It’s a little insane how much the original Dracula poster just went for, especially considering that there was no way to know just what kind of condition it would be in. The old movie posters from the 1930’s weren’t often kept in that great of condition since they were either rolled up or just packed away without any special care that could have helped to preserve them. But it would appear that this poster featuring Bela Lugosi, the original Dracula, went for well over half a million dollars at an auction in Dallas, Texas. If I hadn’t read the number for myself I would have thought that someone had misplaced a decimal point, but this is real.
The initial reaction that hit the forefront of my mind is one that no doubt echoed in many other people’s that heard about this, that it’s crazy to spend that kind of money on something that cost a minimal amount back when the movie was being released. Surely it cost a few bucks to produce and then copy so that it could be featured in more than one area, but half a million dollars for something like this back then would have been considered to be one of the most foolish purchases ever made even if the person in question had been a multi-millionaire. Even today it seems that way to a lot of people. Half a million might not go as far as some people think but to those that have never seen that kind of money it would go a great deal further than those who think it commonplace to have that kind of money would think.
Granted, the film is a classic, it’s the beginning of a film legend that has evolved and developed into a cult following that has spawned an insane amount of movies and TV shows as well as merchandise, but the poster is a piece of paper with an illustration. To a collector these words might seem like the blasphemy of a person that doesn’t value the knowledge of history or beauty, but honestly and truly if something costs half a million dollars it had better be something that can shelter, feed, and nurture one’s family for many years to come, or it becomes just another piece of clutter that, even for an avid collector, is simply foolish to have.
The collectors would be right, I am not an expert in these things and I do not see the value of such items no matter how old they are. The value to a person such as myself would be what it could bring in terms of selling the thing outright to the right person. That money would then go to family and whatever was needed, not kept in a poster that would or would not make an appearance in my home. To the collectors this is one of the most sacrosanct pieces of movie history that remain intact today, but to the rest of us it is a reminder of the glory days of film, nothing more.
It’s an awesome poster, but I think I’d be comfortable paying about $20 for it, no more. Take that as you will I guess.
Follow Us
