Kymar's Stuff

We never use this grade - we're not the mint.

As we all know, even new items sometimes arrive with flaws, so in some sense the collector's grade of "Near Mint" may even be superior to "new," in that it implies a close inspection has actually taken place, and that the item has passed into the hands of someone who appreciates its value to collectors. At the same time, and in particular because we're dealing in all cases with items that have had to undergo some amount of handling, we do not mean "perfect." Paper collectibles such as posters, trading cards, and photographs will inevitably pick up tiny contact flaws or irregularities during production (when, e.g., ink is applied or large sheets are cut) or during shipping and storage. In addition, we cannot and do not pretend to put every one of our collectibles under a microscope.

We will seldom apply the Near Mint designation to any vintage collectible that has not been kept in museum quality conditions - especially since the acid content of the paper used in many movie posters, books, and other printed collectibles often makes yellowing difficult to prevent. Among more recent collectibles - from the 1990s to the present - the Near Mint designation will appear much more frequently.

An Excellent item will often appear Near Mint on first glance, and will need to be inspected closely - outside the main image area of a poster, for instance, or at certain angles of light - for the flaws we have noticed to be revealed. Such flaws might include superficial scuffing, minor wear (tiny wrinkles, creases, or tears) in the edges of a poster or photograph, or small printing or production defects in an otherwise very well kept item. Very few movie posters, lobby cards, or other promotional paper items that have actually been displayed at movie theaters - and that have thus picked up staple marks or other signs of normal handling by theater staff - will qualify as Excellent.

Very Good is a relatively high designation for an item that has undergone normal use, but it is probably the lowest grade that collectors who consider themselves "highly condition conscious" will find acceptable. A Very Good condition item will tend to show its "problems" on any reasonably close inspection under normal conditions - as with wear around the crossfolds of a vintage, theater-used poster, or a scratch likely to be heard on playback of a record album.

Sometimes, a single such flaw might drop an otherwise Near Mint item all the way down to Very Good. At other times, Very Good simply reflects an overall sense that the particular item shows signs of use and imperfect care, even though the artistic effect or idea remains fully intact. If properly framed and lit, a Very Good condition poster should at a minimum give a strong first impression: The original intention should appear available, if not fully present and if not sustained from all perspectives.

Though a Good condition item still retains some value to aficionados and to many collectors, the term implies the presence of rather severe signs of use. In contrast to Very Good items, which will often pass the first glance test, a Good item is unlikely ever to be mistaken for a new or Near Mint condition one. Instead, the item's original design and coloration, though still largely present, will be marred or obscured by obvious individual flaws or by a combination of numerous minor ones. These could include extensive yellowing or smudging, fading from sun exposure, obtrusive stains, gouges or holes with paper loss in the image area, deep creases resulting from sloppy folding, or severe tears resulting from rough handling.

An item graded Fair may have the kinds of flaws listed under "Good," but in such profusion or severity that it may be difficult to gain a clear sense of what a Near Mint original might have offered. Usually, the original must be very rare, significant, striking, or fun for us to list a merely Fair example of it.

An item in Poor condition may have been so thoroughly mishandled that we can hardly make out the full original design or intention.

We try to describe whatever factors have led to a less-than-Near Mint grading decision, along with photographs that capture the first impression at least, but we know that different collectors have different standards, and we're only human: We may occasionally miss something. That's why we offer full refunds to dissatisfied customers, and partial refunds on some non-returned items. We've had good luck over the course of 1000s of sales (on eBay and elsewhere), and have received very few complaints, but, if you feel that an item you have purchased has been mis-graded, please let us know, and give us a chance to set things right for you.