MUMBAI: A small-town collector has placed for sale the world’s most complete private collection of original Academy Award Winning Best Picture movie posters. No private collector owns original U.S. issue posters for all 79 Academy Award Winning Best Pictures. In fact, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doesn’t even own them all. The academy owns all but one (1933 Cavalcade). “The Best Picture Collection” being offered by collector Doug Taylor contains all but three (1928 Wings, 1931 Cimarron, and 1933 Cavalcade).

There are 108 posters in “The Best Picture Collection,” which will be available for purchase on eBay with a starting bid of $1,000,000. The three missing posters are also represented by rare and original-run lobby card sets and alternate style one sheets, which is the standard movie poster size (41×27) displayed in theaters.

When this collection is sold, the new owner will be free to place it on permanent display or even tour it around the globe, for film-lovers across the world to enjoy.

It took Taylor more than 15 years to amass the collection, which includes such rarities as a 1929 Broadway Melody one sheet (the Academy owns the only other known copy) and a 1932 Grand Hotel one sheet (the Academy owns the only other known copy).

“I’ve enjoyed collecting, but feel it is time to share this amazing piece of film history,” said Taylor explaining that all of his best picture posters are preserved and stored away. “I have to open the vault to enjoy them or show them to friends, ” explains Taylor, who has spent years digging through junk shops, crawling through attics, and contacting dealers around the world to track down these rare posters.

The time has come, according to Taylor, to allow one of the world’s museums, film festivals or film historians to benefit from this incredible compilation of film art. Until now, the only place one could enjoy treasures like these was at the Academy museum in Beverly Hills. “When this collection is sold, the new owner will be free to place it on permanent display or even tour it around the globe, for film-lovers across the world to enjoy,” said Taylor.

Some of the more coveted posters of this one-of-a-kind collection are a 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front one sheet (as few as three of this beautiful and haunting soldier image are known to exist); a 1934 It Happened One Night, Style B one sheet (as few as three of Frank Capra’s first best picture are known to exist); a 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty, Style D one sheet (as few as four of this Clark Gable classic are known to exist); a 1939 Gone With the Wind, Style CF one sheet (the Academy owns the only other known copy of this breathtaking “Plume” style); and not one but two original styles of the incredibly illusive 1942 Mrs. Miniver one sheet.

Of course, The Best Picture Collection also includes the iconic poster from the world’s most beloved film Casablanca.

The only AA Best Picture winning one sheets not included in The Best Picture Collection are original US studio issues for 1928 Wings, 1931 Cimarron and 1933 Cavalcade. Although those studio issue one sheets are not included, the films are well represented in the collection. An original run 1928 Wings “other company style” US one sheet is included as well as an original run studio issue 1929 Wings US Style A “with sound” one sheet. A full original 1928 Wings lobby card set and original Style A and Style B window cards are also included. A beautiful original issue 1931 Cimarron Swedish one sheet along with a full original 1931 Cimarron US lobby card set are included, and perhaps the world’s only existing original 1933 Cavalcade US window card is included.

The Best Picture Collection also includes multiple style one sheets for many films, including hard-to-find advances, or even “unreleased” styles such as the fantastic unreleased style for 1973’s The Sting (as few as three are known to exist).

Parties interested in viewing or purchasing The Best Picture Collection may do so in 1 of 3 ways:

1. Retrieve eBay seller: firstmemories

2. View the automated “photoshow”: http://www.photoshow.com/watch/jj5fz5MB