Poster Power
Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 12:01AM I found myself at the local mall last night. That naturally meant a trip to F.Y.E -- the only music store inside the mall. I actually didn't look at any music. Instead, I spent a lot of time in the poster section and then I couldn't help wonder: do people even still buy posters?
As I was flipping through the poster stacks, I looked at some classic Aerosmith and Pink Floyd prints and also looked at new shots of Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Hinder, Slash, and Nickelback. Needless to say, the band choices were pretty grim, but there was a poster of the Def Leppard Hysteria cover art.
When I was a freshman in college, I took some posters to decorate my dorm room. I had pretty great living conditions during college, save that freshman year. During that first year of school I landed in an all-girls dorm with no air conditioning and concrete block walls - and this was the most coveted underclassman dorm on campus! Anyway, I took along an Aerosmith poster to make myself feel more at home. My roommate naturally (giant sigh) hated Aerosmith but I insisted on the poster, much to her chagrin. Back then (and we're talking about literally 10 years ago at most) you could still buy rock posters at Wal-Mart and Kmart. Now it's pretty hard to find posters, save for the odd music shop and prices are fairly high.
The posters I browsed today cost upward of 20 bucks each, thus proving inflation hits everything! I remember looking at all the awesome poster options you could mail-order through those rock stores that bought advertisements in Metal Edge in the 80s and 90s.
In addition to the higher price, the modern posters seemed to lack...cool. There was no imagination, but maybe that had to do with the band options? Still, I sort of wish I'd purchased that Hysteria print. I think it would look good in my office.
Do you still buy and display posters?
Reader Comments (21)
They should issue older posters, like of the 80's and 90's metal acts. I want a big one of Sebastian Bach.
The posters that I have in my room;
Angus Young/AC/DC, The Spirit of Rock N Rollwith 2 fender guitars, GnR, Motley Crue, Sebastian Bach, Trixter, Ten Man Push, Sluahgter, Queensryche, Whitesnake, and More 80's Metal
Check ebay - I purchased most of my poster there and have not paid more than $10 each.
When I was a kid, I had posters all over my walls. They're gone now but I have been trying to track down most of them. I have a large KISS poster collection but I have some vintage '80s Judas Priest, Saxon, UFO, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, and Van Halen in my collection. Most are rolled and in containers because I frame them and put them up. My favorites are my KISS - Spirit of '76 original poster and maybe my Saxon - Innocence Is No Excuse poster.
Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/
Dream Theater - Falling into Infinity poster
Triumph - Thunder Seven plaque
Def Leppard Mirror - Pyromania era
Doors - Jim Morrison (Just following the trend!)
Hinder - Extreme Behavior flat
Shinedown - 8x10
Geez, wonder if my walls need to be painted? LOL