by pinkie » Sun Jun 21, 2009 3:12 pm
I have been cutting my own stiffeners for envelopes for many years. It has actually given me a very unique sub-collection within my collection. Before I collected autographs seriously I had collected American comics for many years. I sold them off (over 12000 comics from the 1950s to 2000) over a 6 year period on eBay, but it left me with lots of acid free backing boards. If you know what I am talking about, you will know these are white with a glossy effect on one side and a matt effect on the other. I started cutting these down to fit C5 envelopes as stiffeners because they are very lightweight but quite firm. When I write to a celeb I never ask for anything to be signed other than the item I send (photo, book, index card, whatever), so have never asked for my stiffeners to be signed. I now have over 200 of these envelope stiffeners signed by various people as some just sign anything in an envelope.

The funniest was Alan David who cut it into two and signed both halves! The most creative was Dee Sadler who stuck a picture of herself on the stiffener, then dedicated a message to me next to it and signed as her character name from Doctor Who, not her real name.

Interestingly, they always sign the shiny side.
I also print most pictures I send, and print on 8x5 inch record cards. The latter is a very cheap way of sending something nice to be signed. You can get 100 for about £2/£2.50 in places like staples, etc.
I have been cutting my own stiffeners for envelopes for many years. It has actually given me a very unique sub-collection within my collection. Before I collected autographs seriously I had collected American comics for many years. I sold them off (over 12000 comics from the 1950s to 2000) over a 6 year period on eBay, but it left me with lots of acid free backing boards. If you know what I am talking about, you will know these are white with a glossy effect on one side and a matt effect on the other. I started cutting these down to fit C5 envelopes as stiffeners because they are very lightweight but quite firm. When I write to a celeb I never ask for anything to be signed other than the item I send (photo, book, index card, whatever), so have never asked for my stiffeners to be signed. I now have over 200 of these envelope stiffeners signed by various people as some just sign anything in an envelope. :) The funniest was Alan David who cut it into two and signed both halves! The most creative was Dee Sadler who stuck a picture of herself on the stiffener, then dedicated a message to me next to it and signed as her character name from Doctor Who, not her real name. :) Interestingly, they always sign the shiny side.
I also print most pictures I send, and print on 8x5 inch record cards. The latter is a very cheap way of sending something nice to be signed. You can get 100 for about £2/£2.50 in places like staples, etc.