# What is the weirdest thing that you have ever mailed?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 1, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348 "2020-02-01T23:25:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/41 "2020-02-03T21:55:24Z")
While staying at the [Coco Palms resort](https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/content/rise-and-fall-legendary-coco-palms-hotel) in Kauai in the 1980’s, they made a big deal of husking and peeling the dropped coconuts for their guests. One of their recommendations was to mail it “as-is” without any outside packaging, which they would do for you. We wrote my brother’s name and address on the shell (it was about the only I knew the zip code for), and for a few bucks he got a fresh coconut in the mail a few weeks later.
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### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/42 "2020-02-04T00:41:40Z")
> [@saje](#):
>
> Received by mail rather than mailed personally:
>
> Horse semen.
We have a friend who owns a canine breeding facility. You can guess what she mails out …
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### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/43 "2020-02-04T02:48:07Z")
It wasn’t weird compared to you guys! I mailed a single shoe to my daughter after she moved away. I mean the story is obvious. 🙂
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### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/44 "2020-02-04T03:31:01Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#):
>
> While staying at the [Coco Palms resort](https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/content/rise-and-fall-legendary-coco-palms-hotel) in Kauai in the 1980’s, they made a big deal of husking and peeling the dropped coconuts for their guests. One of their recommendations was to mail it “as-is” without any outside packaging, which they would do for you. We wrote my brother’s name and address on the shell (it was about the only I knew the zip code for), and for a few bucks he got a fresh coconut in the mail a few weeks later.
My grandfather mailed a couple of coconuts still in the husk from Hawaii back about 1925. My mother has one and another one of her sisters has one. The address was written on the husk.
I’m really boring. I’ve never sent anything interesting.
When I was on my mission in Japan from 1981 to 1983, we had to write home weekly. I got bored once and wrote a letter backwards then tore it up like a jigsaw puzzle. Apparently, it took my family a while to figure that out.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/45 "2020-02-04T05:08:43Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#):
>
> While staying at the [Coco Palms resort](https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/content/rise-and-fall-legendary-coco-palms-hotel) in Kauai in the 1980’s, they made a big deal of husking and peeling the dropped coconuts for their guests. One of their recommendations was to mail it “as-is” without any outside packaging, which they would do for you. We wrote my brother’s name and address on the shell (it was about the only I knew the zip code for), and for a few bucks he got a fresh coconut in the mail a few weeks later.
We still get those in my facility. They drive me bananas, on account of their tendency to roll aimlessly around the conveyor belts on our automated parcel processing system.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/46 "2020-02-04T05:12:46Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#):
>
> Holy cow, I forgot all about those! My mom used to use those to mail letters internationally. I think they were cheaper postage or something.
Well, yeah. When you pay by the ounce, every gram you save is money in your pocket. Dunno how much more expensive the onion skin paper is, or was, or if its cost outweighed (heh) the postage savings.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/47 "2020-02-04T05:21:57Z")
> [@romansperson](#):
>
> We have a friend who owns a canine breeding facility. You can guess what she mails out …
Dogs can be artificially inseminated? Cats definitely can’t.
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/48 "2020-02-04T08:14:30Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#):
>
> When we go on business trips my husband and I mail all of our dirty laundry back home. That leaves room in our luggage for souvenirs.
I went to India in 2005 on a dignitary detail. A Capitol Police Officer who had done the detail in the past advised me to go to a thrift store and buy a bunch of khakis and polo shirts. He said by the end of the day my clothes would be caked in sweat and I should just peel them off and throw them away as it wouldn’t be anything I’d want in my luggage.
I followed the advice and it worked out well. Until one of the last days. I was in my hotel room in Delhi when I got a package delivered. 😕 WTF? Who the hell knows I’m in India?
I opened the box and like a punch in the face!:eek: The hotel we were in in Mumbai tracked me down and mailed me the clothes I had thrown in the garbage can in my room there before checking out. Blech! {Stereotypical Indian accent} “We could not believe anyone would throw away such fine clothing. So we mailed them to your next stop on your trip”.
Probably karma for the weirdest thing I ever mailed: fecal matter, urine, and 2 hard boiled eggs in a jar. Mailed it to a teacher I absolutely loathed when I was in the 8th grade. I painted the outside of the jar so she couldn’t see what was in it. I heard that after she opened it the stench putrefied her entire house.
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> Dogs can be artificially inseminated?
I believe it’s the only way to breed French Bulldogs.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/49 "2020-02-04T09:42:47Z")
I mailed a series of tiny postcards to myself, to test the lower limit of size\* for the UK post office handling - the smallest one was the size of a stamp - 2 x 2.5cm (stamp on one side, address on the other) - it didn’t make it. The smallest one that survived the process was 3.5cm x 2.5cm
\*Because I noticed that the postal service says a lot about maximum sizes and weights, but nothing at all about minima
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/50 "2020-02-04T13:24:54Z")
Early on living here some relatives came to visit. We drove them around and out into the country. One thought the boiled peanut stands were funny. So we decided to send some to them.
Bad idea.
To their office address.
Really bad idea.
The description of the smell on arrival we got back was terrifying.
Note to self: Peanuts when boiled don’t keep.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/51 "2020-02-04T15:27:16Z")
One of my college roommates was a veterinary student. When he moved out, he forgot to take his cat skeleton with him. I had to mail it.
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### Author:  [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/52 "2020-02-04T17:22:00Z")
> [@DrForrester](#):
>
> Probably the item that was the most fun was receiving a metal pipe with end caps welded on. The mailing address label was stuck to the outside of the pipe. I took it to the maintenance shop - to use the band saw to cut the end caps off. The entire maintenance crew suddenly had to go on break. Inside was a container of fungicide. Wicked stuff. That was the only time I ever had to wear a Level A suit in the maintenance shop. Ah, the good old days…
The post office carried something that looked and felt (and possibly even smelled) like a pipe bomb? Without a visit from the postal inspectors? :eek:
---
### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/53 "2020-02-06T04:40:18Z")
> [@pkbites](#):
>
> I went to India in 2005 on a dignitary detail. A Capitol Police Officer who had done the detail in the past advised me to go to a thrift store and buy a bunch of khakis and polo shirts. He said by the end of the day my clothes would be caked in sweat and I should just peel them off and throw them away as it wouldn’t be anything I’d want in my luggage.
>
> I followed the advice and it worked out well. Until one of the last days. I was in my hotel room in Delhi when I got a package delivered. 😕 WTF? Who the hell knows I’m in India?
>
> I opened the box and like a punch in the face!:eek: The hotel we were in in Mumbai tracked me down and mailed me the clothes I had thrown in the garbage can in my room there before checking out. Blech! {Stereotypical Indian accent} “We could not believe anyone would throw away such fine clothing. So we mailed them to your next stop on your trip”.
>
> Probably karma for the weirdest thing I ever mailed: fecal matter, urine, and 2 hard boiled eggs in a jar. Mailed it to a teacher I absolutely loathed when I was in the 8th grade. I painted the outside of the jar so she couldn’t see what was in it. I heard that after she opened it the stench putrefied her entire house.
>
> I believe it’s the only way to breed French Bulldogs.
Did the teacher ever find out who did it? That’s disgusting!
Makes sense about bulldogs; aren’t they the breed who also have to be delivered by cesarean section because those big heads won’t fit through their narrow pelvis?
p.s. How did the hotel find out where you went after you checked out? That’s creepy.
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### Author:  [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/54 "2020-02-06T04:49:48Z")
While most of the stuff I packed and shipped was pretty boring, there were a lot of anal and vaginal EMG sensors.
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2020, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/55 "2020-02-06T06:08:07Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> Did the teacher ever find out who did it? That’s disgusting!
No. And it was 1974 and the hag is long dead now.
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> How did the hotel find out where you went after you checked out? That’s creepy.
Someone in the group of people we were working with had given them our itinerary for some reason. It was absolutely a breach of protocol seeing we were body guarding politicians and other dignitaries.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/56 "2020-02-07T05:12:39Z")
> [@ftg](#):
>
> Early on living here some relatives came to visit. We drove them around and out into the country. One thought the boiled peanut stands were funny. So we decided to send some to them.
>
> Bad idea.
>
> To their office address.
>
> Really bad idea.
>
> The description of the smell on arrival we got back was terrifying.
>
> Note to self: Peanuts when boiled don’t keep.
They’re also made from unripe peanuts, and you can get them canned (which I have had) but I’ve heard those aren’t as good as fresh boiled peanuts.
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### Author:  [@Mrs\_Fairway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Fairway)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/57 "2020-02-07T12:22:19Z")
Years ago, I was working in the postal plant and kept hearing a crowing sound. Yep, someone was mailing a rooster and it would not shut up. As soon as your nerves calmed down, it crowed again, every few minutes. I loved hearing the chicks, though. So cute.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/58 "2020-02-07T13:07:19Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> So to cheer her up I mailed her a joint (from Boston to Washington, DC), tucked into a box of loose herbal tea so it would be fairly inconspicuous.
Long ago there was a period of time when my brother was unable to get weed. I would UPS it to him. One time the UPS clerk had a question and called to me, “Mr Hertz?”. The pseudonym I used was Dick Hertz.
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> Dogs can be artificially inseminated? Cats definitely can’t.
While not commonly done in the pet trade, in research cats are artificially inseminated. Semen collection can be done on anesthetized Toms using rectal electro-stimulation.
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### Author:  [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/59 "2020-02-07T16:20:06Z")
Q for all you “mail back the dirty laundry, more suitcase room for souvenirs!” people: how much did that cost?
Any advantage to UPS vs FedEx vs USPS ?
(I left some stuff behind when I moved, and was debating asking my former roomie to ship it up to me. No effing clue how to go about it, though.)
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### Author:  [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-thing-that-you-have-ever-mailed/847348/60 "2020-02-07T16:35:18Z")
**Purplehorseshoe** , we use the “if it fits, it ships” boxes, so we don’t pay by weight. Your be surprised how much you can get in one of those if you’re determined.
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