i like to write mine down with the date i sent them and then if i send a photos i put sent three photos along with letter and then the date.

Right now I keep all my fanmail Word documents in the same folder (I type my letters) and when I save them, I name the file with the person I'm sending to and the date I sent it, however, I may create an Excel spread sheet on the long trip back home as it seems like many people find it useful and I like being organized. I've never really used a spreadsheet program so I'll have to see when I use it tomorrow.

Also, I may get some sticker-label type things to put on the see-through sheet protectors I keep my autos in with date sent/received etc.

Sorry for the double post. Just wondering who all keeps the envelopes and, if so, how do you store them? (I learned the hard way that envelopes can't be kept in a sleeve behind the autograph! Duhh on me...)

Currently I'm using Word. An example entry looks like this.

Goodall, Jane
Animal Conservationist
Address: The Jane Goodall Institute-
USA Headquarters
4245 North Fairfax Drive
Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22203
Sent: Letter of request, SASE, and index card on 12/12/2007
Received:small color photo with dedication, personalization and signature. Signed index card. Brochure. Postmarked 3/14/2008

I'm looking at this thread closely for different ideas, though.

I divide my google docs spreadsheets into 4 columns:

1. celebrity name
2. date sent
3. what, if anything, did I send?
4. date received

I'll keep the received info saved on the spreadsheet for that month, highlighted in red and moved to the top of the list according to date received, then I delete those when the next month starts.

Right now I am focusing on VV autos, so I keep an index card box with tabs by month. I write the date, name, venue, and address on an index card so when it comes time to mail it, I tape the index card onto my envelope. That way I know that I won't forget if a concert isn't for 6 months.

Excel spreadsheet- Celeb name, date sent (day/month), country, date recieved (completed successes removed), and notes (currently listing my 2010 requests).

Excel to keep tabs on who I've sent out to and the returns I get. Word on the contact addresses I accumulate to send out to.

I use the spreadsheets also, but use the free OpenOffice version that can be found online. The biggest benefit is being able to find a request fast by using the search function in case I need to update it or share information.

The only difference is that once I get a success, I don't save the address. It gets reported here and on another site and (hopefully) gets included in the respective databases so that I don't need to keep track of them. Besides, once I send to a certain individual I seldom will send to that person again, so there is no need to keep track of addresses.

Excel, with all sorts of completely unnecessary fancy conditional formatting to make it seem more important than it actually is. Name, address used, date sent, date received seem to be the useful fields.

I email it to myself from time to time using a webmail account in case the PC dies, but don't think I'd get as stressed about losing it now as I would have done when I started. I store the autos in the order they arrive, which provides a marginally interesting time line but makes them almost impossible to find quickly.