Vintage Playbills

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 5:05pm

Does anyone have any really old playbills? I'm trying to start a collection of playbills from 1925 and earlier. So far I only have to. One from the Liberty Theatre(1912) showing Spring Maid with Christene McDonald and one from the Empire Theatre(1921) With Elthel Barrymore in Declasse. I'll probobly post pic later. Post away.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 5:11pm

on ebay, go to the store for Broadway!!! (MUST include the !!!). Paul's site has a contiuing string of excellent pre-1940 playbills at relatively affordable prices. Also go to entertainment memorobilia, theater, playbills, pre-1940. Be prepared to loose to the one or two big collectors with deep pockets on the famous stuff.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 5:13pm

Awesome Thanks. The two I have now are from ebay. I won them pretty easily. And they were both only like ten bucks.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 6:30pm

eBay is THE place to get old Playbills. When I was a teenager I was a big collector, and found tons for very little money on eBay. Granted, few of them were as early as the ones you are looking for (most of which without proper care would have disintigrated by now), but it's still your best resource.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 6:38pm

So far i've had very good luck with ebay.(even though my collection is grand total of two) Both are in mint condition. Ebay is also really good for B'way props. I'm working on getting a few prop playbills from the producers and A full set of notes from Phantom.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 7:13pm

I deal with these guys too

http://www.collectorspost.com/Theatre.html

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 7:40pm

Oh, no.

I just bought a playbill I've wanted for a long time!

Cheap too...good condition.

Oops.

[Night Life Love]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 7:44pm

For school in 8th grade, im in high school now, I wrote to several broadway theatres in the district asking for spare playbills. They were very generous.

[Mamie]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 8:21pm

I have a few - also all purchased on eBay for $10 or less. I love them for the ads and the beautiful art work on the covers!

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 8:22pm

I bought an entire lot of vintage '40's playbills not too long ago for a very cheap price on eBay.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 11:49pm

All my life, I have walked into theaters after the show lets out and grabbed a pile of playbills. There are usually boxes of them under the seats in the last row. It is a habit that began when my folks first started taking me to Broadway when I was six. I left after my first show with ten copies of "Gypsy". I used to go to theaters and grab playbills even if I didn't see the show (how would they know I didn't see it?). Now I have, frankly, thousands. Multiple copies of dozens and dozens. (But all are spoken for. Many I have promised to to libraries so don't bother asking, sorry). I encourage - hell I think they encourage - you to grab a few. And anyone who, like I did as a kid, walks past the theaters after the show can pick up great swag from the trash cans. Usually about one block away, when people dump their programs for shows they didn't like. THAT'S how I ended up with a pile of copies of programs for Frankenstein and Carrie.

Updated On: 5/4/06 at 11:49 PM