The Post Box

The private letter boxes that we take for granted these days were first seen in Paris in the late 18th century, and only made it across the Channel in the mid-19th century; before the mail was delivered to the local post office for collection.  When the postman doing his rounds first came on the scene in the UK, he would actually knock on the door to give the post directly to the householder.  On much of the continent and in North America, the preference has always been for external metal post boxes, either mounted on the side of a house or on a post.  In the USA they often have a flag on them that the postman flips to let the householder know that they have mail to collect.

Until recently these external post boxes were rare in the UK, although multi-tenancy buildings like apartments in city centres such as London would have individual mailboxes in the entrance way to the property, and this practice is still common.  External mail boxes are starting to become more widely seen these days in the UK at domestic properties, as they have several advantages over the traditional slot in the front door - and they can also be a decorative addition to the house.

Here at Mailbox Mania we stock all kinds of letter boxes, newspaper boxes and even boxes designed to take parcels.  From moulded Victorian styles right through to the most uber chic stainless steel post boxes we have the right look to complement your home at affordable prices.

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