I want to do this right, so I have a few questions.

[The_Doctor]

Hello Everyone!!!

This is my first post and defiantly not my last. I just stumbled upon your site today while trying to find an address and from 4pm all the way to 6pm I was searching through the forums page by page. I am very excited to mail my favorite celebrities letters and pictures to get them to sign them and send them back. I tried that once back in the 90’s but I wrote to Eminem so that could be why. Anyway I do have some questions that I didn’t necessarily see addressed through my long searches, which I plan on looking some more, I think I am on page 31 or 41 of this discussion board.

1. Should I just send 8x10 photos to start or should I start by sending something smaller?

2. Rule of 3? This is what I have been seeing mostly, where you send the celebrity 3 photos to be signed, is that the way to go or should it just be 1 or 2? Is it also the same with stamps "3" US stamps on the original envelope and "3" US stamps on the self addressed envelope?

3. What size envelope would be best to start sending out?

4. On the self addressed envelope do I put my address in the lower middle and the top left or just the lower middle? Do you also put the stamps on this?

5. Are IRC’s really necessary to send from US to UK and back?


Thank you for taking the time to read this and to possibly answer the questions. I am a newbie to all of this and I like to know things before I start sending off letters and photos.

Thank you everyone!

[omgitscaro]

Alright, I'll try to help!

1) You can send out any size (and send other things besides photos!). The cheapest to print out and send will probably be a 4x6, and they usually only require one stamp.
2) I never heard of this "Rule of 3" ... I usually send the celebrity 2 photos at the most. I'm sure if you can't decide on what photo to pick out you could always tell them to sign whichever ones they like!
3) If you have an 8x10 photo you can send everything in a 9x12. As I said before, I only send out 4x6s so I either use those birthday card envelopes, or I use 5x8 envelopes to send everything in. For the return envelope I use a 4x6 envelope.
4) I usually just put my address in the middle and leave the top left corner blank. I know a lot of people don't do it (and for some reason they think it's rude...) but I usually put an address label where my address is instead of writing it (because I have a bazillion of them, and because I want my mail to get here - I'd hate the mailman to misread my address!)
5) I know people who just buy and trade UK stamps for US Forever Stamps and other things, like autographs and unsigned photos (I recently traded US Forever stamps for movie postcards...)

I hope I helped a little!

[The_Doctor]

omgitscaro - Thank you so much for the quick reply, yes that is a really big help! Maybe I should send smaller photos then hmmm... The reason I was thinking the 8x10 was because I see that some people get back a random picture (sometimes) that they didn't send and to me it looks to be 8x10, I could be wrong though. Oh and with the "Rule 3" I think I made it up, but pretty much it just seems like a lot of things are done in "3's" around here, 3 stamps, 3 pics, etc. but Thank you again for the input, it seriously does help.

[ScottishDan]

I always send out 8x6 and 7x5 sized photos. They're quite a good size and fit perfectly into a C5 envelope. Sometimes I send 8x10s but only to my favourite people. Do you live in America sending to the UK? In that case you could either use UK stamps, British money or IRCs. You'd increase your chances a lot if you include some type of postage. Hope that helps!

[The_Doctor]

ScottishDan - 8x6 and 7x5 sound a lot better size wise for the photos, thank you for that! It will probably be cheaper and easier in the long run as well. Yes I am sending from America to the UK. So I will see if I can pick up some UK stamps. Thank you so much for that response, I really like the sound of 8x6 and 7x5 better than 8x10

Thank you.

[spark deLite]

Welcome

Sometimes if it's a celeb that i really like or I find a picture that is really darling I'll send an 8x10.
I only send at most one 8x10 per request. (There was one exception.) The others I send 4x6. (I have sent some 5x7 but I don't find them really worth the extra cost to print or mail.)
I usually send no more than three pictures. I've sent up to four pictures though. I've told the celeb that I couldn't pick so now they have the choice of which, if any to sign. That really is kind of excessive though.
In the letter I ask that all photos be returned, even if they are unsigned.
I put a post it note on one of the pictures asking them to personalize to ___ (my name). I make it to where the sticky part is on the back of the photo and I fold it over to where the side I wrote on is in front of the photo... in order not to damage the photo.

I always send 9x12 SASEs, even if the pictures I'm sending are smaller. That way if the celeb wants to add his or her own picture they can, regardless of its size.
Before when I was not sending pictures I would use two stamps on the SASE. Now that I'm doing it this way I send the SASE with three stamps.

As for IRCs it's a really nice idea to send some with every overseas request. It's probably not enough to send just one IRC if it's a 9x12 envelope. I send two IRCs. In the past I've been cheap and sent none or one, but that really isn't considerate to the celeb. It makes me feel bad so I don't do it anymore.

This is just the way I do things. Many would find sending that number of pictures to not be a good idea.

With time and practice you'll find the ways that suit you best. Enjoy your new hobby. It can be very fun.

[The_Doctor]

spark deLite - Glad to be here
So 4x6's are cheaper and easier to send, if so then what size envelope would be best for that? Also you say you always send a 9x12 Self Addressed Stamped Envelope, so do you fold it up into sections or how do you go about that? I really like that little sticky note idea on the photo, I will try that out. Instead of IRC's is it possible to send them some US Dollars or is that not advised?
Thank you so much for replying, it is making this a lot easier on me getting the tips from you pros

Thanks to all of you so far for taking the time out to help a newb like me.

And yes I will enjoy this new hobby


P.S. I forgot to ask about the Studio Fan Mail thing, I read somewhere that you can't send multiple requests at once. So say I would like Alan Alda, Drew Barrymore and Unno Megan Fox. I can't send off 3 emails at once? Or is it best I wait in between each one?

Thank you

[spark deLite]

For 4x6 photos I just use a standard size envelope. It's called a #10 and it's basically 4x9. It's the one where you can put a standard sheet of paper in it and fold it three times for the length and you don't have to fold it for the width.

I fold the 9x12 SASE in half to fit in another 9x12 envelope, and in thirds to go inside a #10 envelope.

Personally I don't send cash in the mail. I've had negative results with it in ways that are not related to autograph collecting. I've never done it for autograph collecting. I've read that others here have. I've read one post where someone got a RTS but the envelope had been opened and the money removed. I thought that RTS was supposed to be for unopened envelopes, but I'm not sure. Others post that they have enclosed money and that works for them. It just seems like it'd be hard to get the other country's currency and it'd be an effort for them to use money from your country. So I'm not sure if the people who report successes or not would have got the same result even if they hadn't enclosed money.

[The_Doctor]

spark deLite - I think I will do that with the 4x6 pictures, using the a#10 (4x9) envelopes and folding up a 9x12 inside. That sounds like it would be the best start in this new hobby, and probably the least expensive. As for sending the money in the mail, okay I will rethink that bit. I will ask my post office and see if they have IRC's. Now when you send IRC's do you just stick them in the letter envelope or do you put them on the Self Addressed Stamped Envelope? Although thinking about it, do I send off a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope if I am sending IRC's?

I do have a small concern though, I plan on moving in late Dec. or Jan, so should I hold off on sending to big celebs for now and just stick to not so big time stars? Or is there a way to get your mail forwarded to the other address when you move? Sorry I tend to be full of questions, I just want to make sure I have all my bases covered before I proceed.

I am so excited to start this! And all of you have been a REALLY BIG help! Thank you so much!