SnailSweeps.com

SASE - Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope

SASEs are used in promotions where you need a game piece or a unique code to participate. To enter into these kinds of sweepstakes without purchase, you'll need to address an envelope to yourself: (I'm assuming in these pictures your name is Martha Washington and your neighbors are The Simpsons)

Then fold it into thirds and attach a 41-cent stamp:

And mail your folded SASE in another envelope to the sponsor's mailing address given in the official rules. The sweepstakes sponsor will mail a free game piece or code back to you in the envelope you provide.

There are pros and cons to these types of promotions:

Con: You need to pay 82 cents - the price of two postage stamps - for each of your game plays.

Pros: A lot of the time, 82 cents is cheaper than what you'd pay to purchase the product or service and receive that game piece. Plus, since this seems complicated, a lot of people don't take advantage of this, and the field of competition is greatly reduced. I am not guaranteeing that you can win a prize this way, but I will say that your odds of winning are greater than in a sweepstakes where all you need to do is type your e-mail address on a web site.

April 14th, 2008 -- Ellen Crowther in the Charlotte Local News
October 8th, 2007 -- Valerie Simons in the Daytona Beach News Journal Online
September 2nd, 2007 -- Arlene Merrow in the Detriot Free Press
August 28th, 2007 -- Jay Sokolow in the Los Angeles Times (login required)

As for myself, I won a year's worth of free housecleaning back in the mid-90's. The sponsor sent out a photographer, and put a small blurb in the Orange County Register. However I am pretty sure the OCR does not have an archive going back over 10 years that I can link to.

For future reference, this web page at the USPS web site lists all of the 2007 postal holidays:

http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/calendar/federalholidays.htm