You will need some supplies to get started writing AMOE entries. Everyone is different, so I generally recommend that you try out different types of pens, and both 4x6 paper and index cards, to find what works best for you. I started out using gel pens and 4x6 paper, but eventually converted to felt tip pens and index cards. Try both and see what you prefer - see how long it takes you to write entries with each method, and determine which is more comfortable for you.
Personally, I have found that buying everything on Amazon works best for me. Time spent driving to and from stores is just lost time that I could have been writing more letters, and if I have an issue with a product, I can return it to Amazon easily and hassle free (versus again having to drive to and from a store, and holding onto receipts.)
Most sites require you to use a #10 envelope to send in your entries. I personally like these Top Flight ones the best:
You will see some people recommending other options, such as the Sam's Club envelopes. I am not a huge fan of those; there have been issues with some coming without the glue strip to close the envelope. I bought one box of the Sam's Club ones when I first started out and I really wasn't impressed. The Top Flight ones are awesome, I have literally gone through thousands of them.
If you send entries to Golden Hearts, you need to put an additional self-addressed envelope INSIDE the outer envelope; Golden Hearts then uses the inner one to mail you back a card with a code, that you then enter on their site to get SC. I use #6 envelopes for the inner self-addressed ones.
These Aimoh ones work very well.
Mead has a cheaper option, which I have also used. However, I prefer the slightly more expensive Aimoh ones because they are smoother - the Mead ones have a slight texture to the paper, making them a little harder to write on. (It's more noticeable with a gel pen.) Nevertheless, here is a link to the Mead pack for reference.
Finally, when I first started out, I tried envelopes from the dollar store; I really DO NOT recommend those! The glue strips were really low quality, I had to tape a lot of them shut.
Most sites require either a 4x6 sheet of paper or a 4x6 index card. I have tried just about everything, and ultimately settled on using felt tip pens to write on index cards. I prefer these Oxford cards; they are a good balance of value and quality.
I have also tried using Staples cards. They are very slightly heavier stock, but ultimately I have found no huge difference in using them - they are a bit thicker, and thus it’s slightly harder to separate them quickly. And they are more expensive. So I just went back to the Oxfords. However in case you want to try them, here are the Staples cards:
I did try out the blank 4x6 cards they sell at Wal-Mart early on, but I was not a fan. They seem to frequently come wrapped in plastic that is sealed a bit too tight, so the cards are slightly curved - this is a pain when you go to write on them, and I worry about whether this may cause issues when they get scanned at the receiving facility. In terms of quality, I liked the Oxford ones better.
If you write to Golden Hearts, they require a 3x5 index card. As with the 4x6 cards, I recommend the Oxford cards for this.
I have tried out an absurd amount of pens. Here are my favorites.
I just recently started using these Monami ones, and boy I have to tell you, I am in love. These are quickly becoming my main daily driver. They are pretty cheap, and they write very fine. (What I mean by that is, they write thin lines, so you can easily fit all the text you need to fit on the card.) They even work pretty well for writing on envelopes!
There are two drawbacks to be aware of. First, as with all felt tips, if you press too hard you will ruin the tip over time. Second, they do not last quite as long as other pens I have tried. However, the price and the ability to write thin precise letters more than make up for this. I have noticed that when they start to seem like they are drying out, if you just put that pen aside and try it again later, it will work decent again for a while - you have to give it a little time for the ink to travel up to the tip after a long stretch of writing a bunch of cards.
Sharpie is another popular option. (Note these are very different from the classic Sharpie permanent markers.) They are fairly high quality, and on the expensive side. My biggest gripe with these is the tips are rather easy to screw up. If you press too hard, over time the tip will kind of split, you will notice it as it will start to write less fine. If you don't ever press down hard though, these are pretty amazing:
I also have tried these Papermate ones. If you have a VERY light touch, these can be great - they last for an extremely long time and never seem to run out of ink. However, I push just a bit too hard, which leads to thick lines with these, and that can make it challenging to fit everything you need on a card.
If you are writing on 4x6 paper rather than cards, you really want to use a gel pen, not felt tips. Felt tips will just bleed through the paper too easily. I also tend to use gel pens for the envelopes, although lately I have started experimenting with using Monami felt tips for that.
These Pilot G2s are the best gel pens I have used, they’re a perfect balance of price and quality, and they last way longer than Caliber and many other types that I have tried. They are also comfortable to grip.
I strongly recommend you use Bic whiteout tape; the other brands can be really tricky to write over without it bleeding through the tape and making a mess. This stuff is great:
If you get into writing AMOE entries a lot, you are going to want a portable surface to write on. This facilitates things like writing letters while you're sitting on the couch watching TV. I have had good luck with these two options.
This is a simple sturdy flat surface with a padded underside, that sits directly on your lap:
And this one is more of a portable mini table, I use this one frequently with my laptop, but more recently it's been putting in a lot of hours as a mobile letter writing station.
If you write to Money Factory, their process is a bit unique - you are not allowed to put the card in an envelope. I do not think regular index cards are going to hold up reliably in cross-country mail, and if it gets bent the UPC code you tape onto it will get ruined, so I use heavier card stock for those entries. This is what has worked best for me:
You will also need computer paper to print the entries - I like this type, it's sturdier than the absolute cheapest garbage printer paper (again keep in mind, you are taping the printed UPC code onto a card that then has to survive getting mailed to Texas) but still reasonable economical.
If you don't already have one, get a decent pair of scissors for cutting the codes out:
And finally for the real trick... I can't believe I am letting this one slip but here goes. I don't trust just putting tape on the corners to hold the UPC code on, and you cannot tape over the barcode itself. So how do you ensure it really stays on that damn card while it gets chucked around cross-country? Use a tiny bit of rubber cement to secure it to the card before taping the corners down:
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