Frequently Asked Questions
It has gotten to the point where I'm actually getting questions that have been asked frequently,
so I felt it was time to write a FAQ. :) So, here we go:
Contents:
1. Where do you get your addresses?
2. Where do you get your unsigned photos?
2a. Where do you find unsigned photos from new or unreleased movies?
3. Why won't you buy from dealers?
4. What do you write in your letters?
5. What do you include with your letter?
6. How can you tell an autograph is a preprint? autopen? stamp? secretarial?
7. What are good magazines to subscribe to? books to read?
8. Where can I find information on signing habits of celebrities?
9. I've seen lots of autos on ebay and they sell for really cheap prices. Why?
10. How do you store your autographs?
11. You have authentic responses from celebs I've only gotten fakes from. Why?
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1. Where do you get your addresses?
Several places actually. My primary source is
Jim Weaver's master address list. It's $30 but well worth the money when you figure out how
much postage you've wasted with bad addresses! Jim's list is updated several times a year so most
of his addresses are good. I also check The Star Archive
which is free, and the newsgroup alt.collecting.autographs, although I've gotten a *lot* of RTSs from the Star Archive addresses.
2. Where do you get your unsigned photos?
I've recently found a great site that has unsigned 8x10s (they have an especially large selection for the new Star Wars and sports) and posters at below-market prices. Click the button below to enter the site:
I buy the rest of my pics from a place called "The Movie Market" in California.
They do ship, and photos are $5 for 8x10 color, $3.50 for 8x10 black & white, and $1.75 for
4x6 color (great for sending overseas! Saves postage). They literally have thousands of
photos for just about any celebrity imaginable, and I've had good experiences ordering from
them. If you'd like a catalogue, call them at (949) 488-8444. The full catalogue is $5
(you'll need a credit card to order over the phone), and their new 1999 catalogue will be
available after Dec 1. They also send monthly supplements with any new photos they have for
free. If you don't have a credit card, you can mail them a check or money order at:
The Movie Market
PO Box 3900
Dana Point, CA 92629-8900
They also carry movie posters and lobby cards.
2a. Where do you find unsigned photos from new or unreleased movies?
Something new I've started doing is printing photos off of my computer. Several companies, such as HP and Kodak, have a glossy photo paper that you can use in your printer. The average price I've found is about $10 for a pack of 15. My printer is a HP Deskjet 722C (inkjet), and the photos I've printed have turned out surprisingly well. In some cases, they're better than photos I've bought! To print 8x10 photos, find a good quality photo online. The best quality photos can usually be found at the movie's official site. Resize the longest side to 10" with a graphics program, then print! The photos that turn out the best seem to be those with darker hues and little background noise, such as this one of Carrie-Anne Moss.
3. Why won't you buy from dealers?
When I was at a tennis match, I saw Pete Sampras treated like a piece of meat as a hoard of rabid fans and dealers shoved photos and tennis balls in his face to sign. Little kids were trampled over in the process, and Pete looked like he was in agony. I was repulsed. I know that this is probably the norm, and although I'm sure *all* dealers don't behave this way, I don't want to take a chance. If I don't buy from a dealer, there's no way I can support that kind of activity and lack of humanity. I would encourage others to do the same.
4. What do you write in your letters?
I type everything because my handwriting is pretty poor, and I have sort of a "form letter" that
I send to all celebrities. It consists of the following:
My Address
My Phone Number
Date
Celeb's Address
Dear Mr./Ms. Celebrity,
I wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how much I appreciate your work.
[Insert actor-specific info here]
If you have a moment, I would really appreciate it if you could sign the enclosed photo and
return it to me in the envelope I provided.
Thanks and best wishes,
[Sign my name here]
Kirsten R. Schaulin
_______________________________________________________________________________
For example, this is a letter I wrote to Téa Leoni:
-------
My Address
My Phone Number
November 2, 1998
Téa Leoni
2300 W Victory Blvd
Burbank, CA 91506
Dear Ms. Leoni,
I wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how much I appreciate your work.
"Flirting with Disaster" is one of my favorite comedies of all time, and I absolutely loved
"Deep Impact" this summer. With the different styles of those two films, you show an amazing
versatility. I’d also like to congratulate you on the impending birth of your first child.
Love must be in the air because it seems like everyone I know is expecting! I hope pregnancy
treats you well and wish you the best with your husband and child.
If you have a moment, I would really appreciate it if you could sign the enclosed photos
(I couldn’t decide between them so please feel free to sign only one - or neither! - if you
would prefer) and return it to me in the envelope I provided.
Thanks and best wishes,
[signed]
Kirsten Schaulin
---------
When writing your letter, make sure it's shorter than one page, but long enough to be more than
just an autograph request. Celebrities don't have time to read novels. Be sincere, and never ever write a celebrity that you have no interest
in. If you can't write at least one paragraph without doing a significant amount of
research, you shouldn't be wasting that person's time with an autograph request.
5. What do you include with your letter?
I usually include a photo (many celebs will send preprint if you don't supply your own photo), and
*always* a SASE. When I first started mailing autograph requests, I didn't include a SASE. From about 30-40 requests, I only got two back. I learned my lesson! Now I always include
a 9x12 self addressed envelope with two 32 cent stamps. For overseas requests I include two
International Reply Coupons. IRCs are $1.05 each, and each one can be traded in at any foreign
post office for enough postage to send a regular sized envelope back to the US. Two will usually
cover a 9x12 envelope.
6. How can you tell an autograph is a preprint?
Close up example of a preprint
Preprints are usually the hardest for me to spot if they're printed on glossy paper. The easiest ones
to pick out are those printed on postcard type material. Tilt the photo towards the light, and if
you can't see any difference in gloss between the photo and the sig, it's a preprint. If you're
unsure, check the autograph collecting pages on the internet to see if anyone has gotten the same
thing you have. All autos from Studio Fan Mail are preprints.
autopen?
Close up example of an autopen
These are the easiest for me to pick out. Autopens always have perfectly even pressure
throughout the sig. They also have little "ridges" on the edges of each line, and are frequently
pressed down hard enough to show through the back of the photo. I'm not sure if this is significant,
but all the autopenned photos I've received have been black and white with a white border around the
ouside of the picture. For example, check out Danny Glover.
stamp?
Close up example of a stamp
Stamped autos usually have extra ink from the edge of the stamp, have a dull appearance, and
easily flake off with your fingernail.
secretarial?
An autograph signed by a secretary is usually pretty easy to distinguish. For example, check out
my Mel Gibson secretarials and Mel Gibson autopen.
Huge difference! To compare sigs to see if yours is real, check dealers' websites or The Star Archive
7. What are good magazines to subscribe to?
If your interest is merely collecting, the best magazine to subscribe to is Autograph Times. It's an excellent magazine with
lots of information. If you're a dealer, subscribe to The Autograph Collector. It can be found
at most bookstores.
books to read?
The only book I've found to be helpful is Kevin Martin's "Signatures of the Stars." It has sig
examples and signing habits of many of today's most popular stars.
8. Where can I find information on signing habits of celebrities?
The abovementioned magazines and books are helpful, The Star
Archive has habits of many stars, but by far the most useful resource is Dejanews. When there, go to power search, type in alt.collecting.autographs
as the newsgroup to search, and search by the star's name. Dejanews is a newsgroup archive that goes
back several years.
9. I've seen lots of autos on ebay and they sell for really cheap prices. Why?
Again - Easy. Most of them are fake. I'd say at least 80% of the autographs found on ebay are fakes.
Absolutely DO NOT bid on ebay if you don't have a lot of experience collecting and know exactly
what you're doing.
10. How do you store your autographs?
Most of my autos are in cheap black plastic acid-free frames on my walls. I just took a photo of them
so as soon as I get this roll developed I'll scan it. I don't have a good source for cheap frames
in Wilmington, so the autos I've gotten in the last few months are stored in a nice photo album
with acid free pages.
11. You have authentic responses from celebs I've only gotten preprints from. Why?
I try to always include a photo with my requests. Many celebrites will send out preprints or autopens if you don't include a photo. Examples would include Jennifer Connelly and Téa Leoni, as well as several others. I figure that I'm already asking them to take some of their free time to sign for me, so why should I make them provide the photo as well? After 100 or so requests, photos get expensive! Please be considerate and purchase your own photos.
Any other questions? Mail me!
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