Well, generally speaking no. Some are, yes (think of kaiju and tokusatsu), but usually you’re just being ripped off with ridiculous prices. Here’s a perfect example.
This shop called “Japan Posters” prides of selling “100% original vintage-sourced Japanese movie posters” and being a licensed antique seller. “This license is only issued by the police” they explain. They say their posters are “sourced directly from all four islands of Japan. Our extensive network includes Japanese dealers, multigenerational businesses and collectors, who pride themselves on a Japanese culture of mastery, honesty and a love for poster art” and add “Almost all of our suppliers have this license.”
Seems like a very respectable shop. And they are not lying. They sell authentic posters. Prices seem justified considering all that, right?
Here’s one of their new arrivals. The original, authentic Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable poster. They are selling it for 37,100 yen.
https://japanposter.co.uk/collections/n ... 1-x-73cm-1
I thought it looked awfully familiar, and I wasn’t mistaken:
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/au ... 1082984572
That’s right. Look at the damage in the corners. It’s the same poster that was sold on f*cking Yahoo Auctions (Japan's equivalent of Ebay) for 10,050yen ($75) two weeks ago. And now this poster shop is selling it for 37,100 yen ($280) for foreigners who don’t have access to Yahoo.
Fair enough, business is business. They are free to purchase and sell posters for whatever prices. But it’s annoying as hell for fans like me who frequently get outbid on Yahoo Auctions by someone who is willing to pay strangely high prices. Well, now I understand what’s going on.
Attached screenshots:
1 &2: "New Arrival" product listing at Japanposters.co.uk (screencaptured March 19, 2023)
3&4: Closed auction product at Yahoo Japan Auctions (closing date: March 3, 2023)
