May I Have the Envelope Please? The Mystery behind the Envelope…

Do you have plans Sunday, February 24? If you’re like 39 million others, you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat, listening to these words:

May I have the envelope please?

There was a time, however, when the envelope didn’t exist. It was 1929, the first year of the Oscars. The cost to attend the event was $10 per ticket, with about 250 attendees.

Now, the event is held in the Dolby Theatre, which hosts about 2,700 attendees, including actors, directors, producers and their families.

But, if there was no envelope in the beginning, how were winners revealed?

Scandal at the Oscars…Envelope to the Rescue

At first, Oscar winners were known in advance. But, there was a problem. There was no suspense. So, the Oscars decided to shake things up, and announce the winners the evening of the event – and release the names early to newspapers to publish in the 8:45pm edition of the LA Times.

This didn’t work either, as guests arriving for the affair could simply purchase the 8:45 edition of the LA times, and read the winners. Surprise spoiled.

So, the Oscars came up with a new plan. They created an envelope system, which is used today.

Want your own Oscar Envelope?

Until last year, you could have one. Simply visit your local office supply store and purchase plain white envelopes. It was that easy. This was the exact same type envelope used at the Oscars.

But in 2012, things changed. After 70 years of use, the plain white envelope was kicked to the curb, replaced by a more grown up version of the envelope.

The new envelope is made of iridescent gold paper and watermarked with the images of Oscar. It’s lined with shiny red paper and the winner’s name appears on the heavy piece of lacquered red paper inside, with the category listed in black – and sealed with a shiny red sticker with two stripes of ribbon.

Want a Sneak Peak at the Names?

Good luck! They’re guarded in a vault. Well, not really. But, the Oscars have developed a clever way to prevent the leak of winners. Two people in this whole world know the results.

Who are they?

Accountants. That’s right, two accountants employed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers are charged with the important task of stuffing and sealing the envelopes and shredding any leftovers.

Are you watching the Oscars this year? If so, please share your plans for the big night by leaving a comment below. Also, have you signed up for our blog yet? Visit our website and sign up to have helpful tips delivered conveniently to your inbox each week!