New TTM collector! Need some help please!!!

[Nadyfan22]

Hello everyone, I have decided to start a TTM collection and need some help please. I was wondering what you guys write in the letter to the athlete you are trying to obtain a signature from. Also, I'm assuming you guys include a SASE correct? If so, does one stamp cover sending the card along with the toploader? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[jeff550]

for the letter i like to keep it short and to the point. i usualy write on an index card. always use please and thank you. do not send in a top loader or penny sleve or the player might sign the sleve. i also recomend paying the 14.95 for www.sportscollectors.net it will save you money on stamps in the long run. i send an sase with 1 stamp and i send the request with one stamp.. tyr and use the forever stamps for the sase so that way if the player takes a long time to sign they wont have to add extra postrage. and now the most important thing have fun.

 

[Nadyfan22]

Thank you very much for the quick response! I actually bought the membership last night and am getting ready to send some out. I cant wait! So you just send the card with no protection?

 

[Nadyfan22]

Also, do you have any favorite brand of cards to use? I have alot of A & G cards that look like they will sign very nice.

 

[jeff550]

i like topps toal bazzoka and 06 and 07 fleer. if use send glossy cards rub them down with baby powder before you send them.

 

[Nadyfan22]

i like topps toal bazzoka and 06 and 07 fleer. if use send glossy cards rub them down with baby powder before you send them.

OK cool thanks! Also, you said you do not use a toploader correct? So you just put the card in the envelope and thats it?

 

[jeff550]

i like topps toal bazzoka and 06 and 07 fleer. if use send glossy cards rub them down with baby powder before you send them.

OK cool thanks! Also, you said you do not use a toploader correct? So you just put the card in the envelope and thats it?

yah or the athleate might sign the toploader. only about 1 in every 50 get damaged so i just put the card in the envelope

 

[subject to change]

i like topps toal bazzoka and 06 and 07 fleer. if use send glossy cards rub them down with baby powder before you send them.

OK cool thanks! Also, you said you do not use a toploader correct? So you just put the card in the envelope and thats it?

yah or the athleate might sign the toploader. only about 1 in every 50 get damaged so i just put the card in the envelope

That seems rather high. I've had over 600 successes, and only one return was significantly damaged.

 

[andyduke86]

Yep most cards come back in decent shape, but I've had 2 or 3 come back creased and I don't send stuff out that often. It's more likely to happen if you have a thicker card like a Bowman Gold or something like that.

Another thing that I sometimes do when I send multiple cards that are more valuable or older cards is to use photo corners and put them on a piece of cardboard that way they don't get creased as bad and they're easier for the signer to handle. I'll use padded envelopes for those as well rather than just normal #10 envelopes.

 

[pghbuccos]

I usually put the cards between 2 index cards to add a little more security and sometimes the player will sign one or both of the index cards as well.