Hollywood Movie Posters: One of the oldest movie memorabilia shops in the world

Sophie Flay Image
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Hollywood Movie Posters: One of the oldest movie memorabilia shops in the world
Hollywood Movie Posters is the oldest memorabilia shop in the world in the same location, with the same original proprietor running it.

HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- Ron Borst opened Hollywood Movie Posters in 1979.

"At this point it's the oldest memorabilia shop in the world, in the same location with the same original proprietor running it," said Borst.

The store is tucked away in Artisan's Patio, a remarkably quiet alleyway off of Hollywood Blvd.

Borst was a school teacher living in Pennsylvania when his friend invited him to co-open this shop 41 years ago.

He quickly bought out his partner once it opened and has been the sole proprietor ever since.

"As a kid I loved movies. I especially started collecting fantasy and science-fiction movie posters, books, photographs everything having to do with them. Watching as many as I could, so it was an easy jump but totally unexpected. I never expected to do this. I arrived here and I've had a ball since then," he said

Today, he's semi-retired so the store is only open three days a week.

"When people come in, probably the first thing they look at is movie posters. There are 600 on display. All types of movies. New, old going back 50 years, 60 years, up to the newest ones if I can find them," he said.

Borst has thousands of posters and among them are books, DVDs, photographs, lobby cards, press kits and magazines: all dedicated to movies.

But he doesn't sell everything he stumbles upon.

He's constantly growing his own collection at home.

In 1992, he published a book that showcases part of his own collection called, "Graven Images."

"It's almost like the shop exists so that I can collect," he said.