Obtaining DNA from an envelope ?

Family tree DNA may be able to do this but they may charge more for this service. DNA can be retrieved from small samples, and DNA is very stable. It's possible to get DNA this way but whether they want to do it and whether you want to pay the price are issues. Contact Familytree DNA to find out if they can do this for you.

The base price to do a forensic analysis and extract DNA from an artifact starts at around $250 at best but often can be $2000 and that charge applies even if no DNA is in fact extracted. The odds of extraction are lower than half. That does not include the cost of actually doing a FamilyFinder, Y or mtDNA test. FTDNA will probably refer you to a third party private lab. Running a forensic lab is very expensive because contamination of the lab is always an ongoing issue. We'd love to hear what FTDNA says. I know they used to recommend one company but that company has gone out of business. Hopefully they've found a new partner. If not get competitive quotes from various private labs because the price and range broadly.

Noelle & Roland I appreciate your prompt replies.
Very informative.
I am a female, trying to connect DNA to my father.
I've heard that male to male is easier.
However, he has passed away & I am only daughter.
Thx much, Georgina

Do you have living uncles, male cousins, nephews, etc? Y male chromosome testing can be very helpful because the Y chromosome is only passed down from father to son and it changes very little over many generations. So it follows the surname. So if you have an uncle, male cousin, nephew who descended down the male line from your paternal grandfather or patrilineal great grandfather they will carry a nearly identical copy of the Y chromosome that your father carried. So if they are willing to take a Y chromosome test their test results can work as a proxy for your father's Y DNA test.

For example my maternal grandfather has passed. So I contacted my living first cousin who was the patrilineal descendant of my maternal grandfather and had him take the Y DNA test as a proxy.

Also doing regular autosomal testing i.e. FTDNA Family Finder, AncestryDNA or 23andMe tests of yourself and your paternal first cousins will help you find matches to your father. They may carry segments of DNA that your father carried that you did not inherit because they all received different segments from your paternal grandparents. So I encourage you to test as many cousins as you can as well. For autosomal testing it won't be that important if they are male or female. If the cousin isn't living one of their children would also work but it is always best to test the oldest individuals if possible.

I appreciate you sharing your personal examples.
I do have living male cousins', also 1/2 brother.
I do not, however, believe they are eager...nor would participate.

I am going to try to print out your information here, IF there ever is an
opportunity. My paternal side is my wall after my grtgrand's. And, no "gateways".... only thru my maternal side.
It's starts in England, winds thru all of Europe & ends w/Chas I in Sicily...
...very disappointing to each time come back to square one, haha..
I thank you for your kind reply.
Best, Georgina

I recv'd my mtDNA data Oct.13, 2016.
Was very surprised at the %'s of my ethnicity (was expecting 99.9% English)
Not the case.
I went thru 23&Me & am part of their ongoing Lupus Research.
How does one add their mtDNA to Geni ?
I will check my profile but, am not computer savvy when it comes to loading in info, ha!

wish ti sent a postcard my father, now deceased.
Is it possible to get his DNA results from a stamp?
ida