The Project Goals.
Before I go too far into this, let me first make one thing perfectly clear. This is in no way a desperate cry for financial backing for this project. Of course we would welcome any contributions, either financially or otherwise, but I am indeed able to support myself, Archer, and this hobby. I actually feel very blessed to have the opportunity to do what I am doing in my life and in this hobby. This is a project of love. I love my kid to pieces and love this hobby. Anything above and beyond that is just icing on the cake!
The main goal of The Autograph Project is to have fun. This is not my job, this is not something I am doing because I have to. This project is being done because I enjoy this hobby and I love my son. I would not put in the time or effort if this was not fun for me.
Another goal of The Autograph Project is to document this journey. There are a lot of people out there that collect autographs as a hobby. There are also a lot of people out there that have no idea what the hobby is all about. I hope through this project, we can bridge the gap between the two. We want to be a support group for the collectors out there who need help in the hobby. We would also like to educate and expose a whole new group of people to the hobby of collecting autographs. This hobby can be very exciting and a wonderful tool to teach young people the proper way to write a letter. In today's world of technology, writing is becoming a lost art form. Its a great way to connect with people who are in the public eye. It's very cool to get something from someone that we have seen on TV, on film, or at an event. Just makes you feel a little closer to those people.
Of course this hobby is not free. Yes, one of the goals of the website is to ask for your help. Any help is greatly appreciated. Even if it is nothing more than words of encouragement, anything helps. Being a single dad is never easy. Having someone just say "hang in there" or "you are doing a great job" can lift your spirits and help you make it through the tough days. You would be surprised just how far a few simple words can go.
Any financial help would also greatly appreciated. The cost of postage adds up after a while. This is in no way a charity case. I work full time and I take care of my son first. This is a hobby for me. I would not be in the hobby if I could not pay my bills. When we send an autograph request, it is proper to send a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope). Basically, it takes one stamp to get the request to the person you are sending to and then another stamp for that person to return your item to you. We always send items for the person to sign too. We generally go with 4x6 photos so the person we are writing to does not have to provide that material to us. Of course, we have to get the photos printed and that too adds to the costs of the hobby.
Preservation is another goal of the project. No one lives forever. When we get a return in, we have kind of preserved a little piece of that person. With care, that autograph can last life times. Take a look at one of the greatest documents of all time, the United States Constitution. That is an autographed document singed by some of the greatest men in American History. There is no way to get their autographs now since all those men have long passed, but that piece of paper with their signatures perseveres that piece of history for later generations to see.
Education. Yes, education is indeed a goal of the Project. I hope not only to teach people about the hobby of autograph collecting, but I hope to continue to educate myself on the people I write too. To be able to write a great, personal letter, I need to know a little about the person I am writing to. I learn about their lives, their careers, their accomplishments and so much more. I write to people who helped shape the world we live in. When Archer is older, I will have to tell him about the people I wrote to and the people who send signed items to him. The project would be a great tool for teacher to use to educate their students on people and the fundamentals of writing. I still remember one of my class projects in grade school was to write to someone to see if you could get a response. I wrote to Mr. T. ( the actor from the A-team) and I got a signed photo back. It was one of the first autographs I received through the mail. An autograph I still have all these years later!
To give back a little. Since I personally have been collecting for more than 20 years, I want to help fellow collectors. If that means inspiring new collectors in the hobby or helping a seasoned veteran achieve something new for their collection, then I have accomplished one of the main goals of being a presence here on the internet. With close to 2000 subscribers to my Youtube channel alone and more people following me on other social networks, I have an amazing opportunity to connect with people. Through this project I hope to give a little back or pay a little forward. Sure, I can provide information through my blogs and postings, but I can really make someones day by giving them a little piece of this project. This project is first and foremost for my son Archer, but I do not want it to stop there. I will build his collection and mine also, but after that I am more than willing to do some contests and giveaways to pay it forward.
Charity work. We have several friends that work with a cause that is very close to our heart and that is animals and animal shelters. Our dog Ayssa is a rescue and there are so many more animals that need help out there. Many shelters and charitable organizations run fund raisers like silent auctions. If I can help them out to raise funds for a great cause, that falls right in line with the purpose of the project. I do this project and hobby for the love of my son, for the love of this hobby. Animals have a special place in my heart. If I have an extra autograph that I can donate to a charity that might help them, I will always do that. I am not an official solicitor for any organization, but I will gladly make a donation if I feel the item would help them out. I will create a separate page that details a little more of the charities that I have and hope to be involved with.
Of course there are many more goals of this project and as we launch the site and begin the initial phase of the project, we will continue to add and change our goals. This is something new for me and I will learn from the launch of the project.
The main goal of The Autograph Project is to have fun. This is not my job, this is not something I am doing because I have to. This project is being done because I enjoy this hobby and I love my son. I would not put in the time or effort if this was not fun for me.
Another goal of The Autograph Project is to document this journey. There are a lot of people out there that collect autographs as a hobby. There are also a lot of people out there that have no idea what the hobby is all about. I hope through this project, we can bridge the gap between the two. We want to be a support group for the collectors out there who need help in the hobby. We would also like to educate and expose a whole new group of people to the hobby of collecting autographs. This hobby can be very exciting and a wonderful tool to teach young people the proper way to write a letter. In today's world of technology, writing is becoming a lost art form. Its a great way to connect with people who are in the public eye. It's very cool to get something from someone that we have seen on TV, on film, or at an event. Just makes you feel a little closer to those people.
Of course this hobby is not free. Yes, one of the goals of the website is to ask for your help. Any help is greatly appreciated. Even if it is nothing more than words of encouragement, anything helps. Being a single dad is never easy. Having someone just say "hang in there" or "you are doing a great job" can lift your spirits and help you make it through the tough days. You would be surprised just how far a few simple words can go.
Any financial help would also greatly appreciated. The cost of postage adds up after a while. This is in no way a charity case. I work full time and I take care of my son first. This is a hobby for me. I would not be in the hobby if I could not pay my bills. When we send an autograph request, it is proper to send a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope). Basically, it takes one stamp to get the request to the person you are sending to and then another stamp for that person to return your item to you. We always send items for the person to sign too. We generally go with 4x6 photos so the person we are writing to does not have to provide that material to us. Of course, we have to get the photos printed and that too adds to the costs of the hobby.
Preservation is another goal of the project. No one lives forever. When we get a return in, we have kind of preserved a little piece of that person. With care, that autograph can last life times. Take a look at one of the greatest documents of all time, the United States Constitution. That is an autographed document singed by some of the greatest men in American History. There is no way to get their autographs now since all those men have long passed, but that piece of paper with their signatures perseveres that piece of history for later generations to see.
Education. Yes, education is indeed a goal of the Project. I hope not only to teach people about the hobby of autograph collecting, but I hope to continue to educate myself on the people I write too. To be able to write a great, personal letter, I need to know a little about the person I am writing to. I learn about their lives, their careers, their accomplishments and so much more. I write to people who helped shape the world we live in. When Archer is older, I will have to tell him about the people I wrote to and the people who send signed items to him. The project would be a great tool for teacher to use to educate their students on people and the fundamentals of writing. I still remember one of my class projects in grade school was to write to someone to see if you could get a response. I wrote to Mr. T. ( the actor from the A-team) and I got a signed photo back. It was one of the first autographs I received through the mail. An autograph I still have all these years later!
To give back a little. Since I personally have been collecting for more than 20 years, I want to help fellow collectors. If that means inspiring new collectors in the hobby or helping a seasoned veteran achieve something new for their collection, then I have accomplished one of the main goals of being a presence here on the internet. With close to 2000 subscribers to my Youtube channel alone and more people following me on other social networks, I have an amazing opportunity to connect with people. Through this project I hope to give a little back or pay a little forward. Sure, I can provide information through my blogs and postings, but I can really make someones day by giving them a little piece of this project. This project is first and foremost for my son Archer, but I do not want it to stop there. I will build his collection and mine also, but after that I am more than willing to do some contests and giveaways to pay it forward.
Charity work. We have several friends that work with a cause that is very close to our heart and that is animals and animal shelters. Our dog Ayssa is a rescue and there are so many more animals that need help out there. Many shelters and charitable organizations run fund raisers like silent auctions. If I can help them out to raise funds for a great cause, that falls right in line with the purpose of the project. I do this project and hobby for the love of my son, for the love of this hobby. Animals have a special place in my heart. If I have an extra autograph that I can donate to a charity that might help them, I will always do that. I am not an official solicitor for any organization, but I will gladly make a donation if I feel the item would help them out. I will create a separate page that details a little more of the charities that I have and hope to be involved with.
Of course there are many more goals of this project and as we launch the site and begin the initial phase of the project, we will continue to add and change our goals. This is something new for me and I will learn from the launch of the project.