I got mine today - the one that arrived late was indeed mine. The OP, who had a return, sent his a day earlier than I sent mine but he lives a state or so farther away than I do. Mine was postmarked the day it was sent (11/12) and still arrived late for shows on the 18th and 19th.

My package was just RTS'ed and postmarked from MN on 11/23. 9 days ago. That's a pretty sorry performance by the USPS. I've had mail go to Japan in that time. NY-MN usually takes 3-4 days in my prior experiences. I'm sure I would have had a success if the USPS was on the ball.

Sending to a venue is a crapshoot in my opinion. I've had some great successes and some puzzling disappointments. I always put the performance date on the envelope. It is always possible that the mail will arrive late, even it mailed in plenty of time, or it will be misplaced at the venue and not delivered to the performer, or the performer's handlers will leave the item or lose the item.

[quote="rdf8585"]I want to add that this might be a word of warning against writing "please hold for Person A on XX/XX dates" on the envelope - the only logical way my package could have arrived late was if the mailman who picked it up out of the mailbox saw that and mistakenly had the post office hold until those dates and THEN mail it out. That scenario makes sense. Needing more than 6 days to go from NY-MN doesn't seem plausible. If someone isn't familiar with autograph collecting, who's to say they know any better? This was the first time I put "please hold" on a via venue request. I had another VV come back last year without putting such a message on there (I didn't know about the "please hold" stuff then).[/quote]


I ALWAYS put 'Please pass on for performance on & the date' on EVERY via venue request I send & have never had a problem.

I serioulsy doubt the post office OR a mailman would see that & hold on to a letter - there job is just to deliver, they dont care about special instructins written on an envelope - if they did DO NOT BEND might get more attention paid to it.

I want to add that this might be a word of warning against writing "please hold for Person A on XX/XX dates" on the envelope - the only logical way my package could have arrived late was if the mailman who picked it up out of the mailbox saw that and mistakenly had the post office hold until those dates and THEN mail it out. That scenario makes sense. Needing more than 6 days to go from NY-MN doesn't seem plausible. If someone isn't familiar with autograph collecting, who's to say they know any better? This was the first time I put "please hold" on a via venue request. I had another VV come back last year without putting such a message on there (I didn't know about the "please hold" stuff then).

For what it's worth, I heard back from them. They said one package arrived after he was there, though they didn't know if it was mine or not. They sent back to the person who sent it, but I'm not sure when they sent it, and I haven't received anything back yet. If it took more than 6 days for the USPS to get something from NY to MN, that doesn't say much about the USPS.

My striking out with The Orpheum is even more puzzling as yet another person has said they got theirs back. I might be the only person on this website to send there this year or in 2009 and not see a return. I actually e-mailed them this afternoon, but haven't heard anything back yet.

BTW - For those with more via venue experience, how much mail do you think a celeb on the level of Seinfeld gets at each venue?

I tried once also, I sent to his performance in the UK & I'm from Australia. My friend who lives in the UK also sent to the same show & also got a response on his first try.

I also received my item back from the Orpheum Theatre. Got it back on Monday. To answer your question, I've written him twice vv and have gotten him both times. Good luck.

Well, if you're from Sweden, that definitely helps. Envelopes from foreign countries probably stand out from the rest of the crowd for American performers.

[quote="rdf8585"]Open question - for those who have gotten him, how many tries did it take for you to get your first success?

Maybe I'll have to write a longer letter next time and see if that makes any difference.[/quote]

Well, I tryed only one time and I got a respond :D

I wrote a LOR in I belive in 2 1/2 pages 8)