Ever get frustrated with the Post Office and their persnickety regulations? Maybe they're just a bit more flexible than they let on.
The very cool journal Improbable Research did some amazing postal delivery research, reported at Postal Experiments. Here are just a few of the items they sent through the US postal system:
- Rose. Postage and address were attached to a card that was tied to the stem. Delivery at doorstep, 3 days, beat up but the rose bud was still attached.
- Hammer. Card was strapped to hammer handle; extra-large amount of postage was attached. Never received.
- Feather duster. The card with postage and address was attached by wire to the handle. Days to notice of delivery, 6.
- Helium balloon. The balloon was attached to a weight. The address was written on the balloon with magic marker; no postage was affixed. The balloon was refused.
- Coconut. Fresh green coconut containing juice, mailed in Hawaii. Delivery at doorstep, 10 days.
- Lemon. Never received.
- Deer tibia. 9 days.
- Large wheel of cheese. The cheese was already extremely ripe (rancid) at the time of mailing. The cheese had oiled its way through the bottom of the cardboard box by the time of pickup, 8 days. The box had been placed in a plastic bag.
I'll never look at a pre-cancelled bulk-rate stamp the same way again.
Thanks to the Direct Creative Blog for the tip.
Technorati Tags: fundraising, USPS, direct mail
Comments