How To Store Playbills On A Budget?

[MauraLovesMusicals]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 8:08am

i just got some real nice playbill but i have no way to store them. i don’t have the money to buy the playbill binder though so do you have any tips on how to keep them nice?

Updated On: 10/18/18 at 08:08 AM

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 8:36am

I use these, along with the sheet protectors Amazon suggests with them:

https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Durable-Binder-2-Inch-27554/dp/B0006HV8V2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3

It's the same thing as far as I can tell, it just doesn't say "Playbill" on the spine. For that, I cut off the tops of Playbills people don't want and tape the logo neatly on the spine.

Updated On: 10/18/18 at 08:36 AM

[Wick3]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 12:31pm

ImAProphet said: "I use these, along with the sheet protectors Amazon suggests with them:

https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Durable-Binder-2-Inch-27554/dp/B0006HV8V2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3

It's the same thing as far as I can tell, it just doesn't say "Playbill" on the spine. For that, I cut off the tops of Playbills people don't want and tape the logo neatly on the spine."

That's exactly what I do as well! Back when I was a teenager I would use saran wrap to wrap up the playbill so it wouldnt' get dusty nor accidentally get spilled on. It was a cheap way to do it but it worked!

[ejlovesbway]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 1:06pm

I use these perfect playbill sized 6 pack of three-ring binder combined with a 100 pack of sheet protectors. For $32.99, I can store around 72 playbills. 

[MauraLovesMusicals]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 1:09pm

thanks guys! it’s clear that the person i bought these from didn’t take care of them, there’s a big grease mark of the front of the band’s visit one!

Updated On: 10/18/18 at 01:09 PM

[Catsbroadwayfan]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 1:12pm

I use a small binder, and get plastic sheets for them. All together its like 10 dollars. Works great!

[Fanboy99]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 6:15pm

ImAProphet said: "I use these, along with the sheet protectors Amazon suggests with them:

https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Durable-Binder-2-Inch-27554/dp/B0006HV8V2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3

It's the same thing as far as I can tell, it just doesn't say "Playbill" on the spine. For that, I cut off the tops of Playbills people don't want and tape the logo neatly on the spine."

How's the quality of those binders? Do they last? I know I read somewhere they can fall apart when holding playbills? Also how many playbills can it hold?

[whatdoesntkillme]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 6:50pm

You could also reuse an old shoebox or something. 

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 8:50pm

Ziplock bags from dollar store

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 9:03pm

Fanboy99 said: "ImAProphet said: "I use these, along with the sheet protectors Amazon suggests with them:

https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Durable-Binder-2-Inch-27554/dp/B0006HV8V2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3

It's the same thing as far as I can tell, it just doesn't say "Playbill" on the spine. For that, I cut off the tops of Playbills people don't want and tape the logo neatly on the spine."

How's the quality of those binders? Do they last? I know I read somewhere they can fall apart when holding playbills? Also how many playbills can it hold?"

 

i use these and they work very well! the quality is great, just as most avery products are. as long as you don't stuff them full of playbills or throw them around or constantly flip through your playbills every minute of every day, then they will hold up. how many playbills it holds depends on the thickness of the playbill or if you put 2 playbills in one sheet protector. there's nothing set in stone. whoever you read that from is just a crappy owner lol 

 

[ilysespieces]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 9:43pm

Fanboy99 said: "ImAProphet said: "I use these, along with the sheet protectors Amazon suggests with them:

https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Durable-Binder-2-Inch-27554/dp/B0006HV8V2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3

It's the same thing as far as I can tell, it just doesn't say "Playbill" on the spine. For that, I cut off the tops of Playbills people don't want and tape the logo neatly on the spine."

How's the quality of those binders? Do they last? I know I read somewhere they can fall apart when holding playbills? Also how many playbills can it hold?"

I have a few of the mini 2 inch Avery binders, and I really like them for storage. I can fit between 20 and 22 per binder and I page through them every so often and they look pristine. I've not even had a ripped sleeve since I started using them. I used to keep my Playbills in an old shoe box, but it was difficult to find specific ones if I went looking and sometimes my ticket would fall out and get mixed up. I keep my binders in chronological order, so it's pretty much the perfect system. 

[Niles Silvers]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 10:27pm

I wallpaper my "special" room with them.  

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/19/18 at 12:53am

I have 6 Playbill binders displayed on shelving in my family room.  Two are for my favorite shows ever (over 50 years and counting); another is for (obnoxiously) the worst productions I have ever seen; another is focused on great stars that I have seen (not otherwise included in the 'best' binder; the fifth on great productions that may not have been top favorites.  (I am admittedly type A+ personality).  The sixth contains favorite British programs, where I could actually fit them in the Playbill binder (since there is no standard sizer at least wasn't up to the pastime I was in London, now 7 or 8 years ago. I really  do look at these playbills surprisingly regularly.

All of the others I simply have stacked in piles of 30 - 40, which are stored in plastic tubs that I keep hidden away at the bottom of a closet.  Many have survived more than 50 years; and, while I do not look at them frequently, I still do occasionally.  I find it particularly fun to see the names of performers in small roles in plays years ago, who subsequently went on to become either big stars or Broadway stalwarts.

I am 68, and am not planning on leaving this planet any time soon, but I admit that it bothers me to realize that they will end up in the garbage heap when I am gone.

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 10/19/18 at 12:56am

I'm just not sentimental about them.

I give a lot away to friends who'd like them, I have two framed, and the rest are all in a old school metal Muppet Show lunchbox from the 1970's.

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/19/18 at 11:21am

Jarethan said: "it bothers me to realize that they will end up in the garbage heap when I am gone."

I believe it is better to give with a warm hand than a cold one, which is why I deposit my Playbills in the trash within a week or so of seeing a show.

[Sunflower Eyes]

Posted: 8/4/21 at 4:51pm

Iris Clear Card Keeper almost fits playbills perfectly. I found there’s a little room on either side for them to slide around but I just stuffed some tissue paper in them for my move. If you are storing them on a shelf or in a cabinet, this will work fine without tissue stuffing. I used two Iris Clear Card Keepers without the plastic insert dividers for 15 years worth of Playbills. And stacked them so that every other playbill had the staple end up- just so you can fit more into the box. Can’t believe The Container Store hasn’t come up with the perfect sized Playbills container! I know SO many people who would buy them! So in case anyone sees this from The Container Store, theater goers would love a playbill sized container to archive our playbills!

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/5/21 at 12:17am

I also use the mini binders from Amazon. Both the One and two inch. They are perfect and as mentioned, there is a spine window that you can slide a label into (They supply one) or make one of your own. I got about 23 in the smaller ones and about 35 in the 2 inch. They sell the sleeves to fit. They also have inside pocket in the front and back. I had 10 years worth of playbills so these were a Godsend. Very affordable and sturdy. They are in my "special" room also!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/5/21 at 10:52am

You keep them in a shoebox to never once go thru them ever. You collect, and build the collection for no reason aside from personal gratification. Again… you’ll never once look at them again. After about 15-20 years, it’ll be easier to dump the full shoeboxes into a dumpster once you start purging things.

That was my journey collecting Playbills for decades. I’ve solely kept about 15 over the 1,000 plus I had. Kept my Streisand FUNNY GIRL, all of Bob Fosse’s shows, plus other vintage ones. Everything else, gone and not missed one single day. Never once regretting getting rid of them as they were in an office closet, sitting in shoeboxes for decades without ever once being taken out to be viewed.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/7/21 at 12:00pm

I suggest a plastic storage container.

Keep your Playbills airtight. I lost about 2,000 of mine because of mildew and tiny insects (bookworms?)

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/7/21 at 2:32pm

I am using these corrugated boxes. They are great. You can fit a lot in one box, and they are easy to store.

https://www.bagsunlimited.com/category/986/theater-playbill-storage-boxes

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 8/7/21 at 3:24pm

bwayphreak234 said: "I am using these corrugated boxes. They are great. You can fit a lot in one box, and they are easy to store.

https://www.bagsunlimited.com/category/986/theater-playbill-storage-boxes"

This is such a great find, thanks for sharing. I do love the binders but even then they're just much harder to store IMO (college kid here, don't have a lot of room to fit multiple across shelving or anything) so this is definitely more in line with the sort of stuff I've been looking for.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 1/18/22 at 12:38am

DiscoCrows said: "bwayphreak234 said: "I am using these corrugated boxes. They are great. You can fit a lot in one box, and they are easy to store.

https://www.bagsunlimited.com/category/986/theater-playbill-storage-boxes"

This is such a great find, thanks for sharing. I do love the binders but even then they're just much harder to store IMO (college kid here, don't have a lot of room to fit multiple across shelving or anything) so this is definitely more in line with the sort of stuff I've been looking for."

I'm also a college kid and came looking for a thread like this for some help with storage too! I didn't really start seeing professional theater until 8th grade, saw around 7 shows per year, and my touring houses' programs are super thin! I had one of the Avery binders and that lasted through Junior year of High School, and then I had a bit of overflow during Senior year (but COVID hit, so it wasn't many shows)

I moved to New York for College in 2020 and, of course, I HAD to start going to Broadway when it reopened. I bought a new binder thinking it would last me a long time and then saw 20 shows in a single semester. Last year's Playbills were also SUPER thick, definitely thicker than the few older Broadway Playbills I have. So now I'm already out of storage. I was gonna just buy a new binder but thought I would search around for some other solutions. 

On the binder front, I found THESE. I think they might be slightly smaller than the Averys, but they have the D-rings, like the official Ultimate Playbill Binder. 

I am intrigued by the boxes though, does anyone know how many Playbills they usually fit?

 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/18/22 at 9:03am

My older Playbills are actually deteriorating despite the Playbill binders--there's some sort of of acid in the paper that's causing this.

During my unexpected 6 month hospitalization, when the heat was on in my house through the warmer months, I lost about 2,000 Playbills when bugs or "bookworms".  

My advice: store your Playbills in a Tupperwear bin and keep it in a cool place.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 4/18/23 at 11:09pm

If anyone has a Playbill binder they’re looking to part with, please message me! Last time I ordered from Playbill it took much longer than expected and would like to get something sooner rather than later. Thanks!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 10:26am

whatdoesntkillme said: "You could also reuse an old shoebox or something.

 

Not a good idea. The Playbills have to be stored in something air tight. My older ones (going back to the 60's) have turned brittle due to the acidity of the paper. If nothing else, store them in a one gallon zip lock freezer bag.

 

Updated On: 4/19/23 at 10:26 AM