Cinema paper is described rather than scored. There is no single number everyone uses, so the honest listing is a short list of facts in a predictable order.
The order to say them in
- Printing — original release, reissue, or reproduction
- Size — measured in centimetres
- Folded or rolled, and how many folds
- Paper condition — tears, losses, pinholes, stains, fading
- Restoration — backing, repairs, retouching, trimming
- The reverse — tape, old mounting, writing
A listing with those six is almost impossible to dispute. A listing that says "good condition" is almost impossible to defend.
The words that carry weight
Untrimmed — the sheet is the size it was printed. Say it only if you have measured. Linen-backed — mounted on linen, a common and accepted conservation treatment, and always declared. Paper-backed — the same idea on paper. Restored — something has been repaired or retouched. Say what and where. Pinholes — small holes from being displayed. Common, minor, worth stating. Fading — usually light damage. Photograph in neutral light rather than warm light.
Fading, tape and damp
These three account for most Indian cinema paper in private hands. None of them makes a piece unsellable; all of them make it a different piece. Old tape in particular stains through over years, and the stain is permanent even after the tape is removed — show the reverse and let it speak.
If it is signed
That is not a condition statement, it is a provenance statement, and it belongs in its own sentence with what you know about where it came from. Provenance, and why it matters.
Questions people ask
Is a reproduction worth describing in detail?
Describe the printing and the size, say reproduction in the title, and stop. Honesty is the whole job there.
Does a pinhole need declaring?
Yes. It takes four words and it removes an argument.
How do I describe fading I cannot photograph well?
Say it in words, say where it is worst, and offer a closer look on request. Why naming the flaw raises the price.
More: condition words across every category, buying cinema memorabilia.