Category:
Postal Services

Corpse by Mail

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Original article here.

Was she found innocent or guilty?

The answer is here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Nov 22, 2015 - Comments (3)
Category: Death, 1950s, Postal Services

Mail-Order Foliage

The website shipfoliage.com, created by Kyle Waring, will ship hand-picked New England leaves to U.S. customers. For $19.99 you get three leaves — 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 mixed-color. The site's "foliage experts" make sure that only perfect leaves are shipped.

$19.99 seems like a lot for three leaves. For instance, that's not enough leaves to decorate a Thanksgiving table (which I imagine could be one reason people might want leaves). Also, I'm pretty sure you can buy fake leaves that look pretty convincing at most craft stores.

Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 15, 2015 - Comments (13)
Category: Business, Strange Websites, Postal Services

Message Delivery Services

If you want to send a message, but don't want to use email or snail mail, there are a couple of options.

For a fee, Telegram Stop will deliver a message to someone in the form of an old-fashioned telegram (complete with "stop"s in place of periods).



Another option, which I like better, is the Message in a Bottle Server. It's an informal network of sites run by people who are willing to put your message in a bottle and throw it into the sea (or river) near where they live. For free.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 12, 2015 - Comments (3)
Category: Postal Services

The Pickle Wizard

The Pickle Wizard promises that if you pay him $5.99, he'll send a slice of pickle to a person of your choosing. He writes:

What could be more satisfying than the confusion of a friend or foe when they receive a pickle in the mail with a mysterious note? The answer you ask? Nothing. So get on it, and send those expecto patronads a damn pickle!

Here on WU, we've previously posted about Feces by Mail and Mail-a-Spud, so the Pickle Wizard is the latest variation on that theme of Mail-a-Prank. The Pickle Wizard claims that, to date, he has mailed 520 pickles.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 02, 2015 - Comments (4)
Category: Pickles, Pranks, Postal Services

USPS Forecasts Its Own Future

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From a 1968 issue of NEW YORK MAGAZINE.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 01, 2015 - Comments (5)
Category: Internet, 1960s, Postal Services

Mail Yourself

Yesterday, the New Daily paper reported that Australia Post will soon begin offering a service to allow people to mail themselves across country:

The scheme, to be called AirMale and AirFemale, will see the ailing postal service partner with a low-cost airline to deliver customers for a one-way fee of just $35 to any airport in Australia serviced by the carrier...

While those opting for the new AirMale and AirFemale services won’t have to “post” themselves in envelopes or boxes, they will have to fly in the cargo hold of aircraft.


Of course, it was just an April Fool's Day hoax, but had to share it since it touched on a theme (people posting themselves through the mail) recently discussed here on WU.

Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 02, 2015 - Comments (8)
Category: Postal Services

The man who posted himself to Australia

On the theme of People Who Have Posted Themselves Through The Mail, so far we have already noted the achievements in this line of activity of Henry Bray, May Pierstorff, and Johann Beck.

We can add to our list Reg Spiers, about whom the BBC News recently ran an article. In the mid-1960s, Spiers posted himself from London to Australia as a way to cheaply get back home in time for his daughter's birthday. The cost of a plane ticket was actually cheaper than the cost of shipping such a heavy crate, but Spiers knew that he could send the crate cash-on-delivery, so that payment would only be required once he was in Australia.

His plan succeeded. When he arrived in Australia, the crate (with him inside it) was put in a storage shed from which he managed to escape and hitchhike home. He never had to pay the shipping fees.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Mar 09, 2015 - Comments (6)
Category: 1960s, Postal Services

The Englishman Who Posted Himself



So long as Alex has brought up this theme, I thought I would reference this great book, which I reviewed at the B&N REVIEW upon its release five years ago.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 15, 2015 - Comments (1)
Category: Eccentrics, Books, Europe, Postal Services

The Return of Weird Postcards

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[Click on any of them to enlarge.]

I bought these just yesterday at Raven Used Books in Northampton, MA. Hundreds more awaiting your visitation.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 07, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Humor, Outsider Art, Twentieth Century, Postal Services

Four Weird Vintage Postcards

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Click on any image to enlarge.

Be sure to use Number Four in all anti-Romney campaigning.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 06, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Art, Religion, Stereotypes and Cliches, Postal Services

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Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

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