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GETTING STARTED WITH BY-MAIL AUTOGRAPH COLLECTING |
| © 1996-2004 by Gary Price | |||||||||||||
To collect through the mail, you'll need a couple of things:
Let's start with a contact address of the celebrity. There are numerous sources you can use to obtain an address of a particular celebrity, including the address sections here at Wattographs. Many collectors purchase lists of addresses, which they use to refer to for a particular celebrity. For the casual collector who only collects sporadically, this can be an expensive way to obtain a couple of addresses. However, the advantage of a printed list is that someone else has done all the leg work for you! All you have to do is refer to the appropriate name, and "Tah-Dah!" you're off and running. There are also a couple of publications which deal specifically with autograph collecting and are published on a monthly basis. For the all collectors, the Internet is a fantastic resource for addresses. There a A LOT of sites on the World-Wide Web which feature addresses (we've listed a few of them in the resources section of this site). Many collectors have made available addresses or resources, and they will oftentimes list their successes and failures.
Okay, you've got your address and your supplies -- it's time to put together a letter. What do you say? That's up to you. However, keep it short and sweet, since many celebrities get hundreds--if not thousands--of letters each month. If they spent all their time reading and writing, they'd never have time for the work which makes them celebrities in the first place! Always try and mention something specific and personal to the celebrity -- like your favorite performance or work of theirs. Remember to be sincere, since I'm sure the celebrity (or, in many cases, the celebrity's secretary/assistant/agent) can tell who's familiar with their work and who's not. Most collectors will request a signed photo from the celebrity, and--on occasion--will send a photo themselves. I always put a 3x5 card in with my letter, and often will say something to the effect of "I know you are busy with projects, so, if you cannot provide a signed photo, would you please take just a moment to sign the enclosed 3x5 card?" More often than not, I not only get a photo back, but I get a signed 3x5 card as well! For those who don't sign photos through the mail, they often sign my 3x5 card, so in that instance, I do get a signature back.
So far, we've got our address and written our letter. Now we want to send it. Here is the most important thing to remember when writing a celebrity: ENCLOSE A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE.This is so important, I'm going to say it once more for emphasis:
This is the "secret" of all by-mail collectors. A simple one, but the most important. Remember, the celebrity may generally foot the cost of sending you a photo. Imagine if the celebrity had to pay the cost of postage, too! Multiply hundreds and thousands of requests by $0.74 - $1.11 (the cost of the return envelope's postage) and you'll see why those who enclose an SASE generally get better responses. When writing and requesting the celebrity send me a photo, I put a 9-inch x12-inch envelope with $0.74 postage (folded into thirds) into a #10 business envelope with .37 postage on it; Three stamps, total. This method has been tested extensively and continues to work for me. That's a cheap price to pay for an autograph! In case the return postage isn't enough, I also put MY return address on the 9x12 envelope...this way, if there is postage due, it will still come back to me so I can pay it! Put the letter in the envelope, along with the SASE and a 3x5 card, give the letter to your mail carrier, sit back and wait for your response. Some celebrities are great about autograph requests and you'll get something in a couple of weeks. Some celebrities take longer -- I've heard tales of collectors waiting for TWO YEARS to get a response, but that seems to be an exception, not a rule. My own personal record-wait was THREE YEARS from Mark Hamill! It's been my experience that it generally takes anywhere from three or more months for a reply. BE PATIENT. Hey, in the meantime, write some more letters!
Absolutely! When I first wrote this essay, I merely sent requests with self-addressed, stamped envelopes. As my collecting has become more focused, I now send photos or trading cards of the celebs whom I write to. I have found that by sending something to sign, my percentage of authentic signers and successful returns has risen dramatically.
If you're sending to a celebrity overseas (and this also applies to readers of this document who don't live in the United States), you'll need to go to your local post office and get International Reply Coupons (IRCs). An IRC is used to purchase stamps for overseas sending. U.S. senders to overseas addresses should generally send TWO IRCs with their requests, instead of putting U.S. stamps on the return envelope. I usually send 3-5 IRCs if I am sending a photograph to be signed. Current price for IRCs in the U.S. is $1.75 each. Read more about IRC's here. If you live overseas and are sending your letter to the United States, I can't tell you how many IRCs you'll need, although the rule of thumb is probably two-to-five as well. Please see your local post office and they can get you pointed in the right direction.
Many of us who write, keep some sort of log of what we've sent out. This helps track responses, which we usually share with each other here in the online world. (if you don't already, you should subscribe to the alt.collecting.autographs newsgroup -- there's lots of information to be gleaned from it), so let us know what you've received!!! I currently have out over 50 requests at any given time, so it helps me to keep track very easily of date sent, date returned, item returned, etc.
Alas, no. There is no guarantee that your favorite celebrity will respond at all! Expect that anyone who's an "A-List" celebrity just won't have the time available to handle the thousands of requests they get in the mail each week. Try not to be too terribly disappointed if you receive a "pre-print" (that is, a signature already printed as part of the photo). Many celebrities are just too busy to individually sign each photo, but they want their fans to have something, so you'll get a pre-print. Sometimes a celebrity's secretary/assistant/agent will sign the photo on behalf of the celebrity. It's pretty hit-and-miss this way, which is why I suggested you subscribe to the alt.collecting.autographs newsgroup, because many of us have collected for years and we know the difference between some signatures and signers--differences we report to the newsgroup's members. There are also times when you get...well...nothing. Celebrities change addresses and agents constantly, and you may get a RETURN TO SENDER response on your envelope. Celebrities can also be a fickle lot, signing one week, not signing the next. Some celebrities just refuse to sign. Marlon Brando is NOTORIOUS for not signing autographs -- in person or through the mail. Again, don't be disappointed--at least you gave it a shot (another reason to take part in the alt.collecting.autographs newsgroup, since members often post bad addresses, or will list "no-signers" so you don't have to take the chance).
Loved by people the world over, autograph collecting is a fun hobby. The excitement of going out to the mailbox and seeing an envelope which contains a photo and signature from your favorite celebrity is second-to-none! And, an autographed photo (or two, or three, or ten...) hanging on your living room wall is a great conversation piece when friends and relatives come to visit. Join or visit as many resources on the Internet as you can, since the more you know, the better informed you'll be when it comes to deciding whom to write to. So, there you have it. A quick primer on how to get started in autograph collecting by mail. Follow those simple suggestions mentioned, and you too will start having a mailbox filled with autographs! Good luck and happy collecting! |
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