How do you organize your playbills?

[onlyverbally]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 2:31am

Hi everyone! I realize that this probably isn't the most interesting post, but maybe some of you with think it is and might be able to help me out. 

I'm staying with my parents for a few weeks to try to get their house cleaned up, and I'm finding dozens and maybe even hundreds of old playbills and programs that I've gotten from shows over the years. I'm wondering if any of you have suggests for how you store them. Preferably this would be in a way that's nicer than throwing them all in a bin, but not so extravagant as to frame them and put them on the wall. Does anyone have any products or suggestions for how to neatly store and organize them?

Thanks!

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 3:27am

Mine are stacked in a shelf in my dresser, in the order that I saw them. Newest on the top and all that.

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 7:40am

I use the binders that Playbill sells, but you can get the same ones (without the logo) on Amazon for like $5.

With that many, you'd be better off doing it alphabetically.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 8:36am

I have a bunch of binders and Playbills are placed in date order of when I saw the show.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 8:39am

Personally, I'm a tosser...but I hear nothing but good things about the binders.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 8:48am

Have been using the Playbill binders with the metal rod for years. Insert them in order I have seen the shows. I actually have gone back to see years later who I saw in a show when they were a "nobody" but now famous. 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 9:00am

I use the Playbill binders with the metal rods for most of mine, and have a "deluxe" binder with plastic sleeves for my signed playbills. 

 

I tried going a little cheaper with the binder and sleeves from Staples (same as what they have on Amazon) but the sleeves weren't quite right. For the few signed playbills that I really care about it was worth it to pay a little more for the Playbill brand. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 9:41am

I use a circular filing cabinet and recommend it highly. 

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 10:28am

I used binders from Staples just because the Playbill binders are rather pricey. Also sorting them in the order in which I'v seen the show (and I put the ticket in the sleeve as well). But unless you do that as you see each show that would be a waste of time to try and do that now. So I would suggest alphabetical order, or perhaps separate them by year/season first and then go alphabetical within that.

[Baiseur82]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 10:32am

I store mine kinda "comic book" style. I get the sleeves and cardboard backers from Bags Unlimited and then keep them alphabetically in the storage boxes meant for comic books. I do keep all my ticket stubs too, I use a ticket binder from Amazon for that. 

[Eliza2]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 10:45am

Those of you who use the binders with the metal rods - do you ever have a problem with them tearing the playbill? I used to always use the ones with the sleeves but decided to try to be more economical, so I got one of the kinds with the rods, and it tore my Playbill down the middle. Also, some of the rods don't seem to fit correctly - they bend outward instead of just fitting straight top to bottom. Did I maybe just get a bad one?

I also photocopy the cast page to slide in the back of the sleeve so it's easy to flip back through and see who was in the cast, as someone mentioned earlier.

 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 10:48am

I have the Container Store plastic shoe boxes (the regular ladies box size) that I can fit maybe 30 playbills in a box. I seemed to have more shelf space for these than binders as they stack well and I can put 4 on top of each other in a not very wide space on these storage shelves I have.

They are airtight when sealed and I have them organized by the years I have seen the shows or special categories - though alphabetical seems like a great idea but needs constant upkeep. And I never need an excuse to use my label maker..LOL

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 11:33am

Keep them in a storage facility along with other stuff. They along with other theater memorabilia will go to Goodspeed or another theater entity in my future planning.

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 11:35am

After about a week or so after seeing a show, I put them at the top of however much garbage is in my kitchen garbage can.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 12:55pm

Mine too are in the Playbill binders. Only regret is they changed the color from the early chocolate brown color (which I preferred) to a less attractive black. I never saw the need for spending money on the additional plastic insert sleeves for each playbill. My first playbill from 1957's THE MUSIC MAN still looks great.  

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 1:02pm

Demitri2 said: "... My first playbill from 1957's THE MUSIC MAN still looks great.  

 

"

That's pretty bizarre. That's my first playbill as well.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 1:17pm

From 1967's Hello, Dolly! with Pearl Baily through last month's Curious Incident, all are in playbill binders in the order I saw them.,  Any where I did not remember I looked at the copyright date on the Playbill itself (not a guarantee, but close enough).

 

Remember, playbills fro the 70's (multicolor banding) need the upgraded binders.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 1:33pm

A friend of mine who died a few years ago gave me really old playbills like Brando in Streetcar &  a really old one - not exactly a Playbill - of the Ziegfeld Follies  @ the New Amsterdam & That's Entertainment also @ the New A . He was a stagehand who worked during Vaudeville & recounted stories of what he encountered. It  was really fascinating stuff.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 1:55pm

I have a collection of well over 3,000 Playbills.  Most of them are stored in binders and are lined up in a 6' bookcase in my living room.

Let me make a suggestion, though.  Get one of those air tight storage bins that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowe's and store them in that.  My older Playbills (dating back to the 60's--and including my Opening Night Playbill for HELLO,DOLLY!)  have become extremely brittle and are in very poor condition.  I've been told that there's an acid in the paper that is making them deteriorate.  I don't know if they're using the same lind of paper these days, but I'd rather be safe than sorry and keep them in an air-tight container.

[KCW]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 5:02pm

I put mine on a bookcase and photocopy them, putting the copies up on a builtin board. Haven't seen enough shows for this to be a problem.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 5:18pm

I actually throw them away...is that a bad thing? 

[KCW]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 5:21pm

It is only a bad thing for the environment and your wallet. Keep them and sell them 5 years from now and make an easy profit, but if you're gonna get rid of them, at least recycle them. Lol.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 5:29pm

I keep the souvenir programs they sell in the theater lobby that's why I don't keep the playbills. 

[KCW]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 5:33pm

Ah. Personal choice. The Souvenir programs are not my thing, but I see the benifits. Must be an organizational nightmare though. How do you do that?

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 5:38pm

I wish they would make a storage box, with just the right dimensions, for Playbills - with the acid free protection.

I've tried shoeboxes, but the size doesn't quite work, and you have to stack them on top of eachother instead of 'file' direction, like files in a file drawer.

If anyone ever comes across such an item, I'd love to know.