how to successfully mail bananagrams in its own banana

August 18, 2022 10:35 PM

Please give me tips and tricks for successfully mailing Bananagrams as-is. I figure this is already in a package, so it should be within regulations. But I still have to get it past a human who will judge it as acceptable-to-mail or put-it-in-a-disposable-envelope.

I have a Bananagrams banana that I need to send to someone. I have already fitted a yellow twist-tie through the zipper hole and the carry tab so that the banana stays zipped. I've got a piece of paperboard with my friend's address on it and with a reinforced hole punched through it attached to the aforementioned ziptie. There's not really room for all the postage stamps it would need, but I think it should be able to fit a printed out label (bonus: what are the dimensions of the printed label sticker?).

I have read postal experiments, which was fun and gave me a sense of the odds (so you don't have to) of the banana reaching its destination. The goal is to tickle an old friend.

NOTE: This is a USPS desk clerk human relations question.

What do I need to do to the package and/or say to the clerk to increase the odds of getting this package in the mail?

posted by aniola to Human Relations (7 answers total)

Is there any post office near you that has those entirely self-serve labeling machines, where you weigh the package yourself, print the label, and then drop it in a self-serve mail deposit box? That would be the easiest way.


Find out here.
posted by mekily at 11:52 PM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

I would take it to the desk, since they may not want it to go through the automatic machines (and there may also be an extra charge since it's nonmachinable). Just be friendly- I wouldn't worry too much about what to say. After all, it's possible to mail coconuts, etc. But I would take off the dangling tag and maybe try to tape down the zip tie so it doesn't get snagged on something.
posted by pinochiette at 6:06 AM on August 19, 2022 [4 favorites]

If it won't mail, perhaps you can hire a local courier to dress up in a shark suit and knock on their door. "Bananagram..."
posted by xedrik at 7:47 AM on August 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

FWIW I recently mailed what amounted to a zippered stuff sack via FedEx with no issues. The FedEx employee didn't bat an eye. Your object is similar to mine, but at a much smaller scale. (I guess the other difference is that the FedEx employee could put the shipping label around the handles... like airlines do with checked baggage.) That being said, if you can get the shipping label large enough to stick to itself, it's probably pretty secure assuming the label can't move too much in the lateral direction.

So I guess if USPS employee #1 doesn't accept it, try USPS employee #2, or FedEx employee #1.
posted by oceano at 8:41 AM on August 19, 2022

I would also suggest adding a clear strip of packing tape along the length of the zipper, just in case.
posted by Mchelly at 9:09 AM on August 19, 2022

I would consider stuffing the banana with filler (e.g. crumpled paper) so it stays in a consistent, firm shape, that should make it less likely to get pinned between things and potentially rip. Attaching the label along the length of the banana might help, too.

USPS clerks have seen some things, they've always had helpful advice for me when I show up with something that's not packaged / labeled quite right. Just be polite.
posted by momus_window at 9:54 AM on August 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I filled the banana with filler.

I took the address tag off because usually the post office just covers whatever I wrote anyway. But when I got there, they wanted the address. So I went home and put the address back on. And found some "organic organic organic" tape on a bunch of greens, and added that. Pinned down the address label with expired mask elastic. By the time I got around to taking it back to the post office, it had another round of "organic organic organic" tape on it, for fun. The mail clerk wanted to know if there was a sausage inside it. There was not. The mail clerk put a couple of small, rectangular stickers on the banana.

Thanks for your help, everyone! The banana got there in two days.
posted by aniola at 2:59 PM on November 10, 2022