Collection: Three Stooges Memorabilia Collection

Three Stooges 
Vintage Movie Posters, Autographs, Photos

If you grew up before the 1980s you probably have fond memories of the legendary comedy trio, Three Stooges.  The intense popularity of the Three Stooges has conceived one of the most highly desirable genres of memorabilia collecting. 

Cinematic Pioneers of Profitable Slapstick:
Three Stooges in the movie theaters revolutionized the comedy genre, demonstrating that physical humor could be a long-term box office success. Their appeal spanned generations, leading to continued profits from theatrical reissues, television syndication, and eventually home media, making them a financial powerhouse in the entertainment industry.

As one of the most iconic comedy teams in film history, The Three Stooges—Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard (later joined by Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, and Curly Joe DeRita)—starred in nearly 200 Columbia Pictures shorts from 1934 to 1959, along with several feature films. Original Three Stooges movie posters, particularly from their early Columbia shorts, are highly sought after due to their extreme rarity; theaters typically discarded them after use, making surviving examples valuable collectibles. Posters featuring Curly Howard are especially prized, as his era is considered the pinnacle of Stooges comedy. Type 1 photos—original first-generation prints developed from the negative within two years of being shot—are equally coveted, as they provide a direct historical link to the trio’s golden age. These include publicity stills, promotional shots, and candid behind-the-scenes images, many of which were discarded over time. The combination of nostalgia, scarcity, and pop culture significance makes both vintage Three Stooges posters and Type 1 photos highly desirable among film memorabilia collectors, with top-condition examples commanding premium prices at auction. 

The Cards!
The 1959 Fleer Three Stooges set consists of 96 cards, each measuring 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”. Each card front bears a color drawing of the comedy trio – Moe, Larry, and Curly – individually or in a scene from one of their shorts. A thin border surrounds each stylish, horizontal image with a caption printed in black ink at the bottom border. Card backs have a humorous quotation that complements the comical adventure on the other side. Fleer published the cards on both a white and a gray cardstock, with the gray versions more difficult to find as most have deteriorated over the passing decades. However, the white versions are more sought-after due to their clean appearance. The scarcest individual cards are single print run variation that carried checklists on the reverse (#16 “You Can’t Keep Your Money,” #63 “Curly The First Thing,” and #64 “You Won’t Fool Anybody”), with only slightly more than 200 total copies known to still exist. Not surprisingly, the other key cards in the set belong to the Stooges themselves – Curly (#1), Moe (#2), and Larry (#3) – with each vertical card consisting of a bust shot with biographical information on the reverse. Prime examples the card “Let Me Know When My Number Comes Up” (#33) is difficult to find due to centering issues. The last card, “Trying the Squeeze Play” (#96) is also tough to find in higher grades. Thanks to the continuing popularity of Moe, Larry, and Curly throughout the decades, 1959 Fleer Three Stooges set is regarded as one of the most coveted non-sport entries in the hobby, particularly in high grade.