# Free Stuff



## Foxinabox10 (Aug 25, 2004)

Has anyone had any luck with getting any free stuff from any companies with or without offering program space? If so...what, from where, and how?


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## bdesmond (Aug 26, 2004)

Free stuff as in? A free keychain or equipment or...


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## Foxinabox10 (Aug 26, 2004)

Either...Anything...


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## JahJahwarrior (Aug 26, 2004)

well, the only free things I've ever tried to get are gel books and catalogs...and darnit, I still haven't gotten a gel book from Lee!! emailed them twice..they sent me a catalog oncee, but still no gel booklet! Roscolux sent one fast though!


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## avkid (Aug 26, 2004)

catalogs and manuals are the most you will get out of some companies


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## digitaltec (Aug 26, 2004)

What kind of free stuff are you looking for? Alot of companies dont have alot of SWAG. I got stuff from Martin and HES and ETC, etc but thats cause I went to LDI or have made contacts with them and use them for purchases.


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## Foxinabox10 (Aug 26, 2004)

I have gotten some free stuff from LittleLite and On Stage Stands with no contract or other purchase with them, just program mention. That is the type of stuff I'm talking about.


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## avkid (Aug 27, 2004)

how would you go about getting these stands, i need to replace 90% of our current inventory, about 9


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## Foxinabox10 (Aug 27, 2004)

I'm sorry, it was Ultimate Support not On Stage Stands.

To get these items, you need to write a letter to these companies telling them who you are, on what behalf you're representing your theater company and why they should donate the lights. You can also contact resellers of the products.


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## jmsinick (Aug 27, 2004)

J.R. Clancy offers a few free items, such as plastic batton end caps, posters, a warning label for your fly system, and a few other odds and ends.

Jeremy


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## propmonkey (Aug 29, 2004)

i emailed companies and asked for shirts. etc is hard to get stuff from. i got a shirt from apollo and strand(my fav), one from high end is on the way. ask around and or email companies.


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## ship (May 4, 2005)

So I mentioned to the Osram rep. that Philips reps were visiting me this last week. Somehow after months of requesting swag swaps, I suddenly had some found and overnighted. Granted he was more concerned with me switching brands.

Than the Philips rep's that tripple teamed me no doubt in hearing that I'm not a easy sell asked a final faitful question of the day, "anything else we can do for you?" I have swag coming from them also now, or if not, you bet I won't let them forget.

Next up, Ushio and GE. Ushio should be an easy sell. Expect the vendor rep. to make her yearly visit at any time now. I'll simply note to her that if she does not bring swag with her two things will happen. First, the lighting department will be wearing Osram and Philips swag the day of her visit, and second the visit (- her fishing for a healthy order) won't go well for her in my being nice and giving her a order of interest. 

GE is the next real challenge. Have not used that account in years, about time to re-establish it.

For me, fixture, production company and show swag is easy, I'm currently wearing a Reed Rigging above a Leprecon shirt. This given I'm yet to get anything from ETC still. Think I'm about to give up on them. That or take them up on the invite for a tour and all the swag I want as long as I do the road trip. Sometime about a letter to them mentioning that last time I was there to pick up some gear with swag in hand, no tour or exchange.

If possible during summer break, a trip to various manufacturers for the tour might be a interesting idea. Those on the East coast perhaps go to Altman, those in the central go to ETC or High End, those on the West.... for lack of other perhaps go to Mole Richardson, Kino Flo or TMB. This with prior asking to get the tour.


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## propmonkey (May 4, 2005)

id be interested in a trip/tour to ETC. im only 45mins south of there.


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## Peter (May 4, 2005)

Where (like what cities) are those places located?


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## propmonkey (May 4, 2005)

etc is located in middleton, wi. near madison. full compass is also based there.


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## ccfan213 (May 4, 2005)

yea the east coast is a big place... where specifically is altman?


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## Les (May 5, 2005)

How would you go about getting apparel from lighting companies? I could never find any links on their site. I would love a high-end or martin shirt. The ETC jacket that the sales rep is wearing on the ETC website is cool too, but it looks like ETC is a hard company to get things like that from.


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## avkid (May 5, 2005)

I think it's located in Yonkers, New York


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## rapscaLLion (May 5, 2005)

Um... our school gets free coke products for our production... basically an entire room full of soft drinks for concessions and mini dasani water bottles for the cast and crew, and some boxes of coke paraphenalia for giving away. We give them a tiny credit in the "special thanks" part. lol
I can get pretty much anything I want lighting wise for free or cheap, because my dad has contacts in the industry.


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## Foxinabox10 (May 5, 2005)

How do you get the coke? Direct or through a distributor or vendor?


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## propmonkey (May 5, 2005)

high end is based in the midwest? i didnt know that... the sent me a nice shirt. its red with a design on it.


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## bodega1705 (Sep 29, 2005)

I dont have a problem with getting catalogs or swatches from roscolux...


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## ship (Sep 30, 2005)

Hmm, Rosco swag....

Finally I have my ETC shirt. Seems the person that most deals with them was sitting on a box of swag from them so as to provide it to our customers. He was even kind of offended that not only would I strong arm the entire box of it from him but that I would provide only what he had to the shop staff given even if it was not enough to provide to all employees. Seems he would reather reserve the swag for those who buy one fixture than given many times more people than the amount of swag on hand, give out what he had available. Warned me of complaints from those who were not in the time I gave it out as the main reason he would rather sit on it than hand it out.... Have something for him to sit on. Just wait until the next time I raid their cabinets.

IT was a happy day for the shop that day I went around tossing ETC shirts out, nope while even a skeleton staff, he did not get any back - the extra's were saved for others. "Wahh" your customers won't get ETC instead of other swag, you will just have to get more. Next time I hear him saying he can't get swag he knows I want, yet he sits on it for almost a year after getting it I'm going to kick his butt around the shop. Imagine, saving the swag for some stupid high school theater festival or something similar to that instead of passing it out to the people that work with the gear on a daily basis in the shop.

This granted while on the phone with our ETC rep over some part I wanted to purchase but could not sell individually - to which I mocked them by saying ... fine, I'll buy the bolt from Altman, I also mentioned a certain specific lack of shirts in the shop. (Before I found the ECT swag box.) The vendor rep. promissed she would send some out ASAP including in the size L size as opposed to the XL and XXL and XXXL sizes normally to be found. (Talk about America being fat, what ever happened to size M?) Anyway, it's been at least a month since I was "promissed" from a ETC dealer rep our swag. I'm sure it will arrive soon. Otherwise in already stocking the shop and the sales dpt. already promissed the stuff I'm expecting, it's the sales staff's problem now to re-stock. We got ours, screw them for sitting on it a year now while saying they can't get any either. This while they sit in their nice Martin and other swag high profile gear the shop does not normally see. Even a Martin key chain with flashlight.

After that I got some Leviton swag I had not even thought about requesting, urr... Hubbell???

Ushio does not have swag persay but I'm on the list.... Have feelers out for GE swag as an update in my dealer swag goals. Show swag I don't really care about at this point... think I'm wearing a Ozzfest shirt under the sweat shirt today. It was black thus matched the outer covering.

Recently got a DMX data/signal tester TMB's about to introduce at LDI. Very interesting product, comes with leather holster. Since I don't do shows I loaned (stress on this) the tool to some of those who do. Still working on getting a play test for them of the new tester they are bringing to market. Sent it to me because I'm on their dart board as a good critic for their gear. Unfortunately I don't have much use for such a tool thus handed it off. To those I handed it off to so far, one left it on his desk, the other left it at home during shows they were to play test it on. At this point, it's a cool tester/analizer but I have no idea of it's usefulness.


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