I'm new to this, have a few questions.

[Kubinski]

Hi, I am brand new to autograph collecting and just thought it sounded like a fun hobby, but I have a few questions. The first one is, when I send the LOR, do I have to send a photo for them to sign, or do they have photos that they sign? The other question is, how can I write a good LOR? The last question is, if there is an email address on the celebrity's address page, should I just send an email requesting an autograph, and will they pay the postage? I hope I don't sound like too much of a noob

Thanks alot

[pizzamonster555]

It's ok! We all start out the same way. Sending a photo will increase the chances of you getting a reply, so yes, I always send photos (especially via venue since most celebrities will not have photos with them via venue). Here are some letter writing tips from my website:

http://www.freewebs.com/myautographcollection

Letter Tips

* DO NOT send a generic "form" letter
A generic letter requesting an autograph saying "I'm your biggest fan, can I get an autograph" most likely will not get a response. Make your letter real, and personalized for the person. Acknowledge the star’s accomplishments in your letter. Referencing their work, career or impact on you will give you much better odds of getting a reply. Constructive criticism is okay, but be assured that non-constructive criticism will result in your letter ending up in the trash!

* Keep it short, neat, polite and to the point
Preferably type your letter, or at least write it neatly. Keep it short, and get to the point quickly. Be polite and courteous. Kindly ask for an autograph, but do not beg or give guilt trips. Keep your letter less than one page long. Check your spelling!

* DO NOT ask a star to meet you, call you, marry you, etc.
The fact is a celebrity is a busy person, they don't have times for these sorts of requests. They do appreciate honest fan mail and most will send autographs to fans. If you're asking for something more, you'll likely be ignored.

* DO NOT use gimmicks or guilt trips
Saying "my son is your biggest fan and is dying of cancer" is not a good way to get a response. Being honest is!

* Be Brief. If you get long winded, the celebrity that takes the time to open your letter will get bored and cast the letter aside, after only reading the first paragraph or two. Try to keep your letter around two or three paragraphs,

* Be Personal. Tell the story about how this celebrity touched your heart to the point of going out and making amends with your parents. Tell them where you saw them in person, or what movies they played in that will stay with you forever.

* Make Your Request. I would say something like, “Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I was hoping you might be willing to send me a signed photograph made out to (Your Name Here). I understand that you are very busy, so if you don’t have the time, or can not provide a photograph, would you take a moment to sign the index card I have provided with this letter and return it to me in the Self Addressed Stamped Envelope”

* Make sure you hand sign the letter. It makes the letter look like you went through some trouble to actually write it. On the same note, hand-write the addresses on the envelope. If you print the addresses on your printer, the letter could be discarded as junk mail.

Unfortunately I cannot answer your last question since I have never emailed a celebrity before. Good luck on all of your future requests!

[Kubinski]

It's ok! We all start out the same way. Sending a photo will increase the chances of you getting a reply, so yes, I always send photos (especially via venue since most celebrities will not have photos with them via venue). Here are some letter writing tips from my website:

http://www.freewebs.com/myautographcollection

Letter Tips

* DO NOT send a generic "form" letter
A generic letter requesting an autograph saying "I'm your biggest fan, can I get an autograph" most likely will not get a response. Make your letter real, and personalized for the person. Acknowledge the star’s accomplishments in your letter. Referencing their work, career or impact on you will give you much better odds of getting a reply. Constructive criticism is okay, but be assured that non-constructive criticism will result in your letter ending up in the trash!

* Keep it short, neat, polite and to the point
Preferably type your letter, or at least write it neatly. Keep it short, and get to the point quickly. Be polite and courteous. Kindly ask for an autograph, but do not beg or give guilt trips. Keep your letter less than one page long. Check your spelling!

* DO NOT ask a star to meet you, call you, marry you, etc.
The fact is a celebrity is a busy person, they don't have times for these sorts of requests. They do appreciate honest fan mail and most will send autographs to fans. If you're asking for something more, you'll likely be ignored.

* DO NOT use gimmicks or guilt trips
Saying "my son is your biggest fan and is dying of cancer" is not a good way to get a response. Being honest is!

* Be Brief. If you get long winded, the celebrity that takes the time to open your letter will get bored and cast the letter aside, after only reading the first paragraph or two. Try to keep your letter around two or three paragraphs,

* Be Personal. Tell the story about how this celebrity touched your heart to the point of going out and making amends with your parents. Tell them where you saw them in person, or what movies they played in that will stay with you forever.

* Make Your Request. I would say something like, “Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I was hoping you might be willing to send me a signed photograph made out to (Your Name Here). I understand that you are very busy, so if you don’t have the time, or can not provide a photograph, would you take a moment to sign the index card I have provided with this letter and return it to me in the Self Addressed Stamped Envelope”

* Make sure you hand sign the letter. It makes the letter look like you went through some trouble to actually write it. On the same note, hand-write the addresses on the envelope. If you print the addresses on your printer, the letter could be discarded as junk mail.

Unfortunately I cannot answer your last question since I have never emailed a celebrity before. Good luck on all of your future requests!

Thanks, I just sent one out to Ken Foree of Dawn of the Dead, hopefully I should get a reply

[annie985]

* Make sure you hand sign the letter. It makes the letter look like you went through some trouble to actually write it. On the same note, hand-write the addresses on the envelope. If you print the addresses on your printer, the letter could be discarded as junk mail.

Since my address is kind of unusal (as in spelling lol), I usually take an address label and cut off my name and just stick it under my signature. That way there's no confusion. I've gotten mail with my street name completely mispelled, luckily the post office knows my address and what street the celeb was trying to write. But normally I send an SASE, so I don't have that problem.

About the LOR, some people actually type them, but I don't. I think it looks impersonal. I hand write all my letters because I think it makes it look like if I can take five minutes for them then maybe they can do the same for me.

I just started doing e-mail requests. What I normally do is write them just as I would through regular postal mail and at the end after I type my name, I also type my address. That way if they don't have time to reply then they have your address. I've been succesful with a few I've sent that way. It's not my preferred method, but if I'm low on cash for stamps then I do it. In the subject line I write something like "Fan Letter," or "Fan letter for (insert celebs name)." Some people put "Autograph Request," but I don't. However, with e-mail, the celeb might tell you to send a SASE to them. E-mail can be appealing though. I just sent a request to someone and the very next day they e-mailed me back this really long message and said they would send me something. Here's my website with some e-mail tips: http://anniesautos.webs.com/emailtips.htm

Autograph collecting is all about trial and error. What works for me might not work for someone else and it's all about finding your style and getting comfortable with the whole process. Here are some more general tips: http://anniesautos.webs.com/tipstricks.htm