Posters and Ads

Is a poster worth more than an ad? At a recent “print fair” I attended, I saw etchings, engravings, woodblock prints, and many posters for travel, fairs, airlines, cruise lines, wartime propaganda and products. A small print by a famous artist advertising a French bookstore was perfect for my collection of store advertising. So I asked the dealer about the “ad.” He sneered and said: “It is a poster. I do not sell ads.” I walked away. Later I went back to the same booth and spotted a large framed paper ad for the Diamond Wine Co. of Sandusky, Ohio. It pictures three Victorian women at a table with wine glasses and a bottle of wine. Behind them was a street scene with vehicles and the winery. Price: $1,850. I saw the identical paper ad at a general auction a few months ago. It sold for $700. An online search turned up a reproduction on tin for under $15.