Artelopes- Real Salt Lake, and Dallas FC

With my big streak of drawing, and sending out tons of artelopes that has been going on lately. I have gotten two more of the 13 that were still roaming the country. What I learned from these two after some thought that what I might consider a failure in the request might actual be appreciation from the other end. These two returns are both examples of this possibility.

Take my what I think was a sad attempt at drawing a bull. I used a picture from the internet, and attempted to draw it myself. The envelope above is how it turned out when all was said, and done. The return wasn't what I expected, but who knows maybe this was a huge form of appreciation for the artwork.

Dallas FC didn't use my small return envelope, but used a big white mailer that you'd use for photo's.

That team picture is 8x10, and not something I requested when the request for schedules, and a business card was made. I'd like to think they could have just tossed in two or three schedules no business card, and put it in my returner. They didn't do that because of my going the extra mile, and thus went that same mile themselves. Do they send these pictures to all their fans with requests? Not in my world of drawn on envelopes they don't.

The staffer also put in two schedules that both have different sponsors on the back. To schedule collectors this is a big deal as most like to collect all the sponsor backs of a specific schedule. Without a return like this it would take the initial request either followed by another hoping you had luck in getting the other sponsor. Secondly a trade with another collector to get the second back for the collection. Dallas FC hooked up this Cat by putting two sponsors in.

My second, and not sure if my last Minions artelope was sent to Real Salt Lake who is also in the MLS with Dallas FC. In the original sent to Philadelphia Union the goalie was simply waving as the ball was heading for the net. This time I thought it'd be different to have one being mischievously hanging from the net, and blocking the shot. Don't be surprised if another Minions drawing shows up, but don't be surprised if this was the last.

Real Salt Lake's return like the Dallas FC is one I'm not sure if the artwork got me treated special. From past experience for myself atleast, getting three different covers is very rare. I have had it happen once maybe twice in what is now almost fifteen years of schedule collecting. If you throw in that the Dallas FC request was along the same lines. These two returns are a very big deal when it comes to what two teams sent out. To get them both within a couple days of each other is plain crazy.

More than anything these two teams have me now thinking that since started doing the artelopes any return is possible. I've known it on a certain level with some of the fantastic returns that have come in. Problem is I just never sat here, and appreciated what was sent from some teams. Not being a fan of certain sports, or teams I've always thought no business card was a failure that would require another two stamps to try again. Now I'll try to be more thankful for returns like these, and treasure the business cards from the harder to get teams that much more.