Diver's Autograph- Hints & Tips

I know there are a lot of you who are new to autograph collecting and I want to help you as much as I possibly can, I have put together some tips to help get you started collecting autographs. Address lists are numerous on the net and celebrities move around a lot, so it is my opinion that most of these addresses tend to be "stale"; do not be surprised if some of them are old and no longer good.

You can get started finding addresses using the resources I have gathered for you and listed on the left. Using these sites as references one can get addresses, postal information and great content on the ins and outs of autograph collecting. Chip was one of the first sites I found, and my first success came from his lists, and Matt in the UK is the definitive British site for addresses, and collecting.
Some Celebrities will not send a free autograph, unless you send something for them to sign. I sometimes purchase 8 x 10 Celebrity Photos to mail to them. They are usually pretty cheap and they are recommended if you want to attempt getting a signature on a particular photo. What other types of items are useful to send? Calendars. If you have a celebrity calendar, cut or tear out a page from the calender and mail it to be autographed. Magazine covers, or pages out of magazines. These suggestions make for unusual and unique autograph ideas. There is a handy link at the left for purchasing photos, calendars, etc. or you can purchase your photo items from my Entertainment Stores.
Do you question if the celebrity you are going to write to is living or dead? Sometimes it is hard to know if a famous person from the past is still around or not so look in the content and information section for the Dead People's Server to find out.
The best advice I can give the new collector is to PURCHASE a master address list from Jim Weaver it is the BEST by far with accuracy and successes, it costs around $36.00, it is a bit of money, but if you are serious you will need it. This list contains over 16,000 addresses from every category one can think of, even tells you which celebrity gives away free pictures for the asking (so you don't have to purchase your own). I have a link to him on the left.
Sometimes a celebrity normally does not sign by mail, will be more "giving" if they are doing a run in the theater. You can send a photo to the venue and you can get an autograph on your item more readily. Theater information for the U.S. and the U.K. are listed in my resource section to the left.
Another address tip is to follow the web rings on the front page. These rings carry you around in a circle to more than 300 web sites dedicated to autographs.

Below are some of the things I do to receive autographs.

I use a 9.5 x 12.5 clasp envelope for mailing to the Celebrities (It will cost me .83 cents postage to mail the entire package with the self addressed stamped envelope inside. .60 if you do not include cardboard backing boards.) A rate chart of the new postage rates (U.S.) available at left.
I print my own postage using a service from Stamps.com. Using this service allows me to print my own "NetStamps" which I can use just like regular postage stamps, however I print them on my own printer. This allows me to print only postage needed without overpaying or having to keep correct postage on hand all the times. When I need a stamp I can just print one out quickly. It's easy & cost efficient, but convenience does cost extra and in this case so does the ability to print your own postage. It isn't expensive, but it is not for every one either.
ALWAYS, (and this is important if you want success) enclose a 9 x 12 clasp self addresses stamped envelope w/ .60 postage so you can get your autograph mailed back to you. I even put a "comic backing board" in the return envelope. Celebrities generally will not foot the bill to get the autograph back to you.
Enclose a nice letter about 1/3 of a page to a page long, and do not be shy, if you want an autograph then ask (politely) for one, and note a couple of performances that you like. Celebrities enjoy knowing you are a true fan, and not just out for an autograph.?
Wait. It may take up from four months to over two years before you get any results, my longest success took two years and three months. Autograph collecting through the mail is a hobby of patience.
Be prepared for a let down (prepare yourself now, and if you do not receive anything for your efforts it will not hurt quite so bad). Many Celebrities do not respond at all and you will just never hear from your mailing.

If you DO get something it will either be a genuine autograph, an auto pen (mechanical reproduction of their signature), or a secretarial (their secretary signed their name for them). Secretarials are the hardest by far to determine if the autograph is authentic or not. I receive about 20% response rate, which over time can net a pretty good collection.

If you get an autograph you question, perhaps the link for signature facsimilies in the resource column will help solve the question.

Bonus Information

Most collectors keep records of the autographs they receive, the addresses they use and the celebrities they send to. If you need a method of record keeping, try my Autograph Database.
I have been licensed to provide a really great Currency Calculator on my web site. Feel free to come here to my web site at any time you want and use the calculator. In fact the calculator is so good, you may want to bookmark it so you can find it more readily.
I will do my best to answer questions sent to me or offer advice. If you have any questions about my web site, I invite you to use my FAQ database, its easy to use, and you may find your question readily available. I wish you every success and luck in your hobby, and please let me know when you start getting those pictures in, just email me (you have the address)

If you have a Web site I would appreciate your adding a link on your site referencing "The Diver's Autograph Site". Feel free to copy my banner and paste it on your site, but in doing so you must link directly to my animated flash commerical using this address or URL: You may also use a plain text link but the URL used in the link must be the same.

http://www.diversautograph.com

All credit is due the Celebrities themselves, without their generosity and willingness to autograph though the mail this page would not have come into being. Let us always remember to be POLITE and remember giving an autograph is a personal thing which they do out of kindness and not because they have to. Bear in mind also that each Celebrity has the right to refuse your mailing and that is just a part of the hobby.

When I created this Site, I thought long and hard on the content. I wanted to showcase my autographs, to create a site that was friendly, fun and a place one would feel at home, perhaps even come back to over time and see if anything had been changed. Unfortunately, this site can not be all things to all people and I decided against offering any addresses for several reasons. Celebrities change addresses fast and on previous occasions I have seen addresses go bad in only one month. Now most of them are not that bad, but to be realistic, I feel it would be impossible to keep an accurate listing and it would just end up costing you in the wallet. I will be glad to offer advise or help you in any way possible, just email me and please make use of the resources I offer in the section to the left.

I create custom banners for anyone who may be in need of my services. If you have or are thinking about building your own web site, and are in need of a custom banner for your site, then please get in touch with me. Charges vary per site, and circumstances. All graphics in "The Divers Autograph Site" were created by me, and below is a list of sites I have created banners for; Feel free to go to these sites, and view my work.

AutographsInc
Empower Business Limited Banner at this page
Autograph Portal & AutographsInc. at this page

Credits

Apologies or Why I Do Not Offer Addresses on my web site.