TTM Advice: Pens

[TheBoxBreaker]

Hi guys,

I figured I should post this here as it's a hockey matter and TTM'ing is quite different from one sport to the other.

Soon I'm going to try sending out a few cards to goalies. I've done TTM before but it annoys me that sometimes some goalies sign their cards using a thick, black marker while others (in the same set) sign with a thin, blue one. The whole idea of a set is for the cards to be somewhat similar.

My question is: Would it be a good idea to include a pen in each letter, perhaps writing: "Please sign the card using this pen." That way I would assure that at least most of the goalies would sign using that specific pen, and I would be able to create a set with similar autograph thicknesses and colours.

Is it a bad idea? Perhaps someone at the club would think that the letter feels weird, open it only to discard either the pen or perhaps even the whole letter. Has anyone tried anything like this in the past?

The custom set I'm working on features the autographs of CHL goaltenders, but by the time I'll be sending out the cards, a lot of these goalies will play in the NHL or AHL.

Any advice and feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

-Ethan

[pens1fan1]

Hey,

Best person to contact is Pens-fan-addict. He has done extensive TTMs with the Pens. I believe he did a tutorial on sending ttms. I am almost positive he sends a sharpie in every package he sends out.

[antoine38]

It is not a bad idea and they will likely use the pen you provide, but remember the pen can damage the card in the mail.
Also this method will be much more expensive for you due to buying many new extra pens that you will not get returned.
Also this method will have higher postage fees for you to send a parcel with an object enclosed instead of just a letter with paper to the US (from Europe?)

If it were me I would just send the customs out as standard requests to the goalies you want, and hopefully they have the pen type you are looking for.
In the case where you get a return with an undesirable colored signature, you can always try again with the same custom printed again and use the signed copy as tradebait. I know I would trade for some unique goalie autographs !

Good Luck,

[TheBoxBreaker]

Hey,

Best person to contact is Pens-fan-addict. He has done extensive TTMs with the Pens. I believe he did a tutorial on sending ttms. I am almost positive he sends a sharpie in every package he sends out.

Thanks for your comment. I will try to contact him and ask for some advice.

It is not a bad idea and they will likely use the pen you provide, but remember the pen can damage the card in the mail.
Also this method will be much more expensive for you due to buying many new extra pens that you will not get returned.
Also this method will have higher postage fees for you to send a parcel with an object enclosed instead of just a letter with paper to the US (from Europe?)

If it were me I would just send the customs out as standard requests to the goalies you want, and hopefully they have the pen type you are looking for.
In the case where you get a return with an undesirable colored signature, you can always try again with the same custom printed again and use the signed copy as tradebait. I know I would trade for some unique goalie autographs !

Good Luck,

That's true. I'm willing to pay for the extra sharpies as long as there's a good chance that the goalies will use them, but you're right about added shipping costs. Using them as tradebait isn't a bad idea, so thanks for your comment.

If anyone else has any feedback, please let me know. Thanks!

-Ethan