Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre Memorabilia
The Original Bryanston Poster
If you're looking for an original Texas Chainsaw Massacre poster from 1974, you're looking for this particular poster. Since Bryanston Pictures was the first distributor of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, only the original posters will say "Bryanston" at the bottom of the poster.
Back then, posters were folded and shipped along with the film cans to theaters and then the theaters would unfold the posters, slap glue behind them and then paste them to the wall on top of other posters from previous movies. So only an original Bryanston poster will also have creases to show that it was folded 3 times over, thus showing 8 sections of creases in the poster. If you find a "Bryanston" poster with no creases, it's a reprint and not an original.
Beware of reprinters. There are TONS of them on eBay. They make a lot of business off of people who do not know better. So now you do!
There are also prints by New Line Cinema. These, too, are "original" posters, but they're original to New Line Cinema. They bought the rights to the film in the 1980's, thus, they reprinted the poster again. So not only are there original Bryanston posters, but there are also original New Line Cinema posters as well.
As you can imagine, it is the Bryanston posters that are worth the most. You can expect to pay well over $100 for an original Bryanston poster.
Foreign Texas Chainsaw Massacre Posters
OK people! This is where you get to submit a scan or photo of your rare original foreign TCM posters!
I know that there are some in the Fan Foto section. I just have yet to go through them. :)
Lobby Cards
Chris Barker submitted this nice scan of the German lobby cards.
Again, please submit your scan or picture of your lobby cards to be posted here.
Press Kits
OK people! This is where you get to submit a scan or photo of your TCM press kits!
I know that there are some in the Fan Foto section. I just have yet to go through them. :)
Publicity Photos
Gunnar Hansen, Paul Partain and Tobe Hooper have made available reproductions of the original publicity photos from the movie. You can visit Gunnar's and Paul's web sites to purchase these items or see them at one of their public appearances. Gunnar has by far the widest variety of publicity photos available that I know of. And you can certainly find most of them on eBay.
Other TCM Memorabilia
Other than posters, lobby cards, press kits and publicity photos, there weren't any other forms of memorabilia made for the film back in 1974. So if you're on eBay and you find auctions for any Leatherface dolls, Christmas lights, shot glasses, clocks, T-shirts, light switch plates, mugs or other items, they were made well after the initial release of the film. In fact, most of these items are NOT licensed by New Line Cinema and are ILLEGALLY made and sold. With exception of the dolls and bobbleheads and a few other select items that did purchase the rights to produce those items. But again, they weren't made in 1974.
© 200
4 Tim Harden timh@texaschainsawmassacre.net