It’s always fun to get mail you weren’t expecting. A card from an old friend. A care package. A coconut. Wait—what? You read that right. A coconut. And I bet you didn’t know you could send coconuts through the mail.
When you mail packages at the post office, you usually receive a litany of questions from the post office clerk, including that one question about liquid, perishable and potentially hazardous items. So it probably comes as a surprise that you can, in fact, mail quite a few food items. While this USPS list of prohibited and restricted items contains a handful of items, food that doesn’t require refrigeration, such as oranges, limes and coconuts, are perfectly acceptable.
Wild, right? And there are quite a few other things you can mail that likely didn’t cross your mind.
A Coconut
First, let’s revisit that coconut. Turns out, there’s actually a business in Molokai, Hawaii—Post-A-Nut—that provides a way for residents and visitors to send an unusual, authentic bit of the island to their friends. The business, which was established in 1991, has become quite popular, ranking third on Trip Advisor’s list of “Things To Do on Molokai.” It’s quite the business, as the tiny Hoolehua Post Office sends out more than 3,000 coconuts a year, about 700 of those to foreign countries. Their annual revenue is currently approaching $60,000.
A Potato
You might be scratching your head, but yes. You can, in fact, mail a potato. There’s even a business, Mail A Spud, that will take care of all your potato-shipping needs if you don’t want to go through the hassle of purchasing and mailing the potato yourself.
A Rock
Let someone know they rock by sending them a rock in the mail. The company Send Some Rocks has actually made a business out of mailing rocks and, for $9.99, you can have one shipped anywhere in the U.S.
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A Brick
Heavy, bulky and downright odd, that hasn’t stopped people from taking time out of their days to mail bricks. And you guessed it, there’s even a business that can handle all of your brick-mailing needs. For $10, Mail Bricks will send the brick of your choice to anyone within the United States and Canada. And for an additional $0.75, they’ll even throw in a handful of glitter.
A Piñata
Taking piñatas to a whole other level, not only can you mail them, but there’s even a tutorial on Studio DIY that shows you how to make your own before you pop it in the mailbox.
A Frisbee
Now this would be a fun and creative way to send out invites for summer parties! Or to invite someone to your next Ultmate Frisbee match?
A Box Of Candy
Talk about a sweet treat! It’s easy to mail boxes of candy because the weight is usually printed on the outside of the box. If it’s under 13 ounces, then using a first-class stamp should do the trick!
A Flip Flop
This could be a fun way to send invites for a spring break get-together or summer barbecue!
A Bottle
Add some excitement to your next party invitation or note by sending it rolled up and enclosed in a bottle (plastic only; a glass bottle will need to be packaged). If you don’t feel like assembling the bottles to mail yourself, you could always use a company that specializes in it, such as Invitation In A Bottle.
