Freshman Ally Vitale is hoping to see the bands Death Cab for Cutie and Radiohead on a daily basis - and she can because she is shopping to fill the empty walls of her dorm room.
"When I found out there was a huge poster sale, I instantly decided that I was going to buy one and put it anywhere that there is white space on my dorm wall," she said.
The College Poster Sale Company began its back-to-school sale Monday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the J. Wayne Reitz Union Colonnade. The sale ends Friday night.
The company, which sells posters to about 300 universities across the country, is in its 35th year visiting UF.
"I would much rather buy posters on campus than order them on the Internet, where you have to wait for them to be delivered," senior political science and history major Jenna Stern said.
There are about 1,200 different posters to choose from, ranging in price from $5 to $9.
"I'm looking for a variety of posters, from pretty cutesy ones to maybe some movie posters," said freshman English major Gracie Svatek.
"Best sellers include 'Boondock Saints,' 'Twilight,' Marilyn Monroe and Vincent Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,'" said The College Poster Sale Company president Erol Liguori, adding, "The strangest poster request was for 'Where's Waldo.'"
"Last year my roommates and I bought a huge beach scene poster to cover up our dorm wall," Stern said. "We were able to find something that we all liked and it completely changed the room, giving it a good vibe."
Liguori said prices haven't risen since last year, but the selection is bigger and there are 3-D posters available, including Bob Marley and The Beatles Abbey Road.
"The event has become the heart of the back-to-school experience," Liguori said. "People have come to know and expect it."
The College Poster Sale Company will return to the Reitz Union Colonnade Jan. 11 to 15.
