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Hi there! I have been interested in autograph collecting for a couple of years, and I've decided I'd like to try it. I have a few questions though. If you could answer any of them or give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

1. Where can I get photos to send to have signed? Is there anywhere I can legally get them free of the internet?
2. I live in Australia, and I am a bit confused about sending coupons instead of stamps to go with the SASE. Could anyone explain this a bit better?
3. If sending to TV show cast via venue, do you need to make sure it is sent while they're filming, if they will be filming another season anyway?
4. Is there much of a chance of receiving something back if you don't send something to be signed? I'm just not sure how to get them affordably and easily...

I had more, but can't think of them right now... I guess I'll post them up when they come to me. Thank you very much!

Eloise wrote:Hi there! I have been interested in autograph collecting for a couple of years, and I've decided I'd like to try it. I have a few questions though. If you could answer any of them or give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

1. Where can I get photos to send to have signed? Is there anywhere I can legally get them free of the internet?
2. I live in Australia, and I am a bit confused about sending coupons instead of stamps to go with the SASE. Could anyone explain this a bit better?
3. If sending to TV show cast via venue, do you need to make sure it is sent while they're filming, if they will be filming another season anyway?
4. Is there much of a chance of receiving something back if you don't send something to be signed? I'm just not sure how to get them affordably and easily...

I had more, but can't think of them right now... I guess I'll post them up when they come to me. Thank you very much!

1. There are a few ways to go. One you can search the persons name on the internet and I like Google and then click images and searc their name and sometimes if you add wallpaper you can get pretty decent size and better quality images if you want to print yourself. I like to save the images and make sure there are no trademarks or trademark blurbs like property of and then download them to a CD and take them to Wal-Mart department store and they have a little machine where you put the disk in and tell it what you want and you can do 1 hour or it's cheaper if you can wait a few days. I usually pay $1.96 US per 8 X 10 picture. There are websites that you can purchase 8 X 10's off of but current people are about $5.99 each. But they do have sells and you can get them as low as .99 cents. Go to http://www.celebrity8x10s.com/movie_photos_a.html and you can see what they have. Now certain photos are coded with ST in front of the numbers and those can take up to 2 weeks to get.

2. Okay just like I cannot send US stamps toi you to mail something you cannot send your stamps to me to send something back because my postoffice would not recognize your stamps just like they wouldn't accept a different currency pretty much the same thing. Now I have no local post offices that sell the IRC coupons so I have to just mail what I believe to be enough cash to send the pictures back. I usuall figure at least $4.00-$5.00 US and I tell them to keep the rest.

3. If you mail to a venue at least to like a Broadway Play yes make sure it is still running or it may just vanish or it will be returned RTS. Now sending to a TV show it doesn't really matter because it will eventually end up in their hands anyway it just may take a little longer if their not filming or not. It really depends on the person you are mailing too on how fast their assistants get the items to them.

4. Well I have never mailed a SASE with nothing in it and most will usually return them to you and ask for money if you want them to supply the pictures. Now this I can understand because I have spent hundreds of dollars having 8 X 10's printed and printing them myself. You can save a little money and mail 4 x 6 pictures or even just print out a 4 X 6 card with their name printed on the bottom of it via printer and ask them just to sign the index card.

5. Now one more thing as many people know you will not get an authentic autograph everytime some will be PrePrints, auto pens or even secretarials and those really suck and I hate getting them but it is part of it. So read the feedbacks on every person you want to send to and get a feel for if they are send authentic autographs and then send something. You will see some with no feedback so they may have not had anyone try in a long time or maybe never so give them a shot.

I hope this helps some.

Good Luck

Thanks very much, your reply has been really helpful! Some confusion though, isn't it illegal to take just any images off Google? Do I have to make sure they are available for public use, even if they have no copyright sign? Thanks.

The only question I can answer in number 4. You don't really have to send anything to be signed, I don't ever send a picture, unless it is via venue. But I do always send an index card.

Eloise wrote:Thanks very much, your reply has been really helpful! Some confusion though, isn't it illegal to take just any images off Google? Do I have to make sure they are available for public use, even if they have no copyright sign? Thanks.

Some of the images are trademarked and if you print yourself who's to know and sometimes you can just find a screen shot from a movie they were in like at the website I like to use www.allmoviephoto.com and search on a persons name and you get pictures of them form different movies. But you can do like nickmoore777 and send an index card to be signed but make sure you make them on the computer and use card stock paper and put their names on the card when you print the cards out and tht way when you get a card back you know who it was signed by. But that way at least you can keep your cost down to a minimum.

I have spent hundreds of dollars on pictures and packaging but it has been worth it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Good Luck!