The Wikicollecting Top 10 Most Expensive Movie Posters Discover the world's most valuable classic movie posters with this top 10 guide from Wikicollecting.org.
News-Antique.com - Dec 09,2011 - 10) The Phantom of the Opera (Universal, 1925)
The earliest film on the list, the Universal 1925 production of Phantom of the Opera was a groundbreaking success and featured the master of transformation Lon Chaney in his most iconic role.
One of only four known copies, this example of the only style poster to feature the Phantom without his mask sold at a Heritage auction in November 2008 for a price of $155,350.
9) Frankenstein (Universal, 1931)
A classic of early Hollywood film-making which redefined modern cinema, Universal’s 1931 ‘Frankenstein’ has endured as one of the finest examples of Gothic horror ever produced.
Original posters for the film are held in equally high esteem by collectors. In March 2004 one of only five copies known to have survived was sold at a Heritage auction for a price of $189,750.
8) Flying Down to Rio (RKO, 1933)
The only film on the list suitable for those of a nervous disposition, ‘Flying Down to Rio’ was a hugely successful 1933 musical which featured the first on-screen pairing of the legendary duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
The film’s popularity saved RKO from the prospect of bankruptcy, and the domestic U.S posters remain some of the most sought after in the hobby. This example in near-mint condition was sold by Heritage in November 2008 for $239,000.
7) King Kong (RKO, 1933) $244,500
One of the most iconic movie monsters of all time, King Kong remains a true Hollywood classic which has endured to this day.
An original poster for the film featuring Faye Wray in Kong’s clutches atop the Empire State Building made headlines in March 1999, when one of the few surviving copies sold at Sotheby’s for a price of $244,500.
6) The Black Cat (Universal, 1934, style D)
Although lesser known than many classic Universal horror pictures, The Black Cat was the studio’s most successful film of 1934 and marked the first on-screen collaboration between Béla Lugosi and Boris Karloff.
The relative obscurity of the film today is marked by the extreme rarity of its posters – it’s the only film to appear twice in the top ten. This first poster is a style-D one sheet which sold at Heritage in March 2007 for a price of $286,800.
5) Universal Dracula one sheet - $310,700 (Heritage)
Along with Frankenstein, the 1931 Universal production of Dracula changed the face of modern cinema and brought one of horror’s most enduring figures to life. It’s legacy remains strong to this day, and the truly iconic nature of the film means original posters are viewed as treasures in the collecting community.
This style F poster, one of three known to exist, was sold by Heritage in March 2009 for a price of $310,700
4) Bride of Frankenstein (Universal, 1935, style D)
The Bride of Frankenstein is one of the most critically acclaimed horror films of the Golden Age, and its posters are some of the most sought after by collectors. This rarity lay undiscovered in
