Posters are one of the earliest forms of advertisement. They derived their name from the posts (dividing roads for general public and the horse carriages) to which paper pamphlets using lithographic stone printing were pasted. Posters have been used as a means of visual communication, advertisement and propaganda. They help in creating awareness, inspiring people and mobilizing support or loyalty for a cause. Apart from their functional aspect, posters have gained popularity as a unique and inexpensive form of creative expression, often with immense aesthetic appeal. It is precisely because of this that posters have become prized possessions and collectibles. Posters are also inexpensive decorative items, especially for the young.

Posters come in numerous types, categories, sizes and editions, and an infinite variety of categories. Banner-sized posters, bus stop posters, window cards, half sheets and six-sheet posters are a few among the various sized posters that abound in the market. Many posters are experimental; some are rare promotional posters like door panel posters, lobby cards, screening tickets, heralds and promotional cards. Some posters are press posters from press kits, slides and still kits, electronic press kits, campaigning book kits and ad sheets.

Posters are used for a variety of promotional and communication purposes, and there are some that qualify as collectibles. Deciding on what is a collectible is purely an individual decision. However, there are a few standard parameters that are taken into consideration while deciding the collectible value of a poster. The demand for a particular poster, its age (issue) and the condition of the particular poster (undamaged and unstained) are a few of the standard parameters applied. Limited editions are also valued by many people.

Posters are usually found with individual companies and distributors. NSS History, NSS Tags and Demise are a few of the companies that operate as poster distributors. Movie posters are also distributed by studios. Nowadays, some posters are auctioned as art pieces. Art posters even make it to museums. There are many online options for those who aspire to be or are collectors.