Saving Playbills

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:43pm

Is anyone here as obsessed as I am with saving playbills? After every broadway show I see, I write the date (February 5, 2005) on the top right hand corner of the cover of the playbill and tape the ticket stub on the top right hand corner of the first page. All 57 of the playbills are on my shelf in the order I saw them...starting with Les Mis and ending with Spamalot. Most of them are autographed by at least some of the cast since I wait at the stage door every chance I get. I have plans to buy some playbill binders so I can keep them in good condition for the next 50 years.

I also have a bunch of playbills from off broadway and encores which I keep in a separate pile.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:48pm

I have every playbill for every show that I've seen since 1998. Before that, I only have playbills that were important or of some value to me.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:49pm

**Raises hand.**

I have little boxes that are labeled "Playbills 1950-1960 Broadway" all through the decades and others for Regional playbills and other programs. I have another box for ticket stubs, all in chronological order. I don't tape stuff to them or write on them becuase it decreases the worth and I hate when people write on clean, new things. At the theatre I always steal a handful of playbills from where the ushers stand in the aisles. I use one for reading, one for signing and one for keeping perfect. WOW- I need help.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:50pm

I dont have many but I put mine in an evelope and keep them all in order of seeing them starting with my first show- Beauty and The Beast to most recent- Brooklyn and if there signed they get framed.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:51pm

They are nothing but dust collectors.

Updated On: 2/28/05 at 03:51 PM

[Feodor Sverdlov]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:52pm

No. I don't think I have a single Playbill from any show I've seen, since the 1950's. Sad, I guess. I never saw the point in saving them. I lack whatever gene makes people a pack rat. I throw everything out.

[stylinbohemian]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:54pm

I have them and the ticket framed then like two extra;s of each saved in a box in my closet

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 3:57pm

Growing up, my bad was a huge pack rat. Maybe that's where the urge to save stuff comes from.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 4:10pm

I have always tried to save my playbills. I used to grab three. One to keep in safe keeping. One to frame. And one JUST IN CASE.

[kim1061]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 4:12pm

i save all my playbills and ticket stubs in a box.

[zippyjen]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 4:22pm

i save all of my playbills. I have one from every show i have seen since peter pan.

[boatsintheghetto]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 4:28pm

I sadly just started saving them last year when I saw Urinetown. I keep them all up on my book shelf and then i have a cork board that i put all my tickets on

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 4:31pm

I have a huge collection of PLAYBILLS dating back to 1964. A word of warning, though: because of the acid content of the paper, my earliest PLAYBILLS have severely yellowed and the pages have started to crumble. I don't know if there's any way to salvage my collection, but those of you who are just beginning to save them might find some sort of way to preserve them.

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 4:40pm

I have draw dedicated to all things broadway..my tickets, my playbills..I go to NYC hotels and take the flyers for all the shows and save them!! I have some rare ones too lol..a bunch from shows that I never saw/left Bway really quickly..I love saving all those things!! I NEVER throw out a playbill!!!

[CattleCall]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:09pm

I save all of my playbills from Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Off Broadway and regional theaters in a big plastic box with the earliest playbills on the bottom and the most recent on top. I keep all my tickets in a separate envelope.

[timote316]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:16pm

I have all my Playbills (and programs from community/HS/etc shows) in a Wicked bag right now (I'm trying to come up with a way to store/display them), and a box on my desk with all sorts of tickets in it (theater, movies, baseball games, etc). As you can see, I save everything.

Also, gothem, if you really want to get rid of them, I know someone who who gladly take them off your hands

[bythesword84]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:17pm

I have all of mine from every show I've ever seen, all in Playbill binders- the ones with the plastic pages.

[renthead2005z]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:20pm

i have 12 from when i saw rent

[LouW95]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:20pm

I have a collection, many autographed too. If anyone has a certain request or wish list, please feel free to email me. I might be able to help you locate your desired Playbill. My collection includes Playbills from the 1930s-present.

[bwaybaby891]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:23pm

I save every playbill i touch. I got like 10 from Wicked to hand out and I kept 5 for myself. I have ones that I have form seeing road shows and from everything I go to. You are not nuts. My mom saves every one too.

[playbill_signer_05]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:26pm

WithoutATrace, That is a great idea! I might have to start doing that. I have a bunch of old playbills, but I never tried writing the dates and puttng the ticket stubs on and stuff
Brilliant!

[elphieisperky]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:28pm

I loooove to save them. I'm actually making a little "shrine" on my desk at home.

[playbill_signer_05]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:30pm

I try to get a flier from each show I see and I put them on my bedroom door

[mirramar]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:34pm

I keep all my playbills on my bookshelf and keep the ticket inside of each playbill.
I arrange them in alphabetical order, hopefully soon I'll frame some of the ones that are signed.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 5:34pm

I have a playbill for every show I've seen except for Joseph (my first show). I do have my mom's playbill from Joseph (which was almost the same cast). It's on my to-do list to get those playbill binders with the protectors. But they're sooo expensive.