Articles

While finding the newest hot trend is easy on college campuses, at times the hottest new trend is an old one which has resurfaced. In the 1960s, lava lamps and beads were found in all bedrooms and Volkwagen Vans, and in the 1990s they were found in almost every college girl's college dorm room. In the 1960s and 70s, psychedelic colored posters and black lights were everywhere. In the mid 1990s, they had come back with a vengeance. So what's this year's group of freshmen decorating their dorm walls with?

From UCLA to Hudson University and all points in between vintage movie posters seem to be the thing. Even girls who were not even thought of when "Breakfast at Tiffany's" debuted are very much into posters of Audrey, dark sunglasses and pearls. A-list hits such as "scarface" and D-list hits like "Evil Dead are popping up on walls daily. Movie memorabilia is not referring to just black and white posters anymore.

What draws young men and women back to the drive in, to old fashioned movies made in black and white? It's not clear why they want to watch these classics again and again, but maybe 20 somethings crave a return to simpler times, when the world wasn't so complicated and humor was just for fun.

Smart marketers are not only making money on the vintage movie posters, they are making a huge profit on merchandising. At local shopping malls and department stores, you can purchase figurines, accessories, such as jewelery and sunglasses, and even catch phrase t-shirts. College campus bookstores are selling out of vintage movie posters faster than posters for newer films. These vintage posters are more popular than ever.

Posters may bring back the magic of some other time and a fantasy of what may have been. They help to capture the spirit of an age that you wish you'd lived in or else they help to keep memories alive. Some students will put up posters to remind themselves of their childhood or high school years, while some will put them up to let others know just who they are. Independent art/film posters and vintage film posters used to be displayed only on film students' walls, but now the audience for them is a great deal larger.

Movie posters of Faye Dunaway and Elvis Presley really seem to be one of the perfect gifts for son's, daughter's, niece's, nephew's or even that special college student. They were then and still are very popular wall items. As they unroll the poster and smile, remind them to save these movie posters. Twenty years from now who knows they could be the hot item once again.