, inside was this poster. He found Fishler via a "wanted" ad he was running in Classic Images. There was some debate in the poster world if that's how he actually acquired it, but regardless, it's an incredible display image.
TServo4	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#5	[-]
Oct 30 06 6:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Actually, the Metropolis poster is still not officially the most expensive poster in the world-- the sale was private, not at auction, and extended payments and deals are made behind closed doors of that sort. ---- -J. Theakston
HalLane	6 sheets to the wind	#6	[-]
Oct 30 06 9:15 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That FRANKENSTEIN poster's a gyp: no neckbolts, and no Frankenstein (just that Monster guy)! But it's still a great image.
GaryP11111	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#7	[-]
Oct 31 06 12:05 AM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* The best Universal by a wide margin, in my opinion, is shown below. It's a 6 sheet (81" x 81" for FRANKENSTEIN owned by dealer/collector Steven Fishler in New York. Supposedly he bought it from a guy who bought a jammed shut briefcase at a garage sale and when he popped it later, inside was this poster. He found Fishler via a "wanted" ad he was running in Classic Images. There was some debate in the poster world if that's how he actually acquired it, but regardless, it's an incredible display image. This story was covered by a TV show not too long after the transaction. Don't recall the name of the show, though I did tape it. The only thing I found hard to swallow was the notion of someone selling a briefcase at a flea market without popping the lock. GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc."
soundstage28	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#8	[-]
Oct 31 06 12:44 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* The only thing I found hard to swallow was the notion of someone selling a briefcase at a flea market without popping the lock. I thought the same thing. Unless it fit tightly in the briefcase and made no sound, I can't see anyone selling it if it had the slightest rattle or shifting sound. Way too tempting. Found this mention in a back issue of Bruce Hershenson's email newsletter. Quote: The story of the Frankenstein six-sheet discovery is as follows (as related to me by Stephen Fishler, the owner of the poster). Apparently, a person in New York City purchased a bunch of very old briefcases at a flea market for $5 each. Some had locks that were rusted shut, and when he got home he pried them open. One contained a virtually mint folded copy of the original Frankenstein 6-sheet! He did a little research and found a copy of Classic Images and called Steve, who runs those giant buying ads in virtually every collectible publication. Steve did not try to "steal" the poster, but paid a healthy price for what many might consider to be "the ultimate movie poster". I happened to call him on the phone the day after he purchased the poster, and even though HORROR MOVIE POSTERS was just about to be printed, I had them stop the presses so that it could be included. This all goes to show that these kinds of finds are still out there to be made, if you look hard enough, and get extremely lucky!
Crowzilla2	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#9	[-]
Nov 8 06 8:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* Actually, the Metropolis poster is still not officially the most expensive poster in the world-- the sale was private, not at auction, and extended payments and deals are made behind closed doors of that sort So I guess it's not official because it wasn't your money? Who cares if extended payments were offered. The bottom line is that it was an actual cash sale for that amount, whether it took 6 minutes or 6 months to pay. For the best in Horror/Science Fiction Posters visit: www.PlatinumPosters.com
soundstage28	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#10	[-]
Nov 8 06 10:11 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Anyone know the true story on the Karloff MUMMY poster that sold in 1997? for 450K ? - I've heard from 2-3 people over the years that the price was baloney in order to possibly (a) drive up the price of other horror posters (b) gain additional high-end consignments. I think the house was Christies. ("Wow...look how much they got for that poster. I think I'll consign with them") Theory (b) makes complete sense. Auctions house are notorious for showing items as 'sold' when in fact they were not. (a) sounds a bit more complicated to pull off, however (one of the top 5 poster collectors in the country) told me the original consigner still has the Mummy poster socked away out of view (in other words, it went back to him) The idea is (was) this.... (1) Consign poster with reasonable reserve. (2) Have 2 or more friends (shills) bid poster to high price (3) Give winning friend funds to pay for poster, including 15% buyers premium. (4) Consigner receives payment, less 15% sellers premium. * Example on $100,000 item. Buyer (friend) pays auction house $115,000, receives poster - Consigner receives $85,000 from auction house and gets poster handed back to him from friend* (5) Consigner loses $30,000 on the deal, but has caused a mass grab for the new hot investment/collectable. (6) Guess who reaps the benefit? The person who has a huge collection, virtually increasing the value of his collection 2, 3, 4 times in a short number of years. Sounds strange when you think of it with posters, but change the item to real estate. Makes total sense and has been going on for centuries.
TServo4	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#11	[-]
Nov 9 06 7:45 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Having known the collector who sold that MUMMY one-sheet, I can assure you that it was a genuine auction sale, no shills or tricksters involved. Crowzilla, no need to get touchy. That's the truth, isn't it? When you pay up at auction, you have to pay up front or at least within a certain time frame. When you pay privately, you might be peacemealing the payment out... $20 a month here and there. As I see you're a poster dealer, I think you also know the tomfoolery that goes on behind closed doors. Yeah... $500,000 in public, but in actuality, $50,000 in private. It makes for good publicity for whoever is selling the poster. Let me put it this way-- when I see it in the Guiness Book of World Records, I'll believe it. ---- -J. Theakston
Crowzilla2	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#12	[-]
Nov 9 06 9:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	If you can find one for $50,000 please let me know - I'll be happy to pay you in cash dollars (or if you can find one for "$20 a month"). Knowing both who the buyer and seller were, I can assure you it is a real sale - especially knowing the things he sold to help raise the money. It's not being touchy - Sotheby's (the auction house where the Mummy sold) is happy to work out payment plans for expensive pieces, as are many dealers. I will say it is quite strange that the "purchaser" of the Mummy has never bought another movie poster, while the purchaser of the Metropolis poster is a long-time collector who continues to buy. I myself can't imagine paying that for a poster either, but that certainly doesn't mean it's not a real sale. For the best in Horror/Science Fiction Posters visit: www.PlatinumPosters.com
TServo4	Re: Metropolis Poster Auction	#13	[-]
Nov 10 06 2:43 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	First off, THE MUMMY 1-sheet, as stated, sold at Sotheby's (not Christies) for $453,500. Crowzilla, you obviously don't know the guy who bought THE MUMMY poster. He's been collecting for decades and owns lots of memorabilia and has a substantial collection of posters. A few years after THE MUMMY poster was sold, it was being displayed in the Whitney Museum in NY among other great movie posters, including the 6-sheet for FRANKENSTEIN, owned by another collector. Show me some real documentation that METROPOLIS sold for as much as it did and I'll stand to be corrected. But it hasn't been documented, and like I said, METROPOLIS hasn't shown up in the Guiness Book or Records yet, an honor which THE MUMMY 1SH has had on a number of times. ---- -J. Theakston
ChaneySr	Re:Metropolis Poster Auction	#14	[-]
Nov 10 06 3:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Because a poster sells at an auction house ,that does not mean that the sale actually has been completed.I know of many instances where expensive posters have been auctioned off and the general public has no idea that the sales have not been completed because the buyers have not paid for the items or the items where not accepted due to condition problems. TServo4 ,your arguement that you only believe in record price results if it came from an auction house does not hold true.I know of many expensive record and near record prices for movie posters that are not public knowledge because the parties involved with the sales keep them private.Since they are private sales,it does not mean that they did not occur. In the case of the Metropolis World Record price( not just for moive posters but for all types of posters) ,the parties involved in that deal decided to make this World Record public since they thought it would be good publicity for the movie poster market.I suggest that if you want further proof about the Metropolis World Record then you do a Google search for it and you will find numerous legitimate news accounts of it. ChaneySr
TServo4	Re: Re:Metropolis Poster Auction	#15	[-]
Nov 10 06 4:38 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	ChaneySr, you bring up a couple of good points. Yes, because there's a sale at an auction doesn't mean that it actually goes through. But renegs are VERY rare, considering the bad stigma you get when you can't pay what you bid on. Otherwise, auction houses would be a farce (which they are, but for other reasons). Returning an item because of "condition problems" isn't allowed-- all lots, particularly at poster auctions are put up in advance for buyers to view beforehand. I should ammend my statement from auction houses to "documented sales," which can include private sales that are documented by notary publics, etc. My point is that the Metropolis poster had no proof behind it, other than a simple announcement. It hit the wires and fluttered away. No real coverage or anything. Just because it was in the news doesn't mean it was true. Ever see this before? In contrast, two three sheets for METROPOLIS were put up at auction shortly thereafter. One didn't sell, and the other sold for significantly less. My feeling is that if there was some real value behind the outrageous price that was quoted on the initial sale, the poster would have gone for at least a significant price (not necessarily as high, though). But I think it's funny that this is being referred to as a "world record." By whom? The Guiness Book, who most consider an authority of records because of their stringent standards that they adhere to, totally overlooked it. Doesn't that tell you something? ---- -J. Theakston
ChaneySr	Re:Metropolis Poster Auction	#16	[-]
Nov 10 06 5:13 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	TServo4, I think your time frame on the Metropolis poster sales is a bit off.The two original German three sheets that were auctioned off were from October 28, 2000 at Sotheby`s and that is five years before the World Record price Metropolis German 3sheet sold in October of 2005.One did sell during the auction and the other one ( Blue Style)that passed did sell afterwards to the same buyer, so they both sold. I know of many auction houses that have had posters returned to them because of poor condition reports, so this does occur especially when the buyers do not attend an auction and relies upon condition reports ,that don`t always measure up. You are correct in that just because it is published doesn`t mean it`s true, but that announcement was published in many prominent antique and collectors publications, wire services, and respected newpapers all over the world , so it didn`t just fluttered away as a passing tidbit.Just because something is published in the Guiness Book records, does not mean it is true, current or up to date either. Believe me that I know first hand as a FACT that the Metropolis German 3sheet sold for $690,000 CASH USA dollars and that unless anyone knows of another Movie poster for selling more , it IS the World Record !!!!!!!!!!! ChaneySr
JimPV	Re:Metropolis Poster Auction	#17	[-]
Nov 11 06 8:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Here's the Metropolis poster that reportedly sold for the record sum: "How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone" -Coco Chanel
lender690000	Metropolis $690,000	#18	[-]
Mar 27 12 7:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi. I'm the guy who provided the buyers (yes, plural) with the money to make this purchase. Too bad I didn't realize at the time that I would have to sue to recover my loan. See, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. LC 085056 and the buyer has now run to the U. S. Bankruptcy Court, California Central District, Case No. 2:11-bk-60372. Look at the poster value now!
lender690000	Metropolis Poster $690,000	#19	[-]
Mar 27 12 7:11 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi. I'm the guy who provided the buyers (yes, plural) with the money to make this purchase. Too bad I didn't realize at the time that I would have to sue to recover my loan. See, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. LC 085056 and the buyer has now run to the U. S. Bankruptcy Court, California Central District, Case No. 2:11-bk-60372. Look at the poster value now!
lender690000	Metropolis Poster $690,000	#20	[-]
Mar 27 12 7:13 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi. I'm the guy who provided the buyers (yes, plural) with the money to make this purchase. Too bad I didn't realize at the time that I would have to sue to recover my loan. See, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. LC 085056 and the buyer has now run to the U. S. Bankruptcy Court, California Central District, Case No. 2:11-bk-60372. Look at the poster value now!

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