We just stuck to logging everything that came in so we can keep track of what we have "current." This way, if a poster for an upcoming movie came up missing that we were supposed to have, it would be noticed. Once the release date passed, we crossed the item off the list and it stayed in the storage room until someone wanted it or it was thrown out. That way, you can keep track of the materials that are still "active" and can be displayed while getting all the old "clutter" out of the way.

We also kept a small log of everything we had on display. (i.e. Outside Poster Cases: "X-men, Austin Powers, Pokemon, etc." then Lobby: Banners: "Chicken Run, X-men" -- Posters: "etc. etc....")

When the box of posters in the storage room started to get full, I would often make a call to the sub-run down the street and they were more than happy to take some of the stuff.

Trailers I always organized in the projection booth, we had two cabinets (flat and scope). We are a 20-plex though so we had a LOT of promotional materials all the time. We didn't keep track of what we had on hand, just ordered more trailers as needed (almost never necessary) and put used trailers/past due date trailers in those bins that Airborne Express always left us according to studio. When the bucket was full, shipped them back to the distributor with the prepaid labels they send. Now, a LOT of people do not send trailers back and consider it a waste of time, but I just figured it was better than throwing them away. Just my $0.02

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"The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return."

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"The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return."

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With the exception of Star Wars: Episode I there has never been a request to have promo material returned. However, to leave them out in the lobby for any-and-everybody to take seems an invitation for trouble.

I bet your customers like that a lot, though.

BUT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION:

I used to have the job of organizing trailers, one sheets and standees at one point and I never kept a written log of what I had. Instead, I was always nursing a "wish list" and I'd cross off the items that I wanted as they arrived. Quite often, they'd go right into service so there really wasn't much point in keeping a log of what was sitting idle. I guess "we just knew" what was on-hand after a while. But, then, we were handling promo items for a mere six screens at the time.

Even further back in time...When I was working at the AMC in Pasadena, we had bins (tall Rubbermaid trash bins) and we'd stand the posters up (rolled) in the appropriate bins which were marked CURRENT, SOON and DISTANT (or something like that). We would write the name of the movie, the studio and the release date on a "stickie" and tuck it under the rubber band on the "up" end for easy reference.

20th Century Fox has added a 'for promotional use only.. blah blah blah property of Fox films....' on most of their materials. I've noticed it on a few items recently from Fox (namely banners). Yes, they are still in my 'poster room'.

For the question originally posed, we write the film title on the tube and put it the "coming soon" cubby hole. When we are playing the films, it goes in a "now showing" cubby hole and when it's gone, I dole them out to employees (if they have requested specific items) or they simply go into the "GONE" cubby hole for disposal at a later date.

I've had the urge to place them out for the public to pick up for a donation when we have our annual CMN drive, but that seems to be a murky area as far as legalities go, so I just dont' do it. Give them away grattis, yes... if anyone asks for anything inparticular.

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20th Century Fox has added a 'for promotional use only.. blah blah blah property of Fox films....' on most of their materials. I've noticed it on a few items recently from Fox (namely banners).

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As for FOX, I noticed that little snipe on absolutely everything. Look on the back of the promo pinback buttons, it's there. Look at the bottom of the mini-sheets, it's there. Seems like even stuff that is designed to be "transferred" or given away to customers has the warning.

If they want their property (posters, trailers, etc) returned, they should send along a prepaid shipping label like they did with Episode 1. Nobody is going to bend over backwards to return materials because of a little line of 5pt text at the bottom.

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"The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return."