How Many Playbills Do You Have?

[bstoll1]

Do you Collect or just save your Playbills in a shoe box? If so, approximately how many do you have?

 

[LizzieCurry]

A shoe box? Aaaaa single shoe box?!

[Valentina3]

I'm sure I've got plenty. Let's see, I have three, five, wait, I have twenty!

[BroadwayConcierge]

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred

[GiantsInTheSky2]

I only have 23 playbills at the moment. I used to have many, many more, but I did some spring cleaning when I moved to Brooklyn.

I was actually more of a window card person, but wall space is limited so I'm thinking of just collecting/framing playbills, unless something special comes along. 

[JoseLee_]

I've gone to the theatre 210 times and I used to take a stack of playbills and from the floor in the early years so probable over 2,000

[Mr. Nowack]

Only three! Two from my trip to Broadway this summer and a Rainbow SHE LOVES ME one that was kindly gifted to me by a member of the board.

In terms of Playbill-esque  theatre programs in general I have around 80.

I keep them all in two small drawers in my dresser, I have to find a better storage system soon though as they are full to the brim!

[whatdoesntkillme]

I think I have around 125? I have 4 or 5 full binders.

[dramamama611]

Zero.  I read 'em and toss 'em.

[NJGUY]

Did the math quickly and I would say between 1,200-1,300, as I have saved every equity production program I have seen since 1967.  Half (about) are Playbills and the other half are regional theater productions.  About half musical and half something else.  Hmmm.  Need to do some spring cleaning. 

[Dollypop]

3, 782. I started going to the theater in 1963. I keep them in a 6 foot bookcase in my living room.

 

[Valentina3]

Not that will ever voluntarily go watch CATS, but I hope there's a fan out there who keeps all their CATS playbills in what they call a "litter box". Or at least call themselves cat lady.

[willep]

Dollypop said: "3, 782. I started going to the theater in 1963. I keep them in a 6 foot bookcase in my living room."

 

That is wonderful, Dollypop. Playbills and my ticket stubs are generally the only physical souvenir I take away (I have a couple window cards from shows I really loved as well as little things like the love letter I got at The Great Comet). I have three playbill binders full and enough tucked away to fill at least one more, but have been wondering what else I could do with them. Wish I had a big shelf I could use!

[Whateverjsays]

I have 2, I just moved to the east coast from the midwest and have been trying to get to NYC to see more shows! I'll be back in December, April and June so I'll have more! Planning to move to the city soon!

[MichelleCraig]

I've thrown nearly all of mine out. Saved a few with autographs...

[haterobics]

A few from recent trips that didn't make it to the trash yet...

[Jarethan]

I have about 500.  My wife keeps on telling me to get rid of them, but I do occasionally look back at them, and  enjoy the look-back.  I frequently discover that I have seen some pretty famous people before they were famous.  I am reminded of some of the great productions I have seen that are not always remembered, e.g., Sherlock Holmes, Scapino, Lois Nettleton(!!!) terrific in Streetcar, The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild, etc.

[@z5]

hella lot-- I also more times than not get multiple playbills for each show i go to. 

 

Anyone else also do that?

[mpkie]

@z5 said: "hella lot-- I also more times than not get multiple playbills for each show i go to. 

Anyone else also do that?"

Coincidentally enough, I only got that idea from this board! Because I nearly always try to get them signed at stage door and never thought about having a "clean copy" until I saw someone mention they like to have a signed one and a clean one. Try to doing avoid that though. I'm a bit packrat-y and love collecting things, so I have 4 binders packed full. It's a collection I began in Jan 2015 and has grown to approx 60 to 75, plus some spares, not sure what to do with yet. Maybe some arts and crafts LOL.

The only Playbill I have that I didn't directly pick up while seeing a show is the opening night Les Mis one that I picked up from Broadway Flea since I wanted a color copy.

bstoll1 - another question for your ongoing project?

 

[Mr. Nowack]

The lack of sentimental attachment makes the hoarder in me have an anxiety attack!

[mpkie]

Mr. Nowack said: "The lack of sentimental attachment makes the hoarder in me have an anxiety attack!"

Right?? LOL. I saw Wicked back in 2006 (it was my first Bway/theater show), and then only 2 more until 2015. I only kept the COVER of the playbill and tossed the rest of the pages. Not sure I ever read the inside -- prob cuz I thought it was just full of adverts. I've been trying to figure out who I saw in the cast. Even though I have no attachment to Wicked itself, I am annoyed I did that!

[KathyNYC2]

I have I think 11 jam packed Container Store shoeboxes with practically every show I've ever seen (though I confess I didn't always save all the playbills from all the shows I saw more than once...as I do now).If I had, you could probably add a couple more boxes. There are almost 50 in each box. 

Yikes. That's a lot of playbills. And it still annoys me that I misplaced a few. It will always bother me that I have no idea who portrayed Billy when I saw Billy Elliot. 

[bstoll1]

Yes, thanks for asking.  First and most importantly if anyone would be willing to share a photo of their collection with me  ([e-mail]) I could create a collage to show to my audience within my presentation.  Also, I would be interested in hearing your answers the following questions.....

A.           What you collect? (Playbills, Programs, other theatre memorabilia&hellip

B.           Why you collect?

C.           How you collect?

D.           How long have you collected?

E.           Size of your collection? 

[bstoll1]

Anyone?