Collecting military posters from the First and Second World Wars takes knowledge and study just like any other field of collecting.  I have been collecting these posters for over 30 years and dealing in them for over 15 years.  The posters come in a variety of sizes and are often done by artists who were, or who would be, famous.  The most popular artists from the World War One era are James Montgomery Flagg, Howard Chandler Christy and Harrison Fisher.  Norman Rockwell and John Falter are popular World War Two artists.

The condition of the poster is vital to the buyer and seller.  It always amazes me that so many of these posters have even survived.  Rips and tears must always be mended using only archival tape.  Posters should always be mounted on acid-free foam core and framed by someone who is familiar with archival procedures.  These works of art are treasures of history and must be treated as such.  These posters were meant for display in factories, post offices, schools, train stations and various other locations.

The World War One posters that are very "hot" right now were issued by the U.S. Food Administration.  World War One posters also stress raising money for Liberty Loans, Liberty Bonds, War Stamps and the Red Cross.  The Red Cross posters from World War One are extremely popular and beautiful.  These posters were usually rolled up when they were sent to the various distribution points.

World War Two posters were almost always folded and shipped in a brown envelope.  The rule of thumb is that you must see the folds in World War Two posters for them to be real and that the folds do not come out.  World War Two posters picturing Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo in various forms are highly desirable.  There were seven War Bond drives during the war.  The theme of "Careless Talk" is present on many World War Two posters and some of these are very graphic in appearance.

Posters from the World Wars used to be readily available and could be found at very low prices.  The present market is very strong as people have come to appreciate the history and artwork of days gone by.  Reproductions do abound, but they are often not the original size.  "Buyer Beware" and only buy from a dealer experienced in quality paper items.  The price of posters is often determined by the artist, scene, size and condition.  Some can be found for as little as $50.00 while others can go as high as $10,000.00 or more.  The general range for most posters is in the $200.00 to $400.00 area.