Original double sided B&W posters for the 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy appear on eBay frequently. One has just been listed on the service for US$139.99. These posters are ideal additions to a collection, regardless of the condition they’re in. This listing is a perfect case in point. It is certainly less than perfect condition but its flaws can still be made to highlight its value.

This sample is far from perfect. At more than forty years old now, it’s showing age and displaying marks you’d expect from a document of this vintage. Prominent watermarks, blemishes, stains and other degradations are present throughout the document. While this item is a long way from being considered desirable, this poster can still be displayed to take advantage and maximise its imperfections. After all, the poster lacks tears and other physical alterations. The clear signs of aging may be used to enhance the fact this is a genuine item, especially if mounted on black backing board and placed inside a window frame. Take advantage of this poster clearly showing its age and bring these imperfections to the fore. It then becomes an art object, a scarred survivor worthy of being hung on a wall, to be shown off as an obviously genuine relic of its era. That’s got to be a preferred fate to being stuffed inside a box once again. It is after all, an imperfect organism. Nonetheless, a survivor. Unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of its collectible status.

-Windebieste.