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This section is designed to help you to be more successful in astronaut and all types of autograph collecting. Although I am by no means an expert, through conversing with other collectors and researching many websites, I have learned a lot and would like to share it with everyone. Please e-mail me if you have any questions or comments.
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Writing the Letter
 Always type or print clearly. Be as neat as possible, using good quality paper.
Always be polite. Use Mr., Ms., Mrs., Miss., (or military rank), please, thank you, etc. Be sure to always thank them for the autograph.
Although I both type and handwrite letters, I feel that handwriting the letter meets with much better results. Unless of course your handwriting is terrible, in which case typing would probably be the best way to go.
Try to keep your letter short, not more than a page long. Astronauts are extremely busy people, and just don't have the time to read really long letters.
Include personal information about yourself. I believe it greatly increases your chances of getting a response if the person whose autograph you are requesting knows who they're sending it out to. Don't go overboard (do not tell them your life story!), but a few sentences about yourself and your interests (for example space exploration, astronomy, etc) will really go a long way.
Research each of the astronaut's missions and comment on different aspects of them. Do the same for their career and work as an astronaut. This makes the letter more personal, and shows the astronaut that it's not just a form letter sent to hundreds.
Never makes demands. These people are in no way required to answer any autograph requests, but most take time to do it out of the kindness of their heart.
All current astronauts at NASA are provided with pictures to send out. However, retired astronauts, most notably those from Mercury through Skylab, do not have pictures that they can send out. As a result, always send something for these people to sign. For some good sources of pictures, check out my resources page.
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Sending the Request
Always enlcose a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope, or SASE, when writing to astronauts outside of NASA. Shipping for current astronauts is provided by NASA, but it is not provided for retired astronauts. Because many times it comes out of their own pocket, many retired astronauts will not honor requests unless an SASE is included.
Always put a sufficiently sized piece of cardboard in the envelope to ensure that the photograph will not get bent or damaged.
Always boldly write "Photo - Do Not Bend" in the lower-left hand corner and on the back of both the envelope and SASE.
When sending a picture to get autographed, be sure to tape the manila envelope closed. Mail often gets thrown around, and the envelope could easily come open and damage the picture.
Make sure you put enough postage on the SASE. If you are not sure of the correct amount, check out my resources page or have the envelope weighed at your post office.
On the SASE, I address the envelope to myself and put my address as the return address. This way, in case there is not enough postage, the envelope will still come back to me.
Never send anything valuable, because there is always a chance you could lose it. If you have a picture already signed by some astronauts, or a valuable book, write to make sure they will sign it, and that the mailing address is a good one.
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Miscellaneous Tips
Be patient. Some astronauts reply in a couple weeks to 3 months. Some can take almost a year to respond. Especially as the Interantional Space Station is launched, astronauts will likely be spending more time travelling to Russia and other countries for training.
Always keep good record of who you have written to, the address used, and when you sent the letter. There's nothing worse than writing to someone you have already written to, especially if they read your first letter and are planning to respond (which has happened to me!). This just makes you look rude and impatient.
There are some astronauts who no longer sign, and the only way to get their autograph is to buy it from a dealer or online auction (see my dealers section). Make sure you check out the dealer and ask them questions about the autograph you are buying. Also, make sure it comes with a Certificate of
Authenticity (COA) and make sure the autograph is "guaranteed for life." This means that if the autograph is found to be fake or a new autopen, you can still get your money back. When buying from an online auction like Ebay, try to get a scan of the autograph you are buying, then compare it to others to make sure it is real.
Always be cautious of the authenticity of items on online auctions. Compare the signature to others to see if it looks authentic, and don't buy anything unless a full refund is offered.
Never hang valuable autographs on a wall . Although it may not seem like it, over time they will fade, and the picture will be ruined. Instead, I store all my autographs is clear "document proof" plastic sleeves in a binder that is kept out of the light. DO NOT place them in self-adhesive photo albums! That's a sure way to have them all ruined for good.
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Abbreviations
Although I try to aviod using abbeviations in my pages, these will likely
show up on other people's pages and on mailing lists.
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ADDY - Address
ADS - Autographed Document Signed
ALS - Autographed Letter Signed
AMQS - Autographed Musical Quotation Signed.
ANS - Autographed Note Signed
AQS - Autographed Quotation Signed
AUTOPEN - A signature signed on a photo by a machine
B&W - Black and White
COA - Certificate of Authenticity
DS - Document Signed
IRC - International Reply Coupon
ISC - Inscribed Signed Card
ISCP - Inscribed Signed Color Photo (Best Wishes to....)
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photo (Best Wishes to....)
LS - Letter Signed
PREPRINT - Original signed, to make many copies
RTS - Return to Sender
SASE - Self Addressed Stamped Envelope
SC - Signed Card
SCP - Signed Color Photo
SP - Signed Photo
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
TCS - Trading Card Signed
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