SoHo Horror Collectibles Shop of Film Posters: Posteritati

Posteritati is the horror collectibles shop for people who want paper rather than plastic. It is a fourth-floor gallery at 239 Centre Street in SoHo, across from the old Police Building, and it deals in original movie posters printed for cinemas, not reprints. Its horror genre listing runs to ten pages online, and the gallery says any of its 9,000 original posters can be seen in person on a visit.

The gallery calls itself one of the world's premier dealers of vintage and contemporary movie art since 1995, and Time Out New York once named it one of SoHo's best independent shops. The collection reaches from the silent era to modern classics, and the posters come from more than 30 countries, which is why a single horror title can turn up here in Italian, Polish, Japanese and American versions.

Owner Sam Sarowitz has co-authored several books drawn only from the Posteritati collection. Art of the Modern Movie Poster, published by Chronicle in 2008, was called truly magnificent, if not monumental by Film Comment, and Translating Hollywood came out from Mark Batty Publisher in 2007. Those books are a good primer on why foreign posters for the same horror film can look completely unlike the American one.

Start online. The website lets you filter Horror Posters, keep only in-stock items, and sort by newest, popularity or price from low to high. Registered users can save a list of favourites before the trip, and the gallery suggests doing exactly that. Arriving with a short list turns an upstairs room full of flat files into a focused hour instead of an afternoon of pulling drawers.

In the gallery, staff will show the collection on an iMac or iPad and bring out the physical posters you pick. That screen-first approach matters for horror, where condition varies a lot. Posteritati grades each poster with its own condition system, and if you are worried about a fold or a tear, it will send a condition report with extra pictures. Ask for it before you commit to an older piece.

If the title you want is sold, use the Enquire button on the sold item page or contact the gallery, and staff will try to source it. Sourced orders carry different terms, though. They are not eligible for free shipping, promo codes do not apply, and they cannot be returned unless the poster is not as described, so be sure about the version you are chasing.

Buy a poster here, or bring in one you already own, and the staff will design a custom frame with you. Framing uses acid-free, conservation-quality materials, and the gallery recommends UV-protective acrylic for most works on paper because it can block up to 99% of ultraviolet light. Museum glass and Optium Acrylic are available for pieces that need extra clarity, and frames under 30 by 40 inches ship for a flat $60.

Linen-backing is the fix for Italian quattro foglio sheets printed in sections or for posters with serious damage. The poster is cleaned, laid onto Japan paper and mounted to a rollable canvas using wheat-starch adhesives. The process takes about five to six weeks, and pricing generally begins at $300 for smaller posters. Send photos and dimensions first for an estimate, since size and repairs change the bill.

Online, you can add a frame to any poster with the Add Custom Frame button, pick a basic moulding and an optional mat, and pay in one checkout. Most of those frames ship within 10 to 12 business days by UPS ground, hanging hardware included, and the largest size that can be shipped is 27 by 41 inches. Completed framing can also be hand delivered within New York City, Long Island and northern New Jersey.

Read the returns policy before you buy anything in the gallery. All in-person purchases in New York are final sale, with no refunds, although exchanges are accepted within three days with a valid receipt. Online orders work differently and are returnable if you notify the gallery within 48 hours of receiving them, while custom frames are never refundable. That difference is a good reason to inspect a horror poster closely in the room.

Regular buyers should register. The rewards program earns one point for every dollar spent, and 20 points can be redeemed for one dollar off a later purchase, excluding gift cards and special orders. The gallery also rents posters for photo shoots, film sets and events, and offers appraisals, so collectors with an attic full of old one-sheets have a reason to call before the next convention.

The gallery sits across Centre Street from the historic Police Building, the domed Beaux-Arts landmark that dominates the block, so look up for the dome and then find the door opposite. Little Italy's Mulberry Street is a short walk east and Chinatown begins just south, which makes it easy to fold a poster stop into a lunch of dumplings or a cannoli on the way back to the subway.

Posteritati also curates a gallery at IFC Center in Greenwich Village, listed on its own site, so a horror fan can pair the Centre Street visit with an evening screening and a second look at framed movie art in the cinema. Ask Karpo in the Karpo APP to plan a route that links SoHo, the Village and a late show.

Address: Posteritati, 239 Centre Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10013. Email: gallery@posteritati.com. Hours: Monday by appointment, Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 7pm, Sunday closed. Because the gallery is upstairs, ring ahead on Monday rather than turning up, since that day only works with an appointment.

By subway, take the 6 train to Spring Street, walk two blocks south on Lafayette, turn left at Broome and right onto Centre, and continue halfway down the block. From the R or W at Prince Street, walk two blocks south on Broadway, turn left on Broome for three blocks to Centre Street, then go right and halfway down the block.