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Curtain Rising for Broadway Posters
Broadway posters are popular keepsakes collected by fans of musicals and stage plays. They differ from movie posters, specifically pertaining to size: Broadway show posters measure 14 × 22 inches and are generally printed on cardstock paper. They are commonly referred to as “window cards,” because, at one time, New York City was home to a host of theatrical ticket brokers, whose windows were plastered with cards hawking the latest Broadway hits.
With a history that traces back to the traveling plays of the Middle Ages, Broadway posters are a show’s calling card, so they need eye-catching razzle-dazzle to convey the experience a Broadway production holds for potential audience members.
These posters are appealing to collectors for various reasons, including their art, their place in Broadway history, and as a nostalgic piece of memorabilia. Assessing and determining the value of Broadway posters can be challenging because of their subjective nature. Still, some reliable key factors can help, including the play itself and its relevance in cultural history, the design, authenticity, and condition.
Broadway Poster Market Movers
The Golden Age of Broadway is generally considered to be from the 1940s through the 1960s, and collectors avidly seek the posters from this period. Window cards from more recent decades are also sought after for their distinctive and evocative imagery and creative typography.
As the market for Broadway posters grows, so do prices for some of the best examples. While most window cards of recent hits can be had for around $50 or less, some vintage posters can command thousands. Show posters signed by the cast, whether from a play performed during the Golden Age or a modern hit, can also have higher prices.
A groundbreaking new book, Broadway Poster Art, 1945-1969, debuts in October 2024—a sign that interest is rising for window cards.
WorthPoint’s index attests to this rising interest, charting growth for these collectibles, with 2022 being a standout year: Prices paid increased a whopping 55.8 percent from 2020. Though prices then dropped by 22 percent in 2023, despite an 11.3 percent increase in transactions from 2022, there’s a sign that 2024 could be brighter: Prices paid during the first five months are more than 1.3 percent ahead of the first five months of 2022, with a slight increase in transactions (0.3 percent).
The trending market movers have been Broadway posters for more modern plays from the 1980s onward, with cast-signed posters selling between $5,000 and $10,000.
This cast-signed window card for Hamilton (2015) sold for $9,995 in January 2022, while this cast-signed off-Broadway poster for the play sold for $6,995 in the same month.
Top sellers from the 1980s and 1990s include a cast-signed window card for Phantom of the Opera (1988) that sold for $7,996 in April 2023, a poster for Once on the Island (1990) that sold for $6,000 in February 2021, and a signed poster for The Lion King that fetched $5,000 in May 2022.
Collectors are also still interested in vintage posters, which have also commanded high prices. Many transactions in WorthPoint’s Price Guide have been for posters for the 1928 stage production of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, including one that sold for $5,000 in August 2022, one that sold for $4,500 in August 2023, and one for $4,000 in March 2023.
These vintage posters have also pulled in four figures: a rare poster for the Broadway musical Happy Hunting (1956) sold for $4,494 in February 2023, a poster for Out of This World (1950) brought $3,684 in June 2022, and a poster for She Loves Me (1963) sold for $3,606 in February 2023.
WORTHPOINT RESOURCES & REFERENCES
ARTICLES
For more information, check out WorthPoint’s Blog for articles on collecting Broadway posters, including:
DICTIONARY
WorthPoint’s Dictionary has several related articles, including:
MARKS
Marks and symbols on Broadway posters are typically specific to the poster’s printer or the film’s studio or producers. Some posters are identified by the autographs of the production’s cast members, of which the WorthPoint MARKS database has related entries.
Stay tuned for more index trends in the future, brought to you by WorthPoint Indices.
Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than 20 years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts.
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