investing in something that brings you joy

a poster might initially not cost much to buy, but in time they can become very valuable pieces. A bright yellow poster from the Shea Stadium concert is the most valuable Beatles poster ever sold, having sold for $275,000 at Heritage Auctions in April 2022; DAVID BOWIE - A RARE CONCERT POSTER FOR THE FRIARS, AYLESBURY. Sold for £2,600 and The highest price paid for an original Sex Pistols poster was £32,000 at auction”.

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Finished framed poster inclusive of multiple friendship bracelets.

taylor swift, an icon to many people and lothed by others. She’s clearly knows her mind and is absolutely not afraid of standing up for what she believes is right, especially for women.

a client of ours went to see her not only in Edinburgh bt also in stockholm. The reason she likes her so much is because of what I have said above and for the independence of spirit, joy, friendship and support that she trys to instil in her fans and for them in turn to convey to one another and the world.

The reason posters can garner big prices is generally because of scarcity. people, even now, don’t think posters can go up in value that they buy. People back then didn’t think cheap ephemeral posters would have any value so stuck them to their walls, unprotected or in cheap frames with ordinary glass. They were enjoyed for a while when their owners were young, living at home or perhaps in student accommodation, bedsits and just pinned them to their bedroom wall only to be binned when they were either wrecked, or very washed out by the uv light hitting them.

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Now of course, I am not for one minute suggesting that all posters will go up in value. that said look at early 20th centry travel posters, art gallery show posters, so what I write doesn’t just refer to concert posters which have. given what I have written, it should be noted that Taylor swift is bigger than the spice girls and unlike them, she doesn’t appear to be someone who is going to stop making albums anytime soon. if she remains as popular as she is today let alone starts to appeal to new fans, perhaps her posters will go up in value substantially.

the bracelets are all names of her albums making it less personalised and therefore more universally appealing to potential fans.

With this in mind she wanted to turn the poster into a unique artwork that wouldn’t fade or go nasty and she wanted it to look interesting and not “just a bog standard framed poster”.

our client wanted to preserve this poster, in part because it might increase in value but also because she wanted to display it in a way that made it special. This poster purchase was an inexpensive investment which might pay big in years to come.

after giving this request a lot of thought and how we could also incorporate friendship bracelets (something Taylor swift is synonymous with), the edinburgh leg of the eras tour poster was framed. who knows, Maybe she will get a signature one day too from Taylor, and then it might be worth even more money, potentially.

nonetheless, even if the poster doesn’t accrue substantial increases in value in the future, the positive memory enshrined as an artwork will last a lifetime and transport her back to the event as if it happened only yesterday.

I think we created a really beautifully framed ephemeral art piece, even if I do say so :). understanding investing, preserving, designing, and art (ephemeral, antique, contemporary…) when advising clients is important. I believe we really do come up with interesting concepts for enhancing items needing framed. any questions, please get in touch. signing off, joanna black :)