The Post Box

With the phenomenal growth of the internet and digital media, the question arises as to why there is a still a need for letter boxes and why they are so important. Many firms, especially banks and lawyers, still send documents by snail mail and you need a letter box as a receptacle for the incoming mail. Security of incoming mail is very important and you do not want other people accessing your mail, especially if it contains confidential information such as bank details or information about legal transactions. Much of this is sent by recorded delivery and must be signed for, but it is still important to have a letter box in case you are not in and the postman has to leave a card so you can collect the letter from the post office later.

There is a rising crime rate in data theft and you must always consider the security of your private information. By providing a letter box, you are making it easy for the postman to deliver the mail which is not then accessible to other parties than the addressee. The Royal Mail is legally bound to deliver mail only to the addressee and not to a third party, even if you are out, so a letter box is a must. Lockable letter boxes, arson proof letter boxes and letter boxes which can be built into the walls or doors of your property are all available to maximise the security of your mail.

Some people do not wish to provide bank details over the phone or internet and may prefer to have paper contracts for some documents which must be signed and returned instead of downloading them from the internet. When opening a new bank account or setting up a new insurance policy, the financial institution concerned will always want an original signature. This means sending out original paper documents which are delivered through your letter box to prevent money laundering and identity theft.

Security is becoming more and more necessary these days as criminals find ever more ingenious ways to steal identities when payments for goods are made via the internet. This can be avoided by insisting that bank details and other personal information are only provided in writing and sent through the post. The recipient will also then require a letter box to receive the documents, making it more difficult for the would-be thief to intercept your information for their own use, or to sell on to a third party.

Letter boxes for incoming mail have been in use in the UK for many years, and red post boxes for outgoing mail a national institution. The Royal Mail is legally obliged to keep your mail safe at all times while it is in their care and are very diligent when you request redirection of your mail to another address, requiring the signature of the person to whom mail is addressed as well as photographic identification. This will ensure that mail is delivered to the correct letter box at your new address.

Even the modern world of communications and the internet, people are still inundated with mail received through Letter Boxes both at residential and at business premises. As we all try to cut down on waste in all forms, it is annoying to receive unsolicited mail and to have to sift through communications which are delivered through post boxes to separate bona fide letters from unwanted mail. Advertising fliers posted through letter boxes are often thrown away without being read, and even glossy magazines received through letter boxes can be put in the paper recycling without even having been opened.  This is not only a waste of paper, but a waste of money for the advertisers and promoters. People lead busy lives, and do not want to receive unsolicited mail through their letter boxes and to have to sort out the mail at the end of a busy day.

Some people who do not wish to receive unwanted mail through their post boxes put notices with “no junk mail” above their letter boxes, but this is bad news not only for the postman who has carried the mail and has to sort it out, but also for the company who has spent money producing the material.  It is not cost effective for advertisers to have their hard earned cash basically thrown in the bin. According to the BBC News site (November 2011), new measures are being introduced to reduce the amount of junk mail received through letter boxes. From April 2012 there is to be a single web site where the people can register to opt out of receiving unsolicited fliers and other mail.  Direct marketing companies have agreed to only use recyclable materials in advertisements whereas at the moment 80% of items received through your letter box do not fall into that category.   Currently people have to register on three separate web sites if they do not wish to receive junk mail – the Mailing Preference Service, the Your Choice Preference System and the Royal Mail’s Door-to-Door opt-out service.

Mail Boxes are often overflowing or letters are piled up behind the door when people return from holiday and much of it is unsolicited mail.  This all has to be sorted, causing aggravation when the majority of what has been delivered through the letter box is effectively rubbish. According to the BBC News report, on average the UK householder receives more than 370 items of unsolicited paper mail through their letter boxes each year, the greater part of it unaddressed.

In the same report, it was stated that an estimated nine billion items of unaddressed post are delivered through post boxes every year. Such mail inevitably ends up in the bin creating a lot of waste.    The Government are so concerned about the level of waste that they have brokered a deal with the Direct Marketing Association to reduce the level of unsolicited mail being delivered through post boxes in a crack down on junk mail as part of its waste review in the UK’s effort to forge ahead with a zero waste economy.

Even in these days of emails and other electronic transmission of correspondence, the humble Letter Box is of paramount importance for your communications.   There are four main designs of Letter Boxes for incoming mail – a simple slot in the door,  a box attached directly on to your house, a Post Box on the street and a unit which is designed for multi occupancy buildings which provides Letter Boxes for individual residents.

The simple slot in the door style of Letter Box by far the most commonly used in the United Kingdom, especially in urban areas.   It is convenient for the postman as he can simply deliver the mail without having to open individual receptacles.  The Letter Boxes are often pre-fitted into new doors and can be made of aluminium, chrome, brass, uVPC or stainless steel.  The design of the Letter Box allows weather proofing by having an interior draught excluder.  Many Letter Boxes have spring loaded flaps to ensure that they close automatically and are weatherproof.   The slots in the door are usually horizontal, but can be vertical, and measure 30 cm by 5cm (12inches by 2 inches).

Letter boxes which are directly attached to your property  may be more beneficial if you regularly receive larger envelopes which will not fit through the standard slots.  .  The Letter Boxes can be mounted on the door and be made of stainless steel, cast aluminium, uVPC or wood.  Security of your mail may be an issue with this style of letter box and the slot should be small enough so that the mail cannot be retrieved once it has been delivered.  The front of the box usually has an aperture which can be opened with a key by the owner of the letter box.

Standard letter boxes on the street in North America consist of a metal box mounted on a post, usually with a tag which can be reset to indicate that mail has been delivered.  In the UK,  there is a selection of letter boxes which can be mounted by the roadside on posts or on walls for the convenience of the postman.  If you have a dog who does not like the postman, this may be an option for you as you can mount the post box outside the gate so that the postman does not have to come into the garden.  To keep your mail safe, the post box will have a key so that mail can be retrieved only by the owner.

Letter boxes for multi occupancy buildings usually consist of a bank of individual boxes with keys.  This style of letter box can be located either inside or outside the building with the numbers on the boxes corresponding to that of the apartment or office.   The Letter Boxes can be constructed to suit each building, with the same number of individual boxes made available for each company or residence.

All in all, Letter Boxes continue to be an important part of any communications, despite the phenomenal rise in the usage of email and electronic messaging.

The General Post Office encouraged standard Letter boxes as a slot in the front door as early as 1849. They made it easier for the postman if the Letter box was in a consistent place where possible, making the work of the postman easier and quicker. The standard design of Post Boxes for outgoing mail were first made available at post offices so that people could deposit their mail without having to go into the post office. Roadside Post boxes were not introduced in the United Kingdom until 1852, although they had been used on the continent for some years. This meant that people in rural areas did not have to wait for the post office messenger to arrive as they could deposit their mail in the post box.

The first pillar boxes were introduced into St. Helier, Jersey, in 1952, and at Botchergate, Carlisle, in 1953. London’s first pillar box was placed at the at the junction of Fleet Street and Farringdon Street in 1855. The main instigator of the British post box was the novelist Anthony Trollope who worked at the Post Office as the Surveyor’s Clerk. The idea of roadside post boxes was not new and had first been suggested by Roland Hill in 1840, but was not taken up. Roadside wall post boxes were introduced generally in 1857 as they were cheaper to manufacture than the pillar boxes.

As the use of post boxes grew, the basic design remained the same so as to be easily recognisable, but had some variations, some being hexagonal and others cylindrical. The distinctive red cylindrical pillar boxes and post boxes are a British institution and were designed in 1879 although some of the early Victorian models were green. The cylindrical post boxes were of type “A” (large) and type “B” which was smaller. The type “C” post boxes were oval in shape and had separate openings for town mail and country mail and were first introduced in London in 1899. When post boxes are installed, it is traditional for them to have a plaque with the Latin initials of the reigning monarch, VR for Victoria Regina and GR for George Rex

The General Post Office as a government department ceased to exist in 1969 and services were transferred to a statutory corporation known as the Royal Mail. Services were expanded, but the distinctive red post boxes remain in situ, joined by the red telephone box, some of which had stamp dispensers. Post boxes are still very important, even in today’s electronic world of emails and i-phones. Legal documents and statutory notices are still sent by the Royal Mail, often known as snail mail. Post boxes are still required, especially in rural areas, and the postal service is just as important as it was when it was first conceived. There is now a wide range of designs of letter boxes available to suit individual and business requirements, but the basic design of the post box has not changed since Victorian times.

As more and more people work from home, a Letter Box which can accommodate larger envelopes and even small parcels has become more important. It may be that, even though you are lucky enough to work remotely that you are not at home for much of the day and the postman will need a Letterbox in which to place documents of all sizes from the main office if you are working for an organisation as opposed to being self employed. Important documents which need to be signed for cannot of course be put in the Letterbox and you will need to collect them from the sorting office. The next day delivery postal service promises that documents sent by this method will be delivered by noon the following day so you can plan to be at home to receive the document to save you travelling to the sorting office which may be on the other side of town.

It will depend on the nature of your business as to the quantity of mail you receive through the post. If you buy and sell on web sites such as E-bay or are a mail order company, you may receive regular packages and your Post Box should be big enough to be able to accommodate them. Not all post is delivered by the post office, and you may use a courier company, in which case the size of your Letter Box may not be so important as every package will require a signature. If on the other hand, most of your work is done by email and is a service industry, you will not need such a large Letter Box.

The location of your home office will also be a factor in deciding the type and size of your Letter Box. If you live in an apartment block or other residential property where there is a common entrance, you may want to consider purchasing a large lockable Post Box so that your mail is secure and can only be retrieved by the addressee.

There are many companies which supply a wide range of styles and types of Letter Boxes. Whether you live in a remote area and require a US style Mail Box which can be mounted on a post or in an apartment block which has a multi occupancy Post Box system you will be able to find a Letter Box to suit your requirements. You will have a wide selection of colours and materials to choose from, so whether you require an indoor or outdoor Letter Box, a Letter Box made of aluminium, stainless steel or cast aluminium, you will be spoilt for choice. Where security of your mail is important, there are many types of lockable Post Boxes on the market and there are even Post Boxes available which are specifically for newspapers. The size, style and type of your Post Box will depend on your individual circumstances and the amount of mail you receive.

The letter box could be considered one of the unsung heroes of the front of your home. You and your postman interact with it daily, and it probably sees more use than the expensive outdoor umbrella stand Aunt Maud gave you for Christmas in 1993!

Our mail boxes are designed do one of two things, either perform the basic function of a secure, simple post box, or make a stylish statement to the front of your home that you can rely on 100% in terms of security and durability.

Statement Mail Boxes
In the current financial climate, most folks don’t have the resources to get the brickwork of their house re-pointed and have a Groundforce-like garden makeover on the front garden. That said, there are still thrifty little ways to make a difference; re-painting the fence, re-painting the front door, clearing weeds and defining pathways using large stones/bedding fences etc. can have a huge effect on the frontage of your house. Item number two – statement mail boxes! When all the other bits and bobs of your front area facelift are to do with simplifying and generally tidying up a bit, something cheap and cheerful like a statement letter box could be just the finishing touch!

Simple Mail Boxes
Simple and stylish needn’t be mutually exclusive. Many of our simple mail box designs are ideally suited to nestle harmoniously with the frontage of your property, adding that little extra subtle final touch to your own makeover elbow grease!

Are you an individual with a big personality? If so, you probably love being different, and trying to stand out from the crowd. Well, here’s another way to do that—decorate your postbox! Why not make it a statement of your creativity and personality? Here are some ideas on how to decorate a postbox or letter box.

First, gather together some craft materials. You can use stickers, vinyl cling-ons, paints, glitter glue, and anything that you could glue onto the postbox or draw onto it with.

Now, get some ideas down on paper. Do a rough sketch of what you have in mind so that you can work from it with your final design. That way you will make fewer mistakes and you will have a basic idea of how your letter box will look when it’s finished.

If you want to do a flower/garden theme, you could use flower stickers and paint stems and blaids of grass with green paint. Be sure to use waterproof paint, or go over the whole box with a waterproof finish when you are done so it won’t be spoiled by the weather.

Another idea is to paint the outside with little windows and doors as if it were a house or barn. You could even paint little animal faces looking out of the windows of your barn.

Bring a smile to the faces of everyone who sees your new post box. Be creative, colourful, and express your personality to the world.

It’s one of the most popular post destinations in the world. All of us are likely to have sent letters there on a few occasions. In fact his mail box must be one of the largest, most study and magnificent mail boxes in the world!

The hopeful little children of the 1800’s didn’t invest their dreams and wishes in the postal service. The tradition of burning your letter in your home hearth, safe in the knowledge it would pop up in old St Nick’s mail box was the custom of the day.

Flash forward a few decades and we see less home hearths and more electric heaters – oh no! The practice of popping a letter to Santa in the general post is a harmless one. However is does create a hefty amount of, dare we say… waste! The Royal Mail actually provides an excellent reply service, sending notes back to the mail boxes of good little boys and girls all across the UK!

In the USA, a little town rather jauntily named “Santa Claus, Indiana” receives hundreds of thousands of crayon-addressed letters to Santa every year. The good people of Santa Claus actually make the effort to reply to as many as they can too!

Our team couldn’t quite decide on which of our mail boxes Santa might choose, suffice to say it would almost certainly be red! And just in case you’re in the mood for a little festive wishing and maybe dropping a note into Santa’s mail box….

Santa/Father Christmas,
Santa’s Grotto,
Reindeerland,
SAN TA1

You know the old saying “Don’t shoot the messenger”? Well, we often feel like that here at Mailbox Mania. Whilst we can provide you with durable, top quality mail boxes, we can’t stop a lot of the drivel that get’s pushed into them! Here are a few facts we’ve gathered about pesky junk mail, followed by a few handy tips to reduce it.

•    In a single year, almost 700 items of junk mail could wiggle their way into your letter box.

•    That’s roughly 18 billion pieces of junk mail annually circulating the UK.

•    According to the Environment Agency, by recycling a single ton of junk mail seventeen trees, 2.3 cubic metres landfill, 31,400 litres of water, 4,200 kilowatt hours energy, 1,600 litres oil and 26kg air pollutants can be avoided.

So, how do we keep this troublesome monster at bay and out of our letter boxes? There are varies opt-out schemes. Arguably one of the most opulent sources of information for junk mail practitioners is the electoral register. Although the opt-out option exists, many folks simply aren’t looking for it, making their juicy addresses and demographic details tasty fodder for junk mail list creation. Contact your local council for detail concerning how to remove yourself from the 50% of voters currently opting-in to junk mail lists.

Registration with the Mailing Preference Service is a great way to avoid unwanted, unaddressed direct mail. Similarly, opting-out via the Royal Mail’s opt out service ensures your friendly neighbourhood postman won’t be stuffing your mail boxes with unaddressed junk mail.

The kind of post we receive on a regular basis has changed in recent years. Email and texting has become increasingly popular; therefore personal letter writing has tailed off. One recent survey revealed that one in ten 7-to-14 year olds have never written a personal letter.

At the same time we are taking advantage of e-commerce, making plentiful use of internet retail and auction sites.

Meanwhile our newspapers seem to be getting bigger, especially at the weekends, as the events of a busy world vie for our attention.

If you have your newspapers delivered then you will be no stranger to the problem of how the postman will struggle to get a pile of supplements through your front-door letterbox. It may be that, by agreement with your newsagent, your newspapers are left on the front porch, which is not the best solution as they are then prone to the elements as well as theft.

If you regularly make use of e-commerce, then you may be getting tired of that “whilst you were out” card from the postman that arrives to inform you that your package was the wrong size for your letter box.

Here at Mailbox Mania we offer you the ideal alternative to the front-door letter box: an externally installed post box. This could be a high capacity mailbox giving the postman plenty of room for large packages. We also offer post boxes combined with newspaper holders, which will instantly solve that pesky newspaper problem.