Time to spruce up that mailbox.

If first impressions are important, then a good looking curbside mailbox is a must. When a new acquaintances visit a home for the first time, often the very first thing they see when approaching the driveway is the mailbox. Its outward appearance says a great deal about the person or people living at the other end of that driveway. For example, it is all rusty or corroded and leaning on its post? Does the cover close, or is the housing full of dents? Is it being propped up by cinder blocks? Is the flag being held in place by a rubber band? Oddly enough, most homeowners take pride in the way their home looks, however they have a tendency to ignore the mailbox. As long as it can collect and send mail, they fail to give it a second thought, at least until the mail carrier leaves a nasty note requiring that it be repaired. Some people refuse to spend much on a mailbox fearing that neighborhood vandals will simply destroy it.

A leisurely trip through the quintessential American countryside will reveal a wide variety of mailboxes and posts. It´s amusing to note that you can frequently see two beautiful homes side by side, yet one will have a spiffy, sharp-looking mailbox and the other looks like a rust bucket on a stick. It makes one wonder what the back yard looks like. Obviously we should not judge people on the condition of their mailbox, primarily because many people give up trying to maintain it. Between snowplow strikes, vandals or vehicles accidentally hitting them, keeping a good looking mailbox can be an effort in futility.

Some people seem to have unlimited imaginations when installing a mailbox. A quick web search will reveal pictures of mailboxes shaped like a fish, bulldozer, gun, tooth, motorcycle etc. Some of these people spend more on their mailbox then some of us do for our vehicles. The application of flowers around or hanging off a mailbox can be aesthetically pleasing. It´s great that many homeowners still take pride in the appearance of their tiny section of the roadside and it is amazing how something so small can make a neighborhood look so much better.

Placing a unique mailbox next to the road can have additional rewards too. For example, when giving directions to delivery people, long lost relatives and such, you can simply say, "No, we don´t have a name or number on the mailbox, but while driving up Sherwood road, just look for the one shaped like a snowman." Of course if you want to make your mail carrier happy, you should comply with the setback, height and numbering requirements. They are always happy to give you the guidelines if you ask.

It may surprise many people to find out that there are hundreds of places on the internet to purchase a mailbox and post. A web search will reveal dozens of shapes and sizes, often created by companies who specialize in unique styles. Mainely Metals is a typical example. You are only limited by the size of your wallet.

America has come a long ways toward cleaning up the thousands of miles of roadside over the past few decades. Bottle return laws, increased fines for littering, billboard restrictions have all helped to improve our viewing pleasure while traveling. Let´s take it a step further and spruce up our mailboxes. Who knows, perhaps some savvy photographer will happen by yours, snap a picture and put it on the net for all to see.