Sending a pen/marker with TTM

[xRCx]

Hi
I hope this hasn't already been posted, and that I'm posting this in the right place. I searched the forum and couldn't find anything related to this so I think it's a new topic.

Do you send pens/markers TTM with your LOR and item to be autographed?
If so (or even if not, but when you get IP), what type of marker/pen do you send?
I haven't done any TTM but I'm about to start (I've had a few IP before), I'm going to be sending cards out for the major sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) and 8x10 photos for everyone else (music, movies, tv, mma, etc).
A lot of the 8x10s would look great with silver, I think. Some would be cool with blue.
I've heard sharpie is the brand to go with, is there a certain size/style that is best for autographs?
Thanks in advance!

[mayhem13]

if you want something signed in a particular color you can send one.

but dont always expect to get the sharpie back, and even if you send it..it may not get signed in that color.

[johnnylightning]

Sharpie fine point are the only thing you wanna go with but i wouldn't send them with each request for a couple of reasons,first off they cost about a dollar each but mostly because if you send a sharpie with each request you will have to use bubble envelopes or something other than flat regular mail so postage will get expensive too,plus 99% of celebs have some kind of sharpie type marker around and let them be the judge of what color to use they know what looks good without you telling them.I only ever sent 2 sharpies in my life and thats just because i had afew mini sharpies lying around but i never got either back or the pictures signed lol So basically what i am saying is do not send your own markers because it won't change your odds of receiving a autograph back !!!

[packrat]

I do a lot of sports, mostly baseball. Most of the guys do have something to sign with. I've only gotten a card signed with a pen once. I got a card returned signed with a green marker once. All the others have been signed with either black or blue marker pens. I can only speculate if they used a Sharpie, Staedtler, Bic, or dollar store variety markers. But when I send a baseball I always include a clear blue bic pen (they are cheap) and tell them in my letter to keep the pen if they wish. I'm using a bubble mailer to send the ball anyway, so the pen will fit in easliy and won't add that much more weight to the package.

When I send a photo or card, I always try to find one in a light color so that if they sign in black or blue it will be easy to see. Then I don't have to worry about sending a silver sharpie or paint pen. If I have to, I'll make a custom even if it means sending a 6x9 or smaller photo. The photos, mini helmets, etc. that require paint pens can be saved for in person signings.

[xRCx]

Yeah, I just have a couple cards & 8x10s that are really dark and a black or blue pen wouldn't show up very well, if at all.
That's why I was thinking of sending a silver sharpie along with it.

So everyone is in agreement with the following?
-Don't send a pen/marker unless absolutely necessarry
-Don't plan on getting the pen/marker back if you do send one
-Sharpie fine point is the best way to go if you do send one (for cards & 8x10s, anyway)

[rittdk01]

Yeah I have sent silver sharpies and blue sharpies out before. The blue sharpies were with Colts mini helmets that I sent to Dungy and Austin Collie ttm. I wanted them signed in blue and not black. Wasnt sure they would have blue so I sent one. They both sent them back with the helmet.

Also sent silver sharpies when the photo is dark and I want to be sure the signature shows up. I sent a playbill and photo to Daniel Radcliffe and included a silver sharpie because the photo was dark and I have seen playbills he signed mostly in black that didnt show up. When I sent them with pictures I put a piece of tape at the top of the envelope so it was right there when they opened it. Also the pen would bend the photo if I just threw it in. I also told them to keep the sharpie when sent with a photo and they always did.