Questions from a newbie

[JustStartingOut]

I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum for this. It seemed like the most appropriate of the forums I saw.
I have a question, seeing that I've never requested a ttm auto in my life.
I would think it is appropriate to include a brief letter with my request. Just sending a card/ball/whatever with no explanation seems presumptuous and rude. How long should a letter be? I don't want to assume the requestee has all day to read my ramblings regarding why I'm sending him a request, but at the same time, "Please sign this ball" seems a bit abrupt. I was thinking of a small introduction, a sentence or two on why I'm requesting HIS autograph in particular, that this is a hobby I'm starting with/for my son and that I'm not a re-seller, then ending with a polite "Thanks for your time."
Any advice or feedback is greatly appreciated.

[pwaldo]

A few sentences is probably the best length for your letter. A longer one for the older players is probably more warranted than a guy like Mike Trout who probably gets bags full of mail everyday though.

[OC22]

You pretty much have it right. I usually do two to three sentences on why I enjoy watching them play (current players)/how I enjoyed watching or reading about their careers (retired), one sentence requesting the auto, and close with "Thanks for taking the time, look forward to hearing back". Turns out to be about half a page, so you won't be too long. With retired guys or players you're a really big fan of, going a bit more in-depth isn't the worst thing ever.

Make sure you don't forget your SASE, also!

[Rolltide]

I always write about half a page as well. Pretty much exactly what the other guys said.

[arfmax]

Yes, in my experience, you should always include a letter. As stated above, the retired players often read it, some of the current ones do not, but you should always include one and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Your next question (unasked as of now), should you hand-write the letter or type it? This is a great debate among TTMers. I always hand-write so it shows I took the time and didn't just write one generic letter and print it for everyone. Others type them. Who knows?

[Rolltide]

I hand-write 95% of the time, just because I think it looks more genuine. The 5% that I have typed have come back signed at the same rate as the hand-written ones, though, so I don't know that it makes a *huge* difference. I just prefer to hand write.

[yankeesfan1324]

For the average request, I do 2-4 sentences handwritten on an index card. At first I used to always write something like "you are one of my favorite players" but now I don't unless they actually are. You don't really need to lie about how much you like them, so long as you have something brief about enjoying watching them play.

For special requests I type them up and make them half of a page to a page. This usually includes players from my hometown, alumni of my college, guys like Neshek and Ziegler that I know are into card collecting, or players who I have had some sort of conversation or extended interaction with. For these, I include information about why I am asking for their autograph and let them know we're from the same town, that I went to the same college as them, or, assuming it isn't too awkward, the interaction I had with them. I type these just because I know my handwriting is bad and the athlete would struggle to read them.

[dragonslayer913]

do not BS the player your requesting an auto from like your my favorite player blah blah send a brief note basically stating your an autograph collector and would like to add your personal autograph to my collection and hand write everything including the postage

[JustStartingOut]

Just got back my first ever TTM. This is cool. Time to buy another ball and decide who I'm sending to next.

[indyreds]

Everyone will have their own style. I will say do what you are most comfortable with. I for instance always type and send a one page letter. Three seems to be the most items I send out at the most in one request. Remember to always add a self addressed envelope and use the most important words of please and thank you. Best of luck!