Holiday Reminder: International customers should order by October 29th for Christmas delivery (US customers have until December 3rd, but you may wish to order now as well while our processing time is still just 1 week).
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Elf James won an autographed Harry Potter photo!
We’re so excited that Elf James won a photograph autographed by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. It recently arrived complete with Certificate of Authenticity, and it’s now framed and hanging in our Magical Mail Office in downtown Fairfield, CA. Residents of Solano County, now you can view this item as well as our screen used Hogwarts letter when you visit us!
First Ever Legendary Letters Writing Contest
I’ve been tinkering with the idea of hosting a letter writing contest for some time, and I’ve decided to go for it! I’ve sent thousands of letters out over the past 22 years (every single one written by me). I still love what I do, but I can’t help thinking it would be great to have input from other people. What would it be like to have a resident of Ireland write as a leprechaun for St. Patrick’s Day, a WWII veteran write as Uncle Sam for Independence Day, or an Environmentalist write as Mother Nature for Mother’s Day? I can imagine being these things, but I haven’t really lived it the way they have. I also wondered how writers from all generations would have different points of view and memories about the holidays? I really hope we get submissions from Millennials, Gen Xers, Baby Boomers, and the Greatest Generation as well as those still in school.
I’ve posted all the details on the Contest Page and hope you’ll check it out. There are 11 categories of characters and holidays to choose from. Anyone 13 and up may enter, and the deadline is December 15, 2018. Prizes will be awarded on December 20, 2018 just in time for the holidays. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to write a letter to a fictional child named Jessie Jones as a magical being.
Thank you so much to the following sites who have added us to their list of contests:
Elf Stacy’s 1990 Writing Contest Win
Back in 1990 when I was a senior in high school, my Government teacher read about a writing contest hosted by UC Davis. He decided to make it a class assignment (we had to write an essay about the importance of the media and free press). My mom was always trying to get me to enter writing competitions whenever she came across them in the newspaper or magazines, and although I had loved creative writing since 5th grade, I never felt my writing was good enough to compete. Since writing this essay was mandatory for my class, I went ahead and turned it in. My teacher, Mr. Harker, submitted them all to UC Davis, and I was shocked to learn that I had won 2nd place and a prize of $250!
My family was so proud when we got to go to an award ceremony and news reporter, Bob Schaeffer, presented me with an engraved plaque and the check. At the time I was just pleased that I got to spend the money on material to make my senior prom dress. Later I realized that winning that award is what gave me the confidence to get my BA in Humanities from San Jose State and to open my own writing business in 1996. I’ve been thinking about that contest a lot lately. (I even got my photo and essay published in our local newspaper, The Daily Republic.) I keep telling myself I need to get to the library and find it on their microfiche since I lost my copy quite awhile ago.
I’ve decided that I’d like to host my own writing contest based on that experience, and will write about it in another blog post soon!
Real Screen Used Hogwarts Letter!
For years we’ve been wanting to get one of the real screen used Hogwarts acceptance letter envelopes (the ones flying around Privet Drive that Harry tried to catch). There were 1000 made by the prop department, but somehow whenever one came up for sale someone else always beat us to it. Not anymore! We finally own one thanks to a memorabilia shop in the UK. It came today with a letter of provenance and we’ve had it framed so you can see both the front and back:
Whenever you are in Fairfield, CA, we invite you to drop in to our shop and see it. Daniel Radcliffe may have had it in his own hands at some point and now you can too!
Informed Delivery by USPS
Have you heard of the new service USPS is now providing? If you sign up for Informed Delivery, you can see scans of all your mail pieces. You will know what is coming and also what has been delivered. If you didn’t receive something that is showing on the USPS site, you can check a box that states, “I did not receive this” and they will create a research case for the missing mail. We ship everything through USPS so if you sign up you can see when your order is about to arrive. The link to sign up is: USPS Informed Delivery.
Elf Stacy’s mother passed away
We are heartbroken that Stacy’s mom, Pamela Parkhurst, lost her 4th battle with breast cancer and passed away on Easter Sunday. She was devoted to her family, Girl Scouting, and American Girl Doll collecting. She helped around the Magical Mail Office whenever things got really busy and always volunteered at our Letters to Santa Booth each year during the City of Fairfield’s Christmas Tree Lighting. She will be missed by so many friends and family members. We will be closed for a week to grieve and make arrangements. If you’d like to read her obituary, you may click here.
Wine Tasting or Wand Testing?
When the Main Street Association asked if we would like to have a wine tasting station at the Taste of Fairfield event, we thought they said wand testing! So, now not only can you come by on St. Patrick’s Day to taste some local wine, you can also test your wand skills! We finally got approval from MACUSA to be an official wand testing facility. Any minors who would like to see if they are a witch or wizard will not be in violation of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery when performing spells at our location.
We’re open to the public!
If you’ve recently heard old timey music emanating from the blue Victorian on the corner of Empire and Jackson Streets in downtown Fairfield, CA you aren’t experiencing a time slip! It simply means that we’re open! We are now open to walk in customers from 10am to 2pm everyday except Wednesdays and Fridays. Children can drop off letters they’ve written to Santa Claus or other magical beings any time and we will make sure they get them. Parents can request replies from anyone in the magical or wizarding realms by going to our online shop. We can mail the letters directly to the recipient or we can email you when they’re ready and you can pick up.
Thank you for the great write up, Ecwid!
Shopping cart solution, Ecwid, did a wonderful interview and write up for us! Check it out here:
Legendary Letters: A Family That Has Been Helping Santa Online Since 1997