This article is reprinted from an article I wrote in May 2013
Some may say that collecting vintage retro art posters is just a hobby. Which it certainly can be. Many reproductions and third, fourth or even fifth printings can be worthless. But, there is a very serious flip-side to this. It’s collecting and investing in original, collectible, valuable posters in mint condition.
As you’ll see in this article, it is not necessarily pigeonholed in “rock ‘n roll posters”. (Although that in itself has become quite an investment strategy). Vintage posters can be quite valuable. They may have been created at the turn-of-the-century by modern artists in Paris (or) by psychedelic artists in the 60s. Nonetheless they are part of history and very collectible.
Buffalo Bill Posters
Five Buffalo Bill Posters were auctioned off at Philip Weiss Auctions -Lynbrook, N.Y. for $59,398.00 on April 20, 2013. The auction was mostly rare and vintage retro art posters in mint condition. Wild West, Circus, World Wars I and II posters were up for bid.
William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) was an icon from the Wild West. He was a show man, bison hunter and legendary soldier. These posters depicted him in these different roles. One with him along side Pres. William McKinley another with a running buffalo behind his portrait and another with Buffalo Bill atop his horse. And of course one with the Buffalo Bill Wild West cowboys was a favorite which fetched $5,463.00 alone. You might consider this a success for Philip Weiss Auctions who are hit pretty bad by the recent Hurricane Sandy. So, good for them.
Cape Cod
The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority administrator (Thomas Cahir) recently purchased twenty 1940’s stylized posters to adorn the walls of the CCRCT (Cape Cod Regional Transit Center) in Hyannis. They were installed over the ticket booths. The vintage retro art posters were designed by artist Robert Kennedy. He was paid $2,500.00 with state funds set aside for aesthetic improvements.
Each of the posters are 3×5 feet and Kennedy describes the posters as “they are vintage style paintings made to resemble the travel posters or postcards of the 1940s”–Robert Kennedy. Also, Mr. Cahir states “The posters convey to our visitors that we can handle service to all 15 Cape Cod towns”.
Seattle Coliseum Concert Posters
“Vintage Rock Posters” owner Andrew Hawley is currently seeking Seattle Coliseum Concert posters from Led Zeppelin shows 1969–1972. The winning part about this piece is Hawley says he will pay up to $3000 cash for these Zeppelin Seattle Coliseum posters, in any condition. He is very easily found in any search engine on the Internet.
Does this article reveal vintage retro art posters to be real art? Certainly, it shows how incredibly valuable some are. The rarity of these posters definitely plays a part (not unlike rare coins or antiques). You be the judge.