Though many of us associate the term "mailbox" more often these days with the electronic one on our computers, not everyone has lost the nostalgic idea of receiving real letters. In fact, nothing takes the place of opening the mailbox to find a card from a friend. Some people actually extend this tradition by building whole collections of mailboxes. An interesting aspect of mailbox collecting is that the boxes themselves can be made from so many materials and can be created in just about any form. From brass to plastic, tin to wood or brick, good materials abound. And as far as form goes, for some people the more far out, the better. Websites dedicated to mailbox collecting give producers and collectors alike an idea of the wide array of concepts and designs that exist. On the other end of the collecting spectrum are those who collect antique cast iron mailboxes from centuries past. There are other collectibles available in the shape of mailboxes, such as banks that resemble the old U.S. Postal Service blue mail drop boxes. Others "pimp" their mailboxes with everything from fishing lures to flames. With today's increased awareness of identity theft, locking mailboxes have also experienced an upswing in popularity. Mailbox designs have gotten a whole lot more interesting since the days of the Pony Express. Fortunately, the U.S. Postal Service recognizes just about any container situated in the right place as a mail depository, so the possibilities are many. Mailboxes are one of those collectibles that offers collectors the choice of actual functionality, or pure collectibility.
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