Help Needed

[andrewhoya]

I am about to do my first TTM, but have some questions.

1. How long is the average return time?

2. What do I ship in?

3. Do I send a SASE?

4. Anything else I should know?


Thanks!

[akoch]

1. Depends, anywhere from a week to a year.
2. Depends what you are sending
3. Always
4. Check out the TTM database. Be selective. Take a few risks. Have fun.

[andrewhoya]

2. Depends what you are sending

Just a base card.

Thanks for the other answers!

[gladdyontherise]

1. How long is the average return time? Depends, my quickest has been 6 days so far.

2. What do I ship in? PWE

3. Do I send a SASE? Yes

4. Anything else I should know? Don't send in a toploader, i've learned this as well, players wont send them back anyhow, and it seems like they prefer you dont send in that way. Make sure you 'prep' your cards, if the card is glossy, it needs to be prepped so the autograph comes out as nice as possible. cards like heritage or goudey (sets like that) dont need to be prepped as they have no gloss on them

[Riggs]

i use a Hi-Polymer eraser for preping my cards. You can find them at any department store. some use baby powder but that can get alittle messy. its up to you.

also, the #1 rule of TTM is NEVER SEND SOMETHING YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT sometimes you dont get back what you send.

[andrewhoya]

1. How long is the average return time? Depends, my quickest has been 6 days so far.

2. What do I ship in? PWE

3. Do I send a SASE? Yes

4. Anything else I should know? Don't send in a toploader, i've learned this as well, players wont send them back anyhow, and it seems like they prefer you dont send in that way. Make sure you 'prep' your cards, if the card is glossy, it needs to be prepped so the autograph comes out as nice as possible. cards like heritage or goudey (sets like that) dont need to be prepped as they have no gloss on them

To send a SASE, just fold it inside the envelope? Also, what do you mean by prepping it? I was going to send a regular Topps base card.

i use a Hi-Polymer eraser for preping my cards. You can find them at any department store. some use baby powder but that can get alittle messy. its up to you.

also, the #1 rule of TTM is NEVER SEND SOMETHING YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT sometimes you dont get back what you send.

Not sure what prepping means

[gladdyontherise]

Prepping means get the card ready to be signed, you can use the eraser, like the above poster said or baby powder..it takes the gloss off the card..and yes, fold the SASE inside the other envelope.

[Riggs]

first thing you are going to want to do is get an Eraser like this...



or use baby powder, its up to you, both serve the same purpose.


Take the eraser ( or babypowder) & run it over the card. when you are doing this, you are taking off a layer of the gloss that comes from the card manufacture.

why you prep a card, here is why..



The left hand side of this card was prepared & right hand side was not. as you can see on the left side where i took the eraser over it, It took off some of the gloss & there for, the sharpie sticks well to the card thus, giving you a better looking signature.

The right hand side of this card was un touched & the pen stroke doesnt stick well to the card. The ink spreads out thus the signature will look horrible. I like to take every step possible on my end that if an athlete chooses to sign my item for me, his/her sig will look as good as possible.

also, it was mentioned in a previouse post by RockiesFan but, your return SASE try to buy the adhesive seal envelopes. Not many athletes want to lick an envelope that came from someone else. some have had issues with them, some have not.

[andrewhoya]

Not many athletes want to lick an envelope that came from someone else. some have had issues with them, some have not.

I didn't even think about that!


Thanks everyone!

[lilstovie34]

Its also good to buy 2 different sized envelopes, its much easier to just put the smaller one in for return instead of folding a bigger envelope in trying to make it fit in one of the same size