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Comment by tptacek | Hacker News Reader

I don't understand how there can be 94 comments on this thread and not one of them is from someone who attempted (or succeeded) in mailing someone a potato. I am a homeowner. I have a address. I will receive a potato, or send one to whomever wants one. What's important about this story is "is is true?". Who's going to test it with me?

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I did something pretty similar with USPS around 15 years ago. Walked into the post office, handed them a banana, they slapped a label on it, and off it went. A few weeks later I heard from my friend in Monaco that her mom had gone to check the mail and found her hand covered in rotten banana. Whoops.

> What's important about this story is "is is true?"

The URL is at usps.com, so I'm guessing this is about as official as it gets.

I've mailed a coconut before and it worked. Never done a potato.

I have mailed a potato before. Sent it to a friend to celebrate Columbus Day (this was back when we overlooked his atrocities because it was a cool Italian guy who trafficked exotic nightshades across the Atlantic). It arrived just fine. The postal worker was quite helpful about wrapping it up with the appropriate postage. Post your address on the public internet and I’m sure you will get a lot more potatoes than you would expect.

I sent a banana in the mail. I also sent a paperback book without any sort of box or wrapper. I think it was as Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Did the book make it to Magrathea?

As one of the wealthiest planets in the galaxy, I'm sure it did because of Magrathea's exceptional central planning infrastructure.

Mailing a banana is something I was wondering about when I first saw this thread. I remember seeing a photo in a book many years ago of a banana with a postage stamp on it and I was wondering whether it was really possible.

We successfully mailed two bananas in college. The second was to ensure that it actually left campus and round tripped via USPS.

I would like a potato. Emailed you.

You wouldn't download a potato!

I have received your email and do hereby commit to sending you a potato.

I have the USPS notification service [1] where they send me an email with a scan of all my incoming mail. I look forward to seeing what this one looks like.

[1]: https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm

There's at least one who posted just a little bit before you. ;) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43724688

I’m still wondering if they are going to potato internationally, in which case I would very gladly exchange some continental taters with a colony-grown variety with you!

You do realize that you just inspired the "mail a potato" webapp, don't you? I give it approximately one week before we see a Show HN with that.

whoa whoa whoa. you can't post multimillion startup ideas on here FOR FREE! somebody's probably registered pota.to already!

There are already a few iterations of this idea out there!

If you're willing to give your address to a Hacker News user then you need to spend more time researching your cohorts.

I used to run a website / forum and for a few years we did a secret santa; we sent and received packages to and from abroad. Not complete strangers, and anyone not comfortable with it (we did have multiple victims of stalking etc) didn't have to participate of course. But I got goodies from abroad, including a pink NY hat and an acrylic 9/11 memorial display thingy. Because why not? I sent clogs back, of course.

I'm on a dad support slack, and we regularly mail each other holiday cards (well, not everyone participates, but I think I spend like a hundred bucks a year sending those things out!)

Few things can improve a dad support slack like regularly mailing each other potatoes.

When you say it, it sounds dirty.

It's like Promise Keepers but with potato instead of promise. What could be more starchy and wholesome.

"I (sweet) potato you I won't forget next time?"

You're right. Hallmarked.

Promises you can eat (after proper prep)

I'm going to check how much this costs, but I think you've just figured out my christmas card for next year :)

For like the last 20 years, the majority of people I have done business with are people I have met on Hacker News, where I post (like everywhere else) under my own real name.

I don't understand how there can be 94 comments on this thread, period. I mean, plenty of more interesting topics go unnoticed and people want to talk about mailing a potato? Ok...

Yeah how dare people have fun!

I just think they're neat.

Shipping is a major cost center to hacker startups. Interesting stuff here...

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