Vintage Western Movie Posters Are Cool and Hot!

The miraculous survival of vintage western broadsides and posters through time has created a demand influenced by a shared love of history and an enjoyment of owning these beautiful and often one-of-a- kind pieces. They provide wonderful art and bring to life the historical messages seen through the eyes of those that witnessed them during the period in history when they were printed. Locating these wonderful pieces from another time to satisfy demand has been a challenge. But right under our noses are some of the most attractive posters with both an historical legacy and marvelous artistic appeal. I’m referring to the vintage movie posters of the early westerns.

These early shoot-em-ups, while not candidates for an Academy Award, have become cult classics for their heroic and often fantasized depictions of the early West. As many of the stars had more interesting stories of their own, the drama did not end on the screen. Almost more than anything else, these early films have left behind some of the most striking posters that can be found in the collectibles market and art world today.  Despite the state of the economy the vintage movie posters, notably early westerns from the silent film era up to the early 40’s, have been performing very well. Auction and gallery sales continue to bear this out. Heritage Auctions, one of the largest collectibles firms in the world runs regular vintage movie poster auctions that continue to realize strong prices for many of these posters.

What makes these posters so appealing to collectors and investors alike begins with their strong artistic appeal. The process used to produce these early prints is known as stone lithography, which produced the sharpest and most vivid color images; many times more beautiful than some of the best color offset prints and posters made today.  Another appealing feature is that unlike other investment-grade collectibles such as rare coins, stamps, baseball cards, etc, these posters aren’t locked in a safe. They are typically displayed and enjoyed at home or office, and often hung in prominent locations as works of art.

Besides their artistic appeal and content, what helps them maintain their worth and continue to appreciate in value is their scarcity. Consider that there were far fewer movie theaters in the early days, and because of small print runs these same posters typically went from one theater to another. Once their theater use had ended, they were supposed to be returned to the studio or destroyed. Most of the posters that survived theater use ultimately fell victim to the massive paper drives of WWII.

Another factor contributing to these rare collectibles developing a sustained value is the growing recognition of grading standards. One such standard gaining in popularity is the 10 point Warren scale, which provides a detailed description of condition by grade. As with the advent of a universally-accepted grading standard in the rare coin trade, the movie poster grading scale attracts buyers by providing them the information necessary to invest in these rare posters with confidence.

As Americans, we have always had a love affair with the Old Wild West.  Needless to say, we’ve certainly needed our heroes and heroines. We couldn’t necessarily use real life examples, as oftentimes there were no duels of honor with the quickest draw winning the day. More often than not, someone got shot in the back or by some other form of surprise. The deaths of Wild Bill Hickok and Billy the Kid are but a few examples. As for appearance, the pioneer Westerners  were rarely as clean shaven and well dressed as we like to think of our heroes. Early photos will certainly support that notion.  

The fictionalization and glorification of the early West began on the theatrical stage after the Civil War, and was followed by the Wild West Shows and circuses of prominent figures such as Buffalo Bill and others. Silent films began to take over when the Wild West Shows were at their height, and ultimately replaced them in popularity. “Talkies” replaced silent films. The Western cowboy now had a personality, along with good looks and fancy Western dress, in addition to the riding and shooting skills most possessed from their ranching and rodeo days. Some could not make the transition from Silents, but a few like Tom Mix, Tim McCoy and others did, only to eventually be moved aside with the advent of the Singing Cowboy who could also ride and shoot. Roy Rogers and Gene Autry provide the best examples.

The 30’s not only saw the end of the silent movie era, but also the end of the Wild West Shows. These Shows and circuses had maintained a level of popularity with the involvement of cowboy movie stars such as Mix and McCoy with Ringling Bros and other Shows. In 1938, Tim McCoy, who was still one of the top cowboy movie stars, decided to invest most of his money in a Wild West Show bearing his name. Sadly, Col. Tim McCoy’s Real Wild West and Rough Riders of the World, closed after less than three weeks on the road. As with the early movie posters though, the Show left a legacy of the most beautiful posters which are highly sought after by collectors today.

During the last decade, the rising prominence of vintage movie poster auctions and dealer specialists has created a following that far exceeds the available supply. While this has dramatically increased the value of many posters, there remain opportunities to acquire beautiful pieces at affordable prices.