# Movie Poster Condition Grading: Mint to Poor Explained

> Movie poster condition grading explained: what mint, near mint, very fine, fine, very good, good, fair and poor mean, with Italian terms and defects to check.

Canonical: https://locandinebest.net/movie-poster-condition-grading
Updated: 2026-11-01

Movie poster condition grading describes how close a poster is to the day it was printed, on a scale from **mint** to **poor**. Dealers grade in words, not numbers, and two dealers may disagree, so always read the list of defects as well as the grade.

## The grading scale

**Common condition grades for vintage film posters**

| Grade | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Mint (M) | As printed. Unused, unfolded if issued flat; almost never seen in old posters |
| Near mint (NM) | Unused; at most very slight handling; folds crisp if issued folded |
| Very fine (VF) | Minor flaws: light fold wear, a pin hole, tiny edge nicks |
| Fine (F) | Used: fold wear, small tears or holes in the margins, minor stains |
| Very good (VG) | Clearly used: more fold separation, tears, some paper loss away from the image |
| Good (G) | Heavy use: tears or losses entering the image, staining, fading |
| Fair / Poor | Major damage or missing pieces; mainly for rare titles or as reference copies |

A "+" or "−" refines a grade (VF+, F−). Conservation work is noted separately: a poster can be described as "Very fine on linen".

## Defects that lower the grade

- **Fold separation** — the paper splits along folds, usually where folds cross.
- **Tears and paper loss** — worse inside the image than in the margins.
- **Pin holes and tape** — common on locandine and fotobuste; old tape leaves stains.
- **Fading** — uneven colour from sunlight, often on one side.
- **Staining and foxing** — water marks, brown spots from damp.
- **Trimming** — margins cut down, which removes original paper and often the printer's line.
- **Writing and stamps** — normal on locandine; more significant on large posters.

## How to grade a poster yourself

1. **Lay it flat in daylight** on a clean table; never unfold a brittle poster in a hurry — if the paper cracks at the folds, stop and ask a conservator.
2. **Look at the image first**, then the margins: damage inside the image matters more than the same damage at the edge.
3. **Follow every fold** to its ends and check each place where two folds cross, where splits start.
4. **Turn it over.** The back shows old tape, repairs, paper added behind losses and any backing.
5. **Use a raking light** — a torch held low across the surface — to show creases, retouching and surface loss; a UV lamp often makes later retouching stand out.
6. **Measure it** against the format; a sheet well under size may have been trimmed.
7. **Write the defects down** before choosing a grade, then pick the grade that the list supports.

> **A good description reads like this:** "Very fine. Folded as issued; two small splits where folds cross, outside the image; pin holes in the corners; no restoration." A buyer can picture the poster from that, whatever grade they would have chosen.

## Italian condition terms

**Terms in Italian listings**

| Italian | English |
| --- | --- |
| Ottimo / ottime condizioni | Excellent condition (roughly NM–VF) |
| Buono / buone condizioni | Good, used (roughly F–VG) |
| Discreto | Fair, with defects |
| Piegato / pieghe | Folded / folds |
| Strappi | Tears |
| Mancanze | Missing pieces |
| Restaurato | Restored |
| Telato | Linen-backed |

## Frequently asked questions

### What does NM mean for a movie poster?

Near mint: unused or nearly so, with at most very slight handling wear.

### Do folds lower a poster's grade?

Original folds on a poster issued folded are expected and do not stop it being graded near mint; wear or separation along the folds does lower the grade.

### Does linen-backing change the grade?

The poster is graded as it now looks and described as linen-backed. Good linen-backing is accepted by collectors and often improves appearance.

### What is the difference between fine and very fine?

A very fine poster shows only minor flaws such as light fold wear or a pin hole; a fine poster has clearly been used, with fold wear, small margin tears or minor stains.