I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5

Scall5 wrote:
I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5


Hi,
Can't you make one with wood?
Like birdhouse?
Tony

"Scall5" wrote in message
news

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5



If you weld, or know someone, you can reinforce your mailbox. Or make a
pipe mailbox. I had the tincan type on a 4x4 wood post when I moved out to
the country. Some young hooligans came by and played "mailbox baseball"
with it, and destroyed it. Sometimes they would destroy whole rows of them,
but mine stood by itself by our cattle guard gate. I put up a shiny new
one, and they got that too. I was welding offshore at the time, so got some
plate and pipe and made a liner for it. Mounted it to pipe. Put the pipe
into cement, and wrapped the pipe column with one bys. Mounted the pipe out
of plumb to look like it was rickety, and cocked the box on top of the post.

Within a week, I got a hit. Then, after that, about only one every year or
two. A small dent that just made it look crummier on the outside and more
inviting to mailbox baseball players. The little darlings would connect one
time, and that was it. They wouldn't touch it again. Then when they
graduated high school, the new crowd would go cruising out in the country
bashing mailboxes. I never saw them, but would have given a days pay to.

As to your question, I have no clue where you would find one for that price
unless you create one yourself, and just have to pay for materials. $30
mailboxes went the way of the 5 cent cigar. The one I have now was $250,
and I got that after someone stole checks and washed them.

Steve

Scall5 wrote:

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5

Don't know where to get a locking mailbox, but the fact that it is a
*rural* area somewhat lessens the need for one. I live in a rural area
in NY and some people don't even lock their doors here. I have had books
and computer software delivered by mail that were left attached to the
roadside mailbox with a rubber band.
Run out of stamps? Just leave the unstamped envelope(s) and the correct
change in the mailbox.
But, whatever makes you feel safer.

"SteveB" wrote in message
news:beG9d.1636$Lo6.1061@fed1read03...

"Scall5" wrote in message
news

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a
mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about
someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who
sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide
mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones
I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5



If you weld, or know someone, you can reinforce your mailbox.
Or make a
pipe mailbox. I had the tincan type on a 4x4 wood post when I
moved out to
the country. Some young hooligans came by and played "mailbox
baseball"
with it, and destroyed it. Sometimes they would destroy whole
rows of them,
but mine stood by itself by our cattle guard gate. I put up a
shiny new
one, and they got that too. I was welding offshore at the
time, so got some
plate and pipe and made a liner for it. Mounted it to pipe.
Put the pipe
into cement, and wrapped the pipe column with one bys. Mounted
the pipe out
of plumb to look like it was rickety, and cocked the box on top
of the post.

Within a week, I got a hit. Then, after that, about only one
every year or
two. A small dent that just made it look crummier on the
outside and more
inviting to mailbox baseball players. The little darlings
would connect one
time, and that was it. They wouldn't touch it again. Then
when they
graduated high school, the new crowd would go cruising out in
the country
bashing mailboxes. I never saw them, but would have given a
days pay to.

As to your question, I have no clue where you would find one
for that price
unless you create one yourself, and just have to pay for
materials. $30
mailboxes went the way of the 5 cent cigar. The one I have now
was $250,
and I got that after someone stole checks and washed them.

Steve


Dude,

Reading your reply (and your real life experience) made it all
worth my posting! Thanks for the info and the laughs (Scall5
right now is imagining a teenager wringing out his hand for a day
or so and is LMAO!!).
--
---------------------------
Scall5

I never saw them, but would have given a
days pay to.

that's great! I love the rickety bait part. My friend did a similar
thing -- he took one of the smaller "normal sized" mailboxes, and dropped it
into a large "rural oversized" mailbox, then poured concrete around it. He
got a free aluminum bat out of that one.

ask the post office...

"Scall5" wrote in message
news

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 23:07:59 -0500 "
used 20 lines of text to write in newsgroup: alt.home.repair

I had several mailboxes smashed, so I took a piece of conceiled hi-
voltage wire, and hooked the mailbox to my electric fence with a
switch, and would turn it on, on Saturday nights. That aluminum bat
would have worked marvels on this setup. It would have worked great
except I forgot to tuen it off and the mailman got zapped, and refused
to deliver my mail until I disconnected it. I even got an official
notice from the post office (OOPS).


Bull****..


-Graham

Remove the 'snails' from my email

On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 19:14:09 -0500, Scall5 wrote:

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

I was concerned with all the balance transfer checks, credit card
applications, etc. that the credit card companies keep sending me.
Someone did use one of my credit card numbers, to buy $205 worth of
something at a drugstore in Berwin, IL (while I was out of town), but was
tripped up ordering 3 sets of flowers using the name M. Parker (not my
name) flagging the credit card company to contact me. They also tried to
internet order something from a Florida travel agency.

So I got a personal P.O. box. It is just a small one, but if I get a
large package, they leave a key to a locker in the box. One problem is
that many internet sites will only ship to an address registered with the
credit card. So I got a secondary address added to one card for UPS
shipments to my office.

"David Efflandt" wrote in message
...

So I got a personal P.O. box. It is just a small one, but if I get a
large package, they leave a key to a locker in the box. One problem is
that many internet sites will only ship to an address registered with the
credit card. So I got a secondary address added to one card for UPS
shipments to my office.

We dont have a mailbox at all, choosing to use a PO BOX for mail instead....

We just always give the physical location as well as the PO BOX # whenever
anyone asks our address......

Example :

C. Harry Butts
12 S. Klystron Drive
PO Box 850
Anywhere, Wa. 98627

UPS and the other private carriers are smart enough to realize they cant
deliver to a PO BOX, and so they ignore it, delivering to the street address
instead--and the post office is smart enough to realize they need to put it
in the PO BOX, rather than try and deliver to an address thats not on any
route.......

We done this ever since moving from our old residence about seven years ago,
and its really not been a problem at all........

--

SVL

how about 90 bucks?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...253214-6057655

Wayne


"Scall5" wrote in message
news

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5

Scall5 wrote:
I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5

Buy a $20 mailbox, a lock hasp ($2.95), lock ($3.95). You can get a
mail-slot for free (DIY). You're in under your budget.

"Wayne" wrote in message
news:3ZS9d.210113$MQ5.66285@attbi_s52...
how about 90 bucks?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...253214-6057655

Wayne



I installed one of these at my mother-in-laws house. She really likes it.
It wouldn't stand up to mailbox baseballers, but is a decent option.

Steve

"JerryMouse" wrote

Buy a $20 mailbox, a lock hasp ($2.95), lock ($3.95). You can get a
mail-slot for free (DIY). You're in under your budget.


One hit with a baseball bat, and you're back to Ace Hardware for another.

Steve

--
---------------------------
Scall5

"JerryMouse" wrote in message
...
Scall5 wrote:
I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a
mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about
someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who
sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide
mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones
I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5

Buy a $20 mailbox, a lock hasp ($2.95), lock ($3.95). You can
get a
mail-slot for free (DIY). You're in under your budget.

Thanks for the info. I think that this is what I'll do since I'm
not overly concerned with someone bashing it.

G. Morgan wrote in message ...
On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 23:07:59 -0500 "
used 20 lines of text to write in newsgroup: alt.home.repair

I had several mailboxes smashed, so I took a piece of conceiled hi-
voltage wire, and hooked the mailbox to my electric fence with a
switch, and would turn it on, on Saturday nights. That aluminum bat
would have worked marvels on this setup. It would have worked great
except I forgot to tuen it off and the mailman got zapped, and refused
to deliver my mail until I disconnected it. I even got an official
notice from the post office (OOPS).


Bull****..


-Graham

Remove the 'snails' from my email

Yep. Troll.

Harry K

"Wayne" wrote in message news:3ZS9d.210113$MQ5.66285@attbi_s52...
how about 90 bucks?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...253214-6057655

Wayne


"Scall5" wrote in message
news

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5



What do you do when you want to mail something? Looks like you have
to drop it off in town.

Harry K

the Post office does not recommend you leave outgoing mail in a non locked
box.

Do a search on mailbox theft and you will see it is huge. Thieve steal
outgoing checks and wash them, put there names in then cash them.
Since it is outgoing mail you don't even know something went wrong until you
get a call about bills not being paid but checks being cashed.

Wayne


"Harry K" wrote in message
om...
"Wayne" wrote in message
news:3ZS9d.210113$MQ5.66285@attbi_s52...
how about 90 bucks?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...253214-6057655

Wayne


"Scall5" wrote in message
news

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a mail
post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about someone
stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who sells
mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide mail
into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones I
see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5



What do you do when you want to mail something? Looks like you have
to drop it off in town.

Harry K

-- --------------------------- Scall5 "JerryMouse" wrote in message ...

Scall5 wrote:

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a

mail

post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about

someone

stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who

sells

mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide

mail

into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones

I

see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5


Buy a $20 mailbox, a lock hasp ($2.95), lock ($3.95). You can

get a

mail-slot for free (DIY). You're in under your budget.


Thanks for the info. I think that this is what I'll do since I'm
not overly concerned with someone bashing it.

A full sized rural mail box will take two or three half cinder blocks
laid on their side so that the interior cavity is the length of the box.
That will make any drive by vandals regret having chosen your box.
--
Tom H

"HorneTD" wrote in message
link.net...
-- --------------------------- Scall5 "JerryMouse"
wrote in message ...

Scall5 wrote:

I'm moving into a house soon that has a "rural" mailbox on a

mail

post. Since it can not be locked I am concerned about

someone

stealing my mail (e.g. ID theft). Hence my question, who

sells

mailboxes that lock, has a slot for the mailperson to slide

mail

into, and is less than $30.00? I have searched on the web
(Lowes, Ace Hardware, and google) to no avail. The only ones

I

see are $200.00+.

Thanks for any insight.
----------------------
Scall5


Buy a $20 mailbox, a lock hasp ($2.95), lock ($3.95). You can

get a

mail-slot for free (DIY). You're in under your budget.


Thanks for the info. I think that this is what I'll do since I'm
not overly concerned with someone bashing it.

A full sized rural mail box will take two or three half cinder blocks
laid on their side so that the interior cavity is the length of the box.
That will make any drive by vandals regret having chosen your box.

A full sized rural mail box will also take a partial concrete fill along
with a smaller mailbox or other container inside to hold the actual
mail......

--

SVL

On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 23:54:20 -0700, "PrecisionMachinisT"
wrote:

12 S. Klystron Drive

Klystron Drive? Now that's a place I want to see...