Vintage mail collection box - where to find?

[widebody911]

I want to find a vintage mail collection box to use as a mail/package dropbox at home. I think it would be kind of a cool throwback piece as well as help deter porch pirates. I haven't been able to find any for sale; I keep ending up down a pinterest rabbit hole or some random dead link to somoene's blog. There were zillions of these things at one time - where did they go?

[dad911]

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2010/pb22283/html/po_003.htm

Do not sell, loan, or donate collection boxes!

Collection boxes must be disposed of in accordance with Handbook AS-701, Material Management. Refer to Chapter 6, Asset Recovery: Redistribution, Recycling, and Disposal. Compliance with this policy will be rigorously enforced. Any release of a collection box to an unauthorized party will be referred for investigation.

[Tobra]

Postal Regulations say it is going to be tough, bold was in the bulletin

Do not sell, loan, or donate collection boxes!

Collection boxes must be disposed of in accordance with Handbook AS-701, Material Management. Refer to Chapter 6, Asset Recovery: Redistribution, Recycling, and Disposal. Compliance with this policy will be rigorously enforced. Any release of a collection box to an unauthorized party will be referred for investigation.

Collection boxes, including post type, street collection, and relay storage boxes, must not be sold to the public. They must be destroyed by the owning Postal Service™ entity and sold as scrap. Collection boxes designated for sale as scrap must be recycled. Contact a USPSŪ environmental specialist for information concerning federal, state, and local scrap metal recy*cling requirements.

I would ask an antique dealer if'n I were seeking one, might not be legal to use as you intend, perhaps if it were not painted blue or green

[RWebb]

you can weld, right?

weld up a 'steampunk' one - add some rivets, and paint...

[rusnak]

https://www.nationalmailboxes.com/product/bulk-collection-box-for-private-use-access-h2273-2/

[911boost]

I found one similar to rusnak, they are new though not vintage. Or you go with something like this:

https://www.build.com/architectural-mailboxes-6900/s1471146?uid=3456661

[jcommin]

Not to hijack this post but there was a time I thought mailboxes were kinda boring. I had lived in the burbs of Chicago and everyone had the same maibox. I felt the need to get creative.

I was in Beigium on 2014 and was walking down a residential street and noticed mailboxes - some creative stuff:











I have a few more, but I hope you get the idea - I'm with Webb: build your own!

I built one and it didn't last - my neighbor backed into it with their car - I replaced it it with the boring post and mailbox.

[widebody911]

Do not sell, loan, or donate collection boxes!

Well, that would explain it, although I did see a few online that had been sold through various antique stores, etc.

[Mike Andrew]

I can only guess where they have ended up considering the P.O,'s keen business acumen. Seems to me that they could have been sold in lots to some sort of broker and resold to the public by them. Likely make a tidy profit above scrap value, even wholesaling to brokers.
They sell old mail trucks so how difficult could this be?

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by Mike Andrew

I can only guess where they have ended up considering the P.O,'s keen business acumen.

So the USPS probably paid people to take them away?

[Eric 951]

I am sure the USPS did this to prevent any unscrupulous folks form setting up their own illicit "official" mail drop box. It wouldn't take much to paint one up in official livery and set-it up somewhere where it may go unnoticed by authorities, then "collect" whatever mail/packages were deposited.

[drcoastline]

Here where I live the Rotary some how gets old USPS boxes like in the OP. They paint them Caution yellow apply Rotary stickers and use them as drop boxes for eyeglass donations. So some how they are available outside the USPS.

[RWebb]

we use look-alikes here for voting ballot drop-offs (vote by mail) - they are painted a different color

BTW, a WWII pillbox (machine gun emplacement) would make a fun mail drop...

[LWJ]

In a past life, I sold extrusion to a company that made similar boxes for Disneyland. Don't know the name. I think they are in Oregon. Wish I remembered more. Small volume customer.

[nota]

lots of anchors cement manatees or sailfish
best marine one locally an old outboard motor