Supplies and Letter Writing for Autographs
Supplies Needed for Autograph Collecting and How to Write a Request
Autograph collecting can be a hobby that people of all ages can enjoy. Parents and their children can both do the hobby together, but go for the individual celebrities that interest them. While they may be going for different celebrity signatures, they are able to share the experience of the hunt and the excitement of getting a great new autograph to add to the collection.
For those people who are fortunate enough to live in places like Hollywood, the chances of possible face-to-face meetings with celebrities is much higher. However, the majority of people who collect autographs will only have the chance to meet celebrities at sporting events, book signings or conventions. The chance to meet a celebrity, even if it's for the smallest amount of time, is always memorable. Getting that celebrity to sign something is the best result to the event.
Some people live in areas that are likely to have events nearby that celebrities would attend. It is in this case that the next best thing is autograph requests through the mail.
Supplies
Like any other hobby, autograph collecting has a list of supplies that are needed, though they will change determining on the types of autographs a person is attempting to get.
Envelopes are the most important item that collectors will need to have on hand. For those that are collecting signed 3x5 index cards, a box of standard sized envelopes will be all that is needed. However, for those that are sending or expecting to receive 8x10 photographs, 9x12 envelopes will be needed. Both of these can be bought in bulk at any local office supply store. Collectors will want to make sure that they have enough envelopes to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with their request.
Stamps are the other main supply needed for this hobby. Buying “Forever Stamps” are the best bet because of the fact that regardless of how many times the price of stamps change, these can be used for standard mail.
Those who plan to send requests outside of their country must have add that country’s postage stamps to the return envelope. This means that collectors from the United States can use U.S. postage to send anything out, but U.S. postage will not work on mail coming into the United States. The best way to get postage for other countries is to find collectors online and trade stamps, or use auction websites to buy stamps.
Writing the Letter
The first paragraph should be used to thank the person for reading the letter. Give sincere compliments to the celeb on his or her work. To stay honest, collectors should at least be familiar with something that they are currently working on and projects that the celebrity has done in the past.
The second paragraph of the letter is where collectors will want to put their autograph request. When asking for an autograph or signed photo, it is best to ask for the photo or item to be inscribed. This does two things; it makes the autograph that much more personal to the collector and it lets the celebrity know that the collector isn’t planning on selling the autograph. It is also important to make sure that the collector includes their name and return address somewhere in the body of the letter. This makes it easier for the celebrity when responding to the request. It is not uncommon for the SASE to become misplaced or mixed up with letters from other people. If they can't find a return address, the collector won't get their autograph.
Third and final paragraph is much shorter than the first two. It is here that the collector states their appreciation for the celebrity taking time to read their letter. It is also nice to add that if they cannot honor the autograph request, it is understandable with their busy schedules. This shows sincerity on the collector’s behalf and it may make a non-signer into a signer.
Conan O'Brien Autograph
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