Vintage poster grading: What is excellent condition?

Three grading systems are commonly used for vintage posters. Art gallery owners and major auction houses like Sotheby's or Christie's need to use only 5 conditions to describe high-quality art work. The 6 point system provides enough detail for online auction descriptions, and 10-point grading has been created as a new standard in the marketplace. The most important thing to remember is to know exactly which grading system is being used for any transaction.

(Image by by Jonathunder at Wikimedia Commons)

10-point poster grading was developed in recent years as a standardized way to precisely evaluate and grade posters of any kind. Basically, the best Condition C10 and C9 (Mint and Near Mint) are classified by what may not appear on the poster, with reference to the many defects to paper and image quality (see below), but there are a few surprises.

First, it's very rare to find a vintage poster in perfect Condition C10 (Mint condition) or even C9. One day, if a set of old posters is discovered in the basement of a defunct printing house, then they might be Mint. But most likely the elements would reach even the most secure cache of posters that are over 50 (vintage) or 100 years old (antique).

It may be surprising to learn that four very small pin holes in the corners of a poster is acceptable for Condition C9 (Near Mint) - if the rest of the poster is perfect. That's because it's easy to cover pin holes in the blank margin of a poster with matting board when the artwork is framed. Also, fold lines do not disqualify older posters from the highest ratings. Before 1980, most movie and music posters were folded by the printer into six or eight sections. So without any wear on the folds, these posters might qualify for Condition C9. Any other kinds of defects relegate the poster to Condition C8 (Excellent) and below.

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Now it's just a matter of counting up the number of defects. Any more than three or four problems means the poster is less than excellent. These defects must be barely visible. Condition C8 is known as Excellent Condition, and also "Very Fine".

So what is allowed on a poster in Condition C8? Three or four minor defects are permitted, including marks on the back of the poster that do not bleed-through to affect the quality of the image. There can be no more than two small tears on the edges, less than a quarter inch long, or one minor hole through the original fold lines. Small creases and wrinkles in the margin are acceptable, and very minor damp stains, mildew, or foxing (for definitions, see below). A poster will be down-graded to Condition C7 (Very Good), or less if there are any holes in the margin or any paper is torn off, or if the image is faded.

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The 6 point system is commonly used for auctions on eBay and other online auctions sites, and some live-auction galleries with showrooms. The grades are again defined by the amount of damage to the margin - the unprinted area around all four edges of the poster. Some posters are printed with "full-bleed" edges (when the image goes right to the edge), so any defects will affect the appearance of the image.

Mint condition is reserved for new posters that come directly from the artist or dealer with absolutely no visible defects. This is the same as Condition C10 in the 10 point system and nearly impossible for antique or vintage posters. Near Mint condition corresponds to Grade C9 for a nearly perfect poster with only trivial damage limited to the unprinted margin. Some sellers use Excellent condition for a poster with only 3 or 4 small defects along the edges. This is one of the vague, in-between grades like "Very Good to Near Mint" or "Good to Fair" condition. The remaining grades are somewhat loosely defined and can be prone to different interpretation. The 10 point grading system was developed to eliminate this confusion.

A poster in Very Good condition may have 6 or 7 imperfections that are close to the edges. Small tears and creases may be present, no more than one inch long, but overall a poster in this condition is still very desirable. A Good poster can have holes and tears, and even missing pieces of paper along the edges, but the majority of the poster is clean and flat. Once a poster reaches Fair or Poor condition, they are not often found in the collector's marketplace unless the subject matter is outstanding.

The five point system for evaluating the condition of posters is used by major auction houses where the quality of the merchandise is already at a high standard. These are the same as the grades on your school assignments, ranging from Grade A - F, with +plus and -minus for finer detail. These 5 grades roughly correspond to Condition C8 through C4 on the 10 point grading system, but you may see A+ for Condition 9 (Near Mint).

Grade A is the same as Condition C8 for vintage and antique posters, also known as "Above Average" condition, with only one or two very minor defects and minimal restoration work. Grade B is "Average" at these kind of auctions, in range of Very Good to Excellent. Grade C is "Below Average", like Very Good, which is usually the lowest category of artwork sold by major dealers and auction houses.

Posters in the last two categories of the five point system are not much to brag about. Grade D posters are similar to Grade C5 on the ten-point scale, or Good to Very Good, with several defects. These posters don't sell that well at auctions, but can be found at flea markets or uncovered in dusty barns. Condition F is used for posters that will need extensive art restoration and limited to rare and desirable topics.

The simple fact is that many commercial posters are often printed on the lowest quality paper and used for only a short time to advertise a product or service to a mass audience. On the other hand, fine-art posters are produced with great care in limited editions on high quality paper and sold directly to dealers and collectors.

But even before the days of the Ancient Library of Alexandria (accidentally destroyed in 48 BC by Julius Caesar) scholars and the faithful have cared for scrolls, papyrus, vellum and paper to protect their cultural heritage from the basic elements: fire, humidity, sunlight, pollution.

* Bleed-throughs - stains from tape or putty bleed into artwork

Poster stain (bleed-through): before and after poster restoration.

* Creases - Tightly folded paper which breaks the surface
* Chipping - Edges of brittle paper break off
* Fading - Bleaching from exposure to light
* Folds - Some posters were folded at the printer (pre-1980)
* Foxing - Brown stains on old paper when wood pulp reacts to moisture

* Holes - Minor pin holes and staples or big holes with paper loss
* Paper loss - Corners, edges or holes missing
* Registration - Offset printing colors don't align
* Scratches - Narrow abrasions on the surface
* Scuffs - Wide abrasions across image
* Tape - Leaves residue and may cause bleed-throughs
* Tears - Rips with no paper loss (repairable)
* Trimming - Parts of the border removed (to be avoided)
* Wrinkles - Crinkling at edges, less severe than Creases
* Writing - Pen or pencil marks, on the front or back

See more information about poster condition and grading.

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