WORCESTER, Mass., March 4, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- All eyes once again are on the Academy Award winners for Sales OnLine Direct's (OTCBB:PAID) Rotman Auction three-week-long blockbuster original movie poster sale on eBay in celebration of the Academy's 75th Anniversary. This is the perfect opportunity for movie aficionados and collectors to build their collection of items from Hollywood's larger-than-life legends. From Monday, March 17th to Friday, March 28th, Rotman Auction, an eBay PowerSeller, will be posting auctions for approximately 600 pieces of original movie paper and promotional items related to Oscar winners and nominees from the past 75 years of the Academy Awards. The auctions will be posted on Rotman Auction's eBay page starting Monday the 17th at http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/rotman-auction/.
"The Academy Awards are the pinnacle of the film industry, and much of the excitement carries over into the movie memorabilia industry," said Michael Cappillino, Sales Online Direct's Hollywood Memorabilia Specialist. "Everyone is thinking about movies, talking about who's going to win, and remembering the great films of the past. We've invested a lot of time to research past winners and nominees and collect items related to the most memorable titles and the industry's most talented actors, actresses, and directors. We're thrilled to give collectors the chance to purchase some extremely rare items, in a true buyer's market. At our auctions, there are no secret reserves, no outrageous opening bids -- just two or more bidders deciding the value of an item. This promises to be a truly exciting event for us and movie paper collectors."
The auctions will include a variety of rare and very valuable vintage lobby cards, one sheets, three sheets, six sheets, half sheets, and inserts, from 1929 to the 1970s. A mix of seven- and 10-day auctions will be posted Monday through Thursday of both weeks, with the first auction being posted on the March 17th, and the last auction closing on April 3rd.
The promotion will consist of two distinct parts. Auctions posted March 17-21 leading up to the Academy Awards will feature "Spotlight Stars" -- original movie posters from Oscar-winning actors and actresses in their best films. Auctions posted in the second week, March 24-28, will feature original movie posters from films that won or were nominated for Best Picture and other Oscar categories, including Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Director, etc. The collection being offered on consignment from a private collector is valued in excess of $30,000.
Rotman Auction's staff of movie poster specialists will be exhibiting at Cinefest, the annual expo for classic film fans, movie paper collectors, dealers and aficionados, in Syracuse, NY, March 6-9. They will have the premium items from the Oscar-themed auctions on display and available for direct examination at the event prior to posting on eBay.
This Rotman Auction series of auctions features the following Academy Award-winning themed items. The value listed with each item indicates the advertised or realized price for a near mint condition one sheet of the same title within the industry. Prices will vary for items of different sizes and conditions.
1951, American in Paris, Gene Kelly, $1000, half sheet
1945, Anchors Aweigh, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, $1500, linen-backed one sheet
1949, Hamlet, Laurence Olivier, $1500, half sheet
1956, The King and I, Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, $900, three sheet
1956, Man with the Golden Arm, Frank Sinatra, $960, linen backed one sheet
1941, Meet John Doe, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck, $1800, one sheet
1932, Rain, Joan Crawford, $2800 one title card, six lobby cards
1954, Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock, $5000, seven loose lobby cards (complete set for 1962 re-release)
1948, Red River, John Wayne, $1000, three lobby cards
1953, Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn, $1000, loose lobby cards (complete set for 1960 re-release)
1951, Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando, $1725, half sheet and six sheet
1942, Woman of the Year, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, $1800, paper-backed one sheet
These upcoming auctions also will include multiple "Spotlight Stars" items from movies featuring some of Hollywood's most famous Oscar-award winning actors and actresses, including: Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn, William Holden, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, and John Wayne.
All auctions will start at only $9.95 and there is no reserve on any item. An accurate detailed condition report and high-quality digital photos accompany all items. Rotman Auction's patented Shipping Calculator lets you know how much shipping and insurance will cost you before you bid.
About Sales OnLine Direct and Rotman Auction
Sales OnLine Direct, www.paid.com, maintains and develops portals and web sites for various companies and industries. The Company has focused its efforts on the antique and collectible industry, offering the "Ask the Appraiser" online appraisal service, marketing and publishing the "Maloney's Antiques and Collectibles Resource Directory" and developing web sites that enhance the user's experience. Through web hosting and managed services, Sales OnLine Direct has provided e-business solutions to many different companies including their own Rotman Auction division. This division sells tens of thousands of items per year through auction, direct sales, and special events and is a certified eBay Gold Power Seller. The Company has developed the "AI Suite" http://www.auctioninc.com/ of software to increase revenues and reduce overhead for sellers on eBay, and offers these essential e-tools to other companies. Through recent initiatives, Sales OnLine Direct is establishing itself as one of the most important collectibles portals, and online auction services and technology providers to the collectibles industry. The Company's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "PAID."
This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events, including matters related to the Company's operations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including without limitation, successful implementation of the Company's business strategy and competition, any of which may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company's most recent filings, including Form 10-KSB and 8K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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