Steven Spielberg famously paid $60,500 a while back for Citizen Kane’s original Rosebud, but indulging a taste in less coveted (and less obvious) film memorabilia doesn’t require Titanic spending. Take inspiration from the silly period romances that swept up last week’s Oscars or brood over heavy European stuff, but here’s how to buy high-Hollywood wallpaper and have cash left for a $9.50 ticket.
Original posters from the World War II era on fill dusty files at The Old Paper Archive. Best deals are on foreign-release posters (an Argentine La Dolce Vita is $225; the Italian can be $10,000). Many “insert cards” that flanked theater doors (14 by 36 inches) are $85-$100 (a 1957 Beautiful but Dangerous card is $85); many smaller “lobby cards” are $10-$30.
J. Fields Gallery has lots of pricey collectibles, but scavenge and you’ll find cheaper Euro-gems like Tarzan et le Fils de la Jungle ($30) or Pieds Nus Dans le Parc, ($20). James Bond in Licenza di Uccidere is $75. For smaller doses, try master prints, 11-by-17-inch reproductions of famous old posters (like Vertigo and A Streetcar Named Desire, $15 each).
The groupies at Jerry Ohlinger’s subterranean archives sift through binders of stills sorted by actor. The eight-by-ten-inch photos cost $4 for black-and-white, $5.50 for color. The selection? Six binders for Natalie Wood alone. Hundreds of master prints are $15 and up.
To brighten your cubicle, try Movie Star News’s new $15 posters for The Godfather, Pulp Fiction – and, yes, Titanic.
The Old Paper Archive, 122 W. 25th St. (645-3983); J. Fields Gallery, 55 W. 17th St., sixth floor (989-4520); Jerry Ohlinger’s Movie Material Store, 242 W. 14th St. (989-0869); Movie Star News, 134 W. 18th St. (620-8160).
Picks of the Week
Pinetree Lodge’s rustic country furniture is handmade from recycled barn wood, with details like window shutters for doors. On sale, the dressers are $750 (were $1,500-$1,950), coffee tables are $250 (were $395-$695), and armoires are $995 (were $1,750-$3,250). 326 E. 35th St. (481-5490); A.E., M.C., V, checks; Mon.-Sun. 1-9; 3/29-4/12.
Desiron, a favorite of the design press for sleek metal furniture, is taking 30 to 70 percent off most samples: a steel side table is $95 (was $375); a 42-inch glass-topped round table is $385 (was $775); a nickel entertainment center (recently on the cover of Elle Decor) is $1,700 (was $2,450); beds are 30 percent off. 139 W. 22nd St. (414-4070); A.E., M.C., V, checks; Tues-Sun. noon-7.; 3/30-4/11.
S. Feldman Housewares is taking up to half off all vacuums,
cutlery, cookware, and some small appliances: Miele vacuums are $450-$650 (were $600-$850); selected All-Clad stainless cookware is up to half off (from $40 apiece); a block set of Wusthof-Trident knives is $149 (was $242). Free delivery. 1304 Madison Ave., near 92nd St. (289-7367); A.E., M.C., V; Mon.-Sat. 9-6, Sun. 11-5; 3/29-4/30.
Pildes Optical is clearing tons of frames by designers like Armani, Calvin Klein, and Polo at up to half off (from $75-$120). Sunglasses are 15 percent off. 2193 Broadway, near 78th St. (877-2980); A.E., M.C., V.; Mon.-Fri. 9-7:30, Sat. 10-6:30, Sun. 11-5; 3/29-4/19.
ALWAYS A DEAL
Frame by Frame
Instead of spending more on framing than on posters, get the fixings from Pearl Paint Frame Shop (a block down from the main store) and do the job yourself. Simple metal or unfinished-wood (stainable) components come in pairs, two of which make one frame: a pair of five-inch sides is about $4; a 40-inch set is about $10. Glass is sold in sizes up to 40-by-60-inch ($3-$53). Matting is easy with a T-square ($9 at the main store), a knife that automatically slices at a 45-degree angle ($12), and a piece of board ($1 for a sixteen-by-twenty piece; $4 for larger sizes at the main store). 56 Lispenard Street (226-6966).