Record Prices for Star Wars Posters at Skinner
Boston, MA - An extensive collection of posters from the Star Wars trilogy was auctioned by Skinner on May 1 in Boston. The auction, a retrospective and sale of every major poster from the three films in the original trilogy, featured all the well known examples plus several arcane variations. Several of the posters brought world record prices, including "Star Wars Concert" that sold for $3,738, "Star Wars Birthday" that fetched $2,185, and "Star Wars Cantina Band" that garnered $1,150. A Star Wars Advance poster of Luke Skywalker by Chaykin, and a 1977 variation on the Style A campaign with art by Tom Jung reached $2,300 each.
The auction also offered posters and publicity items from other films. Opening the auction were several lots of John Wayne lobby cards that sparked intense competition from a bank of telephones, absentee bidders and the crowd on the floor. Highlights from the group included six sets of eight John Wayne/John Ford western lobby cards that more than tripled expectations selling for $2,415. Five sets of eight John Wayne/Howard Hawks lobby cards went for $2,300, a lot of 247 John Wayne lobby cards for $2,070, and fourteen sets of eight John Wayne lobby cards for $1,495.
Other auction highlights ranged from a King Kong R42 window card that soared beyond expectations selling for $4,313, to a rare RCA Studio Party poster that sold for $4,025, to a jumbo lobby card for It Happened One Night that fetched $2,530. A one-sheet for Destry Rides Again went for $1,955, and a lobby card for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde more than tripled the high end of its estimate selling for $1,725. Elvis Presley posters continue to draw interest, as evidenced by a one-sheet for Jailhouse Rock that garnered $1,668. James Bond posters also invited competition, with a UK quad of From Russia With Love selling for $1,265 and a three-sheet of Goldfinger for $1,380. Rounding out the variety of offerings was a lot of 189 vintage stills, that sold high for $1,035.