FAQs

What are your hours / Do I have to make an appointment to come in?
FBR is open 7 days a  the week to the general public without making appointments. Our hours are as follows:

10am – 7pm Weekdays
12pm – 7pm Weekends

Donations from the media industry are accepted 10:30am – 6:30pm Monday-Friday, 12:30am – 7:30pm Saturday & Sunday.  Please call ahead to inform us of our intended donation time and volume.

Is everything for sale?
Everything on the store floor is for sale or rent with the exception of a very select group of “rental only” items. Rental rates are priced by the week and are most often half the cost of for-purchase items.

How does pricing work?
Pricing of all items is discounted from their retail value. Brand new merchandise is priced at 50% of the retail value. Items that are uniquely “rent-able” – of a rare industry value – are discounted and priced according to the efforts invested in each piece.  (For example: cleared artwork, cleared licence plates, anatomical replicas, paint-treated objects such as fake food, fake rubble, children’s artwork, weathered objects, hollowed out fridge, hollowed out toilet, etc. These require hours of a skilled scenic artist’s expertise in addition to material costs.)

Standard discounts apply to the following groups:
Students & teachers 25% off – please bring student ID or school identification.

Non-profits 25% off – please bring your determination letter and letter from the ED on letterhead
Special projects are handled on a case to case basis

FBR accounts and Tax Exemption are available with the appropriate documentation when arranged with our administrative staff. Bringing us a number is not enough.  Bring a filled out tax-exempt certificate or Resale Certificate.  EIN is not enough, vendor license is not enough.

How often do you get new stuff in? Can you recommend a time to stop by for new merchandise?
We accept donations 7 days a week and our store floor changes every day! Our sorting area is always stocked with exciting items that our staff has yet to put out. The middle to end of the week is the best time to stop by although everyday is full of bargains and new items! If you are on the hunt for specific items, please speak with our floor staff about creating a Wishlist.

What’s in the boxes? How does that work?
There’s a section in the back of our floor that we can “X-in-a-box.”  This is basically a wall of alphabetical, thematically grouped small props that have been sorted and shelved. The boxed items are grouped by a theme: “Christmas-in-a-box,” “Vintage kitchen-in-a-box,” “Gay pride-in-a-box,” “Wedding-in-a-box,” etc.  These items will help to set the scene for the listed theme.  Items are available for rent and/or sale as a group or individually. Regular shoppers are encouraged to look through boxes and purchase items to own or even rent items for events. Hawaiian-themed birthday party?  “Luau-in-a-box”!

Why are things “rental only”?
“Rental only” items are specifically aimed at servicing filmmakers, artists, art departments, photographers, etc. to ensure a dependable selection of popular industry items. Shared resources decreases the need to re-create industry-specific props and consequently reduces industry waste.  Renting and re-renting these items foster a responsible, community-building approach towards production..

Why are there items that are “not for sale”?
Items that are “not for sale” are unavailable for the following reasons:

1. They are rental only
2. They are part of our store/event/service facilities that we use of on a regular basis
3. They personally belong to staff or affiliates and are on loan to FBR

Where do these props come from?  Why can’t you tell me?
We respect a confidentiality agreement with our donors as regards the origins of our donated materials.  Why?  Copyright and liability in the production industry is a sensitive issue that we take very seriously.

Can I donate to FBR?
FBR accepts donations exclusively from the media industry in NYC.  This is reflected in our mission to create “socially responsible and sustainable solutions from media industry waste.”  If your production wants to make a donation, download a comprehensive list of what we can and cannot accept here.

Does FBR pick up donations?
No, not yet, however we’d welcome a donation of an Eco-Van or Bio-Diesel Cube Truck so we can pick up! (Totally serious.)

Do trucks have access?
Yes!  Trucks can enter through the loading dock of 540 President St.

Where does the money go?
Proceeds support our operation fees: rent, payroll and utilities.  It also pays for our many hours we spend sorting and donating items to charity – which is not a revenue stream.   Just because we are a non-profit, does not mean we don’t have to pay the same expensive, NYC overhead costs as a for-profit company.

Film Biz Recycling is a non-profit organization that redistributes over 60% of our donated materials to an ever growing collection of charitable organizations.  Our current charity partners include:
Blissful Bedrooms, CHIPS Soup Kitchen & Shelter, Lower East Side Ecology Center, Build It Green!, Materials for the Arts, CAMBA Women’s Shelter, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, Recycle-A-Bicycle, Hour Children, Room to Grow, Housing Works, Fertile Grounds, Wearable Collections, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
If you are interested in becoming a charity partner, please contact our administrative team.

So, Film Biz is a non-profit? It’s not just a thrift store?
Yes! FBR is is a non-profit Creative Reuse Center and social enterprise. Items here are sold, rented, given to charity, or redistributed to enrich our community. We house an on-site RE-Workshop space for teaching, meeting & creating. We operate after-hours hosting performances and events. We have a GALA-RE featuring local artists’ upcycled creations.  We offer volunteer and internship opportunities to students and the public.  We develop, coordinate and host seminars that focus on reuse in the media production, construction and creative arts industries.  Because FBR operates a wide variety of programs and services, there a place and a need for many skills.  Our space is constantly evolving and so are we.  Have an idea?  Create an opportunity!