# Weirdest unsolicited mail? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 15, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582 "2017-12-15T20:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/1 "2017-12-15T20:42:13Z")
I just saw a commercial on TV for “miracle spring water” (similar to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwgvpmluLeM) one, but I think shorter.) It reminded me of how in my childhood my family used to get chain mail and other similar junk mail, including some sending things. The weirdest one I remember was an envelope that contained a blessed shower cap. You were supposed to wear the cap in the shower and I suppose pray for whatever you wanted, and of course send money back to the ministry. Anyone got that beat? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/2 "2017-12-15T22:44:07Z")
I used to get that crap, it would be a blessed cloth or a fake dollar bill, with Jesus pic, or a little envelope of sand from the holy land (?). Always from the same ministry. I have often wondered why/how they got my address. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/3 "2017-12-15T23:09:28Z")
There are companies that rent mailing lists. I used to use them when I did direct mail fundraising. They’re sorted every which way, so you can rent the list most likely to support your cause. [Like this place.](http://www.directmail.com/mailinglists/) I say “rent” not “buy,” because you choose your lists and the company sends out the mail to thousands of places. You do not know who they are, just that they’re cat lovers, or people with kids in preschool, something like that. You only find out about the get to keep the names of those who respond to your piece of mail. A 1%-2% response is considered excellent. So you might send out 10,000 pieces of mail and get 100-200 responses, and that would be considered extremely successful. (Try convincing your non-profit board of that, however.) It’s expensive, but once those people are on your donor list, they’re more likely to give again. Not certain, but more likely. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/4 "2017-12-15T23:41:07Z")
But, if they quit spending so much money on mailing lists, and all that paper and crap that comes in the envelopes they wouldn’t need my donation so much. Does no one in these places have any practical sense? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/5 "2017-12-15T23:43:18Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > But, if they quit spending so much money on mailing lists, and all that paper and crap that comes in the envelopes they wouldn’t need my donation so much. Does no one in these places have any practical sense? If they didn’t net money from it, believe me, they would quit. They do it because in the long run, it does make money. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/6 "2017-12-16T00:00:04Z")
All we get are [nuts](http://milescity.com/forums/posts/view/12506/1). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/7 "2017-12-16T00:03:40Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I used to get that crap, it would be **a blessed cloth** or a fake dollar bill, with Jesus pic, or a little envelope of sand from the holy land (?). Always from the same ministry. I have often wondered why/how they got my address. One time, we got the usual begging letter with a prayer rug _printed on the back_. No instructions on how you use a one-knee sized prayer rug\*. \*definition of _rug_ stretched to the breaking point. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/8 "2017-12-16T00:10:02Z")
Oh I have seen the Barbie sized prayer rug, too. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/9 "2017-12-16T00:25:50Z")
Yeah, now that you mention it, I’ve seen a “prayer rug”, too. It may have been on a separate folded piece of paper, though. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/10 "2017-12-16T04:10:31Z")
I’ve gotten that “prayer rug” also. It confused me though, as I don’t associate prayer rugs with Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/11 "2017-12-16T05:09:30Z")
Yeah, the prayer rug – I can’t remember, are you supposed to send it back to them, or are you supposed to send it to friends, like a chain letter? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/12 "2017-12-16T12:15:33Z")
I couldn’t google up anything last night about the shower cap, but there are [tons of hits on the prayer rug](https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=9g01WvOKNuzGjwTpuZbABQ&q=prayer+rug+chain+mail&oq=prayer+rug+chain+mail). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/13 "2017-12-16T12:39:21Z")
From some of the links, the prayer rugs are sent from “Saint Matthews Churches”, which is a PO Box in Tulsa, Arizona. [They make millions of dollars a year from the scam](https://tinyfrog.wordpress.com/2007/05/21/saint-matthews-churches-a-scam/). But the “Church” has a web site with fake images of their fancy sanctuary and church members, and [this](https://tinyfrog.wordpress.com/2007/05/21/saint-matthews-churches-a-scam/) interesting page. > [@lying scumbag scammer](#): > > However, the published sermons and sacred literature sent free of charge by Saint Matthew’s Churches crosses the paths of atheists; communists; drug dealers; criminals; the lunatic fringes of society; those who hate the United States, God and Christianity and those who hate us because we are gospel missionaries. > > … > > As noted, most people who do not wish to receive Saint Matthew’s Churches gospel literature simply dispose of it, never thinking anything more about it. However, there are some who wish to hurt all churches. They write or call their local newspapers or television stations and complain. Then, the newspapers or television stations take these few false claims and attack our church and other Christian churches in a way that suggests Christians engage in wrongdoing and also suggests that no one wants to receive the gospel free of charge. These newspapers or television stations often quote unnamed sources making their false claims. > > ``` > The vast majority of the men and women in the press are honest. Nevertheless, all of us have seen on the news how a few news reporters have published stories about that were printed as the truth which were obviously false. No Christian church has ever been convicted of wrongdoing for believing that God Answers Prayers. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/14 "2017-12-16T13:17:55Z")
I wish I knew why I keep getting all these magazines that go right in the recycling. Town & Country, O, Cosmo, Elle, Good Housekeeping–all the “women’s” magazines. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/15 "2017-12-16T15:49:05Z")
I get lots of weird mail because there is a mailing list that thinks I’m my now deceased Dad’s age so I get stuff for old people. Hearing aids, AARP, scams that try to confuse old folks but the weirdest mail I ever got was not related to that. It was a hand written a letter with no contact info other than a phone number (which I never called) offering to buy my house for cash. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/16 "2017-12-16T16:14:57Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > It was a hand written a letter with no contact info other than a phone number (which I never called) offering to buy my house for cash. That reminds me of the most offensive unsolicited mail I ever received. Not too long after my mother died, a 2 or 3 page hand-written letter from a woman I had never heard of living in a different state talking about how I needed to turn to God. Apparently, she had a hobby of trolling obituaries and sending such letters to people who were listed as next of kin. If I had had the time then, I would have gone to various bookstores and collected subscription cards from every porn magazine I could find and have subscribed her to them, and got her on every back-of-a-porn-mag mailing list I saw. I would have made it my goal in life to destroy her. But I didn’t have the time, so I just threw it away. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/17 "2017-12-16T17:04:37Z")
My mother passed away in March. Afterwards both my brother and I got a number of letters from vultures offering to buy her house. From the wording they were all obviously aimed at people who didn’t want the hassle of selling the house, so if we had responded they likely would have made an offer below market value. But the most galling one I received was from a company named something like “Official Records Dept.” It had the usual (for these types of scams) disclaimers about not being associated with the government placed where they were likely to not be noticed. They wanted $97 for a “document” stating that my brother and I were now owners of the house. In reality it would have been a worthless piece of paper. I considered responding with a “screw you, assholes” letter but didn’t bother. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/18 "2017-12-16T18:06:01Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I get lots of weird mail because there is a mailing list that thinks I’m my now deceased Dad’s age so I get stuff for old people. Hearing aids, AARP, scams that try to confuse old folks but the weirdest mail I ever got was not related to that. It was a hand written a letter with no contact info other than a phone number (which I never called) offering to buy my house for cash. I recently received a filled out sales contract for my home, ready to file with the county and needing only my notarized signature to claim my commission free check. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/19 "2017-12-16T19:00:32Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > I wish I knew why I keep getting all these magazines that go right in the recycling. Town & Country, O, Cosmo, Elle, Good Housekeeping–all the “women’s” magazines. Mr.Wrekker has just recently started getting mens magazines. GQ, Motor Trend and the like. He never subscribed and isn’t about to sit around leafing through a mag., just not how he rolls. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582/20 "2017-12-17T18:06:40Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > That reminds me of the most offensive unsolicited mail I ever received. Not too long after my mother died, a 2 or 3 page hand-written letter from a woman I had never heard of living in a different state talking about how I needed to turn to God. Apparently, she had a hobby of trolling obituaries and sending such letters to people who were listed as next of kin. If I had had the time then, I would have gone to various bookstores and collected subscription cards from every porn magazine I could find and have subscribed her to them, and got her on every back-of-a-porn-mag mailing list I saw. I would have made it my goal in life to destroy her. But I didn’t have the time, so I just threw it away. I got something similar when my grandma died. Except they were trying to get me to join the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Every now and then I get something stuffed under my doormat from “your neighbor” wanting me to come to their church. I’ve also gotten the prayer rug, both the “Barbie sized” and one that was probably legal document sized folded up. Sometimes I get address labels from charities wanting me to donate. I use the labels but don’t donate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-unsolicited-mail/804582.md?page=2)