murphypat wrote:Thanks 4 all ur comments...It is stressful when u read that someone has recvd an Autograph bck from sum 1 u wrote 2 but still not had any reply.
I only started writtin 2 people in the USA from Begining of Febuary so hopefully might get sumthing back.
Yesterday wrote to Jimmy Smits, Lyndsey Fonsecca, Michael C hall (via studios where dexter is filmed) and Rick Moranis so fingers x'd......

I got lyndsy fonseca last year Via Venue when she was filming Nikita in canada.I don't know if she signs through a agency or not.Looks like she does and they recently finished filming in canada so you might hear back from her soon because she would be back in the u.s.

I understand your frustration when you see someone else get a response when you (or I for that matter) have sent before the dates given and have received nothing back. It happens all the time. All of the above responses are correct. I may mail to someone and time it perfectly (by chance) and get it back unbelievably fast, but the next person I mail to could take much much longer, or I might even never get a response.

As far as response percentages, I get about 90 - 95 % return with my sportscard requests and the percentages drop from there. Usually I get about 75 -80% return when I send a DVD or CD booklet and 60 - 70% when I send a photo. I sometimes resort to sending an IC (when I can't find anything suitable to send or if I am trying to get a complete cast from a show and don't want to risk losing a my item) and the percentage goes way down.

One thing that I do that "may" help is I often ask for the item to be inscribed, it asks a little more effort on the part of the celebrity but reduces the risk of my offering their itmes for sale. I believe that (I'm not sure if it really matters or if it is just my fantasy) helps. Frankly I never sell my autographs, I have a wonderful collection and have enjoyed it for many years. So selling my collection is out of the question. Also I VERY rarely trade with another collector. My belief is that if someone else can get a celebrity that I want to sign I may as well try myself and be slightly more confidant of it's authenticity. For example I started as a, primarilly, IP collector but when I saw a "dealer" at a show offering photos for sale, I just looked at the back for the agency address (this was before Fanmail.Biz existed) and started doing my own research.

I sort of got off point there but the bottom line is (like it was stated above) patience is the key.

Thanks 4 all ur comments...It is stressful when u read that someone has recvd an Autograph bck from sum 1 u wrote 2 but still not had any reply.
I only started writtin 2 people in the USA from Begining of Febuary so hopefully might get sumthing back.
Yesterday wrote to Jimmy Smits, Lyndsey Fonsecca, Michael C hall (via studios where dexter is filmed) and Rick Moranis so fingers x'd......

johnnylightning wrote:Some people claim to get more back than they really do but in reality id say i get back maybe 20% of what i send out but i also dont send to easy people who are known for signing and i mostly do via venue. Good luck

Good points. For my Aussie footy autos, 65% return. SW 50-60% but I have avoided the known non-signers on the whole. LotR 60-65%, ditto with non-signers. General celebs, 50-60 TTM (still avoiding the non-signers). Via venue 20-30% BUT that's of items sent. 70-80% of artists sought via venue as I usually write to them at each of the venues they will perform at, apologizing for and explaining this, and I usually get one or two back this way (I always say they should keep any extras they get to give to other fans).

Yeah im sorry but nobody can really answer that question We all have lots of requests out and lots we never get back it sucks but its just part of the hobby...Totally unpredictable.I dont send as many as i used to out but i have considered stopping all together but then i get a awesome autograph back and it keeps me going but still its rough lol Some people claim to get more back than they really do but in reality id say i get back maybe 20% of what i send out but i also dont send to easy people who are known for signing and i mostly do via venue because id rather take a chance on maybe getting a awesome auto than forsure getting a ok auto,thats just how i roll.... Good luck

Patience is the key with collecting IMO.

The longest return time I've waited for was over 3 years (and this doesn't include any I've missed when I moved rental houses once a year for 4 or so years!). Even sending within my own country, my average wait time for the footballers is just under a month. Sure, many do com back with a week, but if mail has to be forwarded, if the celeb is out of town when it arrives, if it gets lost in the mail, if it gets misplaced in the celebs own house etc... all of these things delay a reply.

The phrase "a watched pot never boils", I'm sure, was invented for autograph collectors.

I live in the and i have wrote to a few celebrities in the but i havent had any replies yet but noticed others in other countries etc etc have had replies from these people.

How long is the usal wait on replies before one can say ohh well not 2day.

I have written to Michael C Hall 4 times in 12mths using all the diffrent addresses on ere that others have had success from and ive recvd nothing.

I always send stamped addressed Envelopes.

Cheers