Grading Standards
Near Mint Plus (NM+): The highest grade we give a poster. This grade denotes an item that has sharp corners, no visible flaws, and no handling. This is a very uncommon grade for posters and handbills produced in the sixties. Posters of this quality do exist, and we will grade them this way when they deserve it.
Near Mint (NM): A bright, crisp, unused poster with no tack holes or damage. A poster or handbill of this grade may exhibit a bit of handling, and a postcard may have very slight bumping of a corner or two. If you purchase a poster of this grade, please do not expect it to be perfect. This is generally as nice as most posters and handbills produced in the sixties will grade.
Near Mint Minus (NM-): A poster or handbill with a corner crease or two, or perhaps some handling. Corners might be slightly rounded, and there could be very small pinholes in the corners, but not larger tack holes. Think of this grade as a poster that may have been hung once or handled a little too much. This grade will usually frame to look NM or better.
Excellent (EX): The “cream” of used posters — still great-looking and crisp. This grade may have folds in the corners or light creases in the image area. May have more noticeable tack holes in the corners or margins, but there will be no missing paper. There might be minor tears in the margins or light, even aging. A poster with an abundance of these flaws will be graded VG.
Very Good (VG): A poster grading VG might have minor damage in the image area. Or, it could have light tape stains, abrasions, tape pulls, or tears. This grade usually exhibits multiple tack holes and may have heavier aging of the paper or noticeable staining.
Lower Grades: While we usually don’t buy posters of these grades, sometimes they come in collections. Unless they are ultra-rare, we simply put them on eBay and sell them. If you have an interest in lower-grade posters, let us know and we will let you know when we get some.
Split Grades: Often, a poster will not fit neatly into one of the above categories. In that case, we use a split grade to more accurately describe the item’s condition.
The photographs on our site are usually stock photos and are not of the actual item being sold. In the case of rare or unusual items, we will be happy to email you a photo of the actual item upon request. Items we grade as NM- or better usually do not have flaws that would show up in a photograph, so we try our best to describe these in the notes area of each individual item offered for sale.
We strive to accurately describe every item we sell. If you are not satisfied, you may return the item within 10 days for a full refund, less shipping — no questions asked.
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