First off, when handling any of your tickets, be gentle as you do not want to bend or fold them, as creases are nearly impossible to remove and can permanently damage your tickets. Also, make sure you always have clean, dry skin, so no dirt or oil from your hands can damage your collection.
The terms ‘archival quality’ and ‘acid free’ are used to designate materials or products that are permanent, durable, and/or chemically stable and used for long-term preservation and conservation.
Below is a break down of the variety of ticket/playbill bags and boards you can get to keep your collection safe:
Bags
Both standard tickets and playbills have bags (sleeves) they can be placed in to protect them from outside elements and help with long term storage. The bagged ticket or playbill can then be easily placed in a album or scrap book for easy viewing. Playbills and tickets have changed sizes over the years, so there are a variety of bag sizes to accommodate the changes. Larger tickets can be placed in a playbill sleeve if to large for standard ticket sleeves. Alternatively, tickets can be placed in trading card sleeves if to small for traditional ones.
Tickets
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- Medium – Mylar (Archival Polyester) sleeves for medium tickets.
- Large – Mylar (Archival Polyester) sleeves for large tickets.
- Extra Large – Mylar (Archival Polyester) sleeves for extra large tickets.
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Trading Cards (Movie Tickets and Smaller)
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- Polyethylene – a soft, clear material thats able to breath and let moisture escape. It has some elasticity which allows for it to conform easier for a tighter fit. Has good contact clarity.
- Polypropylene – is a very clear, high sheen, crisp material. Often uses bi-oriented polypro, which stretches the material in both directions when being produced, so that it won’t wrinkle or warp over time. Less clarity.
- Mylar (Archival Polyester) – uses material of the highest clarity. Mylar will not discolor, damage, or adhere to items placed inside it. It is a sturdy material that displays beautifully, gives extra support to fragile items, and timelessly protects your collection.
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Playbills
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- All made from Polyethylene, a soft, clear material that’s able to breath and let moisture escape, these playbill sleeves are sized according to the year the playbill was produced.
- 1930 and Earlier – for playbills prior to 1930. Dimensions are 5 ½ x 8.
- 1930’s to 1970 – for playbills between 1930 and 1970. Dimensions are 6 ⅞ x 10 ⅜.
- 1970’s to Present – for playbills from 1970 to present day. Dimensions are 5 ⅞ x 9.
- All made from Polyethylene, a soft, clear material that’s able to breath and let moisture escape, these playbill sleeves are sized according to the year the playbill was produced.
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Boards
Backing boards are important for support and will prevent corner/edge wear. They’re offered in Chipboard and Standard Acid-Free. Chipboard is thicker and good for short-term use, while Standard Acid-Free is acid-free all the way through and perfect for long term use. These boards are designed to fit in the playbill sleeves.
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- 1930 and Earlier – for playbills prior to 1930. Dimensions are 5 ⅜ x 8.
- 1930’s to 1970 – for playbills between 1930 and 1970. Dimensions are 6 11⁄16 x 10 ⅜.
- 1970’s to Present – for playbills from 1970 to present day. Dimensions are 5 ¾ x 9.