How to Collect Autographs

Send an autograph request in the mail. Address the letter to the celebrity or athlete you want the autograph from, and write in the letter that you would very much appreciate an autograph because you are a huge fan of her work. Explain why you are a fan. Supply a piece of blank paper or a photograph of the celebrity, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope, to make it convenient for her to send the autograph back. If you are seeking the autograph of a famous athlete, you can look up the address of his team headquarters and mail the request there. For Hollywood celebrities, try to find out who their agents are and mail the request to them, since you will most likely not be able to find the celebrity's home address. Another option is to send the letter request to the celebrity's fan mail address.

Keep a pad of paper and pen with you at all times. If you want to actively seek autographs to collect, you will need to be prepared to ask for them, especially if you live somewhere that celebrities frequent, such as Hollywood, Calif. To locate the celebrities, go to movie openings, award ceremonies, fundraisers and linger around famous celebrity restaurants to see which star you might encounter.

Approach celebrities or athletes when you spot them. Practice good etiquette when it comes to asking for autographs. For instance, it is not appropriate to interrupt stars as they are dining, on the phone or in the middle of something that looks important. If celebrities are passing by, standing around or are signing autographs for others, it is appropriate to approach them. Be polite as you ask them to please sign an autograph for you. Offer them your pen and pad of paper so that they do not need to be hassled with finding their own.

Wait out the end of a ball game if you want to collect autographs from athletes. Linger around the field or court, or outside the arena where players go to their cars or team buses, to see if you get a chance to ask for an autograph. You might want to ask athletes to autograph sports merchandise, such as balls, posters, T-shirts and other souvenirs from the game.

Buy autographed collectibles from others who are selling theirs. Search on ebay.com or Craigslist.com to see if people post ads to sell their autographed items; ask for a certificate of authenticity. Consider the price that the seller is asking for. If it seems really low for the magnitude of the autograph, it might be fake. The Universal Autograph Collectors Club, Inc. is one such organization that offers authentication and appraisal services.