JERRY SIENFELD VV SUCCESS

[buffysatine]

I've done TTM for almost 10 years, though 95+% athletes and very few celebs or via venue requests. Besides my 2 Seinfeld failures this month, I only did one other via venue and that came back. I've pretty much have written the same kind of letter with slight variations for 10 years and have had hundreds of successes with it. Maybe it's different with celebs and venue requests, but there's always been a debate if the athletes even bother to read the letters.

I handwrote my letter. I don't type them so they don't like letters from a dealer (which I'm not.. don't sell anything). Handwritten also indicates a more personable feel. I just asked to "please" sign the enclosed insert and I would appreciate him taking the time from his busy schedule to do so. I also thanked him for his time and indicated a SASE was included for a simple return. Short and polite and to the point, a formula that has worked very well for me over the years. Never thought that would be the issue.

I didn't send DVD covers. I sent DVD inserts, things I wouldn't be too upset about losing. Each season of Seinfeld on DVD came with an insert. Maybe I'm not in tune to the hobby as I was a few years ago, but I never remember being encouraged to send multiples to athletes. I think I sent multiples once in 10 years. I don't need more than one and by having them sign two, that's less time for other requests from other people. I've also heard people argue that multiples might indicate a dealer looking to sell the other one. Not saying that people who send multiples are dealers, but it's easy to see why some athletes would assume it. Again, maybe it's different with celebs.

I didn't say you were a dealer, I was just repeating the things I remembered from that very helpful post. Typing letters does not mean you are a dealer as I have shocking writing. I have been typing since I was 13 and due to that the letters I wrote would not be readable!
The info I was posting was from the other post & is also what I do anyway. I know noting about requesting from athletes as I have done this for 28 years and am not into sports, so all my requests are actors or musicians & the odd supermodel!

[velvetgold]

This is a great success! Congrats.

I sent to him vv over the summer but believe I sent to a venue that doesn't forward mail as I have seen several vvs from him this past year! Nice one.

[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.

[parlamentetfanErik]

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.

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

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

[rdf8585]

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.

[mwmiller]

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.

[buffysatine]

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.

[rdf8585]

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?

[rdf8585]

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.

[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).