Reprint Posters

A reprint poster is a reproduction of the movie poster that was originally released in the theater. Reprints are primarily divided into 2 major categories: commercial size reprints and theater size reprints. Even though both sizes are still commercial reprints and therefore have no collectible value, there is still a big different in their handling and acceptance.

Commercial Reprints:

A commercial reprint is a smaller poster that is usually produced after a movie has had some box office success. A commercial poster will sometimes look identical to the theatrical released 1-sheet but only smaller - most likely 24 x 35. But most commercial posters will take a popular scene from the movie and make a poster of that scene. The poster will most likely just have the name of the movie on it but will NOT have the credits. These posters are produced by the regular commercial printers that pay the royalties to the studio and use the image of their choice for the poster. They are usually sold through normal retail and and discount stores such as Walmart or Target.

Here is a sample of a commercial poster (note the name of the movie "Scarface" but the lack of credits).

Theatrical Reprints:

Theatrical reprints are totally different than commercial reprints. These posters are exact duplicates of the studio released 1-sheet and I mean exact. They are generally produced in Europe and shipped to the United States. They take a larger printing press to produce the 27" x 40" theater size.Some reprints are marked with the printers name across the bottom but others have no reprint markings at all. The paper stock used is similar to that of an original poster.

To non-collectors, these are GREAT! You can get theater size posters for classic movies like Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Casablanca that actually look BETTER than the originals because they don't have fold lines. They're on glossy paper, they don't have the wear AND they're at a fraction of the original's price. What more could you ask for!!!!!!

To collectors, since the quality of the reprints keep improving, more headaches are arising. It is getting tougher and tougher to tell a reprint from an original. If you are looking for posters before 1984, reprints are easy to spot. Most posters prior to 1984 where shipped folded by the studios to the theaters, so if you find an original poster prior to 1984, most likely it will be folded. Also, the paper could show some sign of aging like yellowing, fading or damage. For posters after 1984, it's a little harder. The printers do not use as many pixels to print a reprint poster so an original will be a tad sharper and clearer than the reprint. It also may be a fraction smaller. The best way to tell? If the item isn't labeled an original or reprint by the seller, either ASK THE DEALER, or DO NOT BUY FROM THAT DEALER.

(Please Note: Reel Deals is a seller of reprints and as long as a dealer differentiates between a reprint and an original and marks the poster accordingly, we strongly stand behind reprint posters. There is no tolerance for unscrupulous dealers selling reprint posters as originals and asking large prices for these. We strongly recommend you get to know and trust your poster dealer to avoid being taken advantage of, ask questions if you are not sure and if the deal is to good to be true, it probably is. Buyer beware!).

Here is a sample of a theatrical reprint: