How important is a PO Box?
Zoins
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When signing up for numismatic organizations, like our hosts and the ANA, how important do you think it is to have a PO Box or other non-physical address like a UPS address? Everyone likes to send physical mail but it can identify you as a coin collector. Seems like UPS would be the best because it provides a level of indirection from the Post Office.
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Anonymity is the #1 bestest security. I would never think of using my home address for ANYTHING numismatic.
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?? UPS doesn't have mailboxes. If you are referring to those private mailboxes that are offered by independent businesses that offer shipping, packing, faxing. etc., they are horrendously expensive compared to a USPS post office box.
True, a PMB (private mail box) is somewhat removed from the USPS, but it places knowledge about your coin collecting interests into the hands of a different universe of people. At least at the Post Office they are full time federal employees (yes, I know, technically the USPS is a separate entity) rather than a mishmash of people which might include part time or short term employees.
The USPS has postal inspectors, private operations do not.
Many sellers both domestic and foreign refuse to ship to P.O. Boxes. As I understand it, many of the UPS accounts will not allow shipment to P.O. Boxes, yet shipping from a UPS store will. Go figure.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I dont know about security, but my PO Box has allowed me to stay married for the last 15 years...
Or at least continue to buy stuff I dont want her to see!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I don't want ANYTHING numismatic coming to my home address. I have been very fussy about that for over 40 years.
When I got my second apartment in New Jersey in the early 1970s, the post office box was outside my door. One day when I came home from work, there envelopes with coin pictures sticking out of it for all to see. That was like putting a sign on my apartment door, “Come in and rob me!”
Had coins shipped to my home for 20y never had a problem.
You'd be surprised how many contest winners provide their home address ....... this could easily be a scam
Bottom line is you don't want any stranger to know where you live especially knowing you as coin collector IMHO
A PO Box is an absolute must for security. I ship thousands of packages a year with my return address on them, as well as receive a significant amount of high-value mail. I'm not giving out my home address.
As far as USPS vs. a private mailbox like UPS, a few considerations. I send USPS mail nearly daily, so a trip to the PO is a regular occurrence anyway. In coins, UPS is the least-used carrier of the big three. If I must receive a FedEx package, I send it to a FedEx location to be held for me. Same thing with UPS. Yes, a private box can receive all three, but the only mail I send through the USPS at the counter is Registered, and I can't do that anywhere but a Post Office, so I have to go anyway. Plus, should my information ever be compromised by a rogue employee, I think there's a lot more for a USPS employee to lose as they're much more likely to face a harsher punishment in the federal system. In short, I have a lot more faith in a PO Box than a private box, and it's almost never that I'd need a private box to handle something other than USPS material.
Never thought about it, but I've worked second shift for about 35 years so I am usually home when the mail is delivered.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
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I've had everything shipped to my home addressed. The place is alarmed, I have insurance and my wife and I are both skilled with Glock products.
Since I’ve started using a PO Box I’ve had zero lost packages. At home, sometimes I’d get stuff, sometimes I’d get the little pink errand slips, and sometimes it would just disappear for a day or two. The guys at my local PO are effecient and get me in and out in 60 seconds. No-brainer for me.
I use a POBox for most all packages I send and receive (coins or other). I've had both UPS and FedEx actually deliver to my USPS box in many cases and I often see a UPS or FedEx truck in the parking lot of my local post office. For bigger/bulkier items (not coins) I sometimes have UPS or FedEx deliver to my physical address. Both ways can work.
Florida's the land of home invasions. Coin collection or not, you need to be on your toes 24-7. It's not uncommon for the thieves to dress as UPS drivers or police and knock on your door. The police are currently looking for two guys in a black Charger with blue and red strobe lights in the grill that are pulling people over and robbing them.
I'm not sure that receiving a coin related magazine in the mail is any worse than a magazine with expensive jewelry on the cover.
Wisdom has been chasing you but, you've always been faster
Interesting post and discussion, thanks all for sharing !!!
In use all the time. Good for receiving hobby literature and coins, but also a good place to store the family cat when going on vacation.
I've used a PMB for decades and I did indeed do it for coins. However, I enjoy it for many other reasons and with crime going up, even in good neighborhoods, I find anonymity to be more and more appealing.
But the development of skill with the products of Glock (or in my case Sig Sauer) is a good backup plan.
My PO has a line, 24 hours a day it seems. Never would want a PO box there. I've had to stand in that line and wait 30 minutes, can't handle that every time I go there. So, my home area is a nice part of town with almost all retirees that are always peeking out their windows. I think I'm okay with home delivery. No problems here for 20 years. Did have a problem or two with stolen mail at my last residence in a regular part of town. Seems the girls across the street (teenagers to 20's) were stealing mail looking for credit cards. Got my daughter's brand new Sears card (her first card) and charged it to the max on that same day. So, PO box there worked great and solved the problems.
Need to assess what your likelihood of theft might be and then do what is right. I'd never get a UPS or private mail type box.
There are benefits but have noticed that on occasion I get other peoples mail and have to assume that on occasion, other people get mine.
I used to use my home address when I lived in another state. Every now and then you get an angry ebay customer. One time, I had an angry one in the same town I was in. I decided a PO Box would be smart from then on, lol. I got it for that issue, but as my collection grows, it is important for safety reasons as well.
Cheap insurance in my opinion. I have had mine for 25 years.
Have never gotten other people's mail, but once got someone's Shih Tzu while the cat was in vacation mode. I guess the critters worked it out because when I returned there was a litter of "Cat-Dogs" and a note from the Postmaster about postage due on first class litters.
This is a funny thread. I was expecting a medallion by Fedex, tracking said driver couldn't deliver cause no one was home and no place safe to leave it. This is a no signature item. We were home all day, my front porch is covered and railed and we get deliveries all the time. I had to create a FedEx customer account to get them to leave it on my front porch in a second attempt this Tuesday. There is a delivery instructions option. We shall see. Peace Roy
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I changed to a local PMB 11 years ago mainly because it was far more convenient than the PO. Cost was comparable and service excellent! Our PO's have crazy long lines and I have no tolerance for that. Plus the PMB texts me when parcel arrive. They also get service drops daily from FedEx and UPS. I would never want mail left street-side. Click N' Ship and eBay shipping makes it easy to self process all my outgoing mail.
I use my home address but always request signature confirmation then pick it up at USPS
I've been threatened with the "I know your address" crap. I just answered "bring it on and be prepared".
Never heard a peep from any of them.
bob
I did the 'P.O. Box for security' thingie for more than two decades. One guy at the P.O. really ticked me off over ten years ago and I let the Box go.
Have never missed it in any way, shape or form.
I use my PO Box for ALL mail. Going on 25 years.
Makes moving, partial or full time, easy.
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
As an aside, you can get a USPS mail box anywhere, not just at the post office closest to your house.
Sometimes the smaller offices have better service.
In a security intensive part of the country I have few concerns with theft through the mail around here; I have gotten collectibles sent to UPS store for 20 or so years without any issues.
The PO Box vs Home Address option has been a conversation that my wife and I have had many times. I buy and sell items on ebay, some quite valuable others not, but I have never listed coins for sale. Since we're getting older we are considering selling some of our collection. One problem for us is that even though we live in a city with 200,000 plus residents our last name is very uncommon and I'm the only person in the city with that last name. So unless I get a PO Box in a different town it would be very easy for some devious person to locate my physical address using my name alone as even that wouldn't be bulletproof. That being said has anyone used an alias last name on ebay instead of your actual last name? It this even allowed on ebay? I know they want verified addresses but can that be applied to PO Boxes?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
If my post qualifies as hijacking this thread just let me know and I'll start a new post.
Joe
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Do a d/b/a. Check with state and/or local laws/regulations.
Benefits and setbacks.
Do you live in a really bad area? Get a PObox
Have you lost mail from your mailbox before? Get a PObox
Do you have bad neighbors? Get a PObox
Do you have bad mail people? Get a PObox
Are you paranoid? Get a PObox
Do you get a LOT of high value items or keep a lot of high value items at home? Maybe get a PObox
I've got pretty good, if messy, neighbors, no real crime in the area, have a SDB for pricey coins and bullion, and don't get a lot of high value items in the mail. I had a PObox for a long time and it just wasn't, imho, worth the cost.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
Wouldn't want to not have one. Well worth the peace of mind it brings.
Sure, I have a loaded firearm in nearly every room of my house. It is for the times when I am NOT HOME that I feel a POB is essential.
A PO Box also comes in handy at Halloween. I just leave the light on for the kiddies.
You ought to do something to get it to calm down.
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There is another thread on here about Heritage charging too much for postage.
Some may not know that Heritage charges more postage to ship to P O Boxes vs a street address.
Better use a fake name too. Unless your name is as common as Joe Smith a quick google search will show exactly where you live.
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I've been using a PO Box for the last year and half. I love it!! I live in an apartment complex and there have been many times when a package is delivered to the office. I work odd hours and there are times when I cannot get to the office before they close. My local PO's lobby is open 24 hours and any package not large enough for my box gets put into a parcel locker that I can access at any time.
As a bonus, I can also have FedEx and UPS deliver to my PO Box. You simply give the physical address of the PO and use your box number as a unit number. UPS and FedEx are notorious for leaving packages in front of our doors here at our apartment complex. This time of the year, those packages seem to disappear with a much greater frequency. I won't look back at not having a PO Box ever again.
Pays for its self when there are those "one per household" limits
I've had a PO box near my work for 20 years now. Many advantages still, but essential when I was active buying and selling on eBay.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
While you're at it, put the P.O. box under a corporate name, and use a law firm for registration of the corporation.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
Have had POB ever since 1986 when got back into coins.
If they don’t ship to POB will not do business with them.
POB a must especially in numismatic business.
Using a PO Box reduces the likelihood of “crimes of opportunity” from petty criminals looking for a quick score. I don’t want people of questionable character to know that somebody at my address may have a potentially valuable collection inside. Even if I keep it in a safe or deposit box, the thief doesn’t know that, especially if they are just looking for a quick score to pay for an addiction. The less people that know about, the less chance of problems.
I do not use a P.O. Box.... Just my home mail box...has always worked for me. As far as anyone learning about my coin collecting, well, that would be the mail man...No one else goes into my mail box. Burglars? Well, that would be interesting - no more will be said about that...Cheers, RickO
I use my PO box number for EVERYTHING! If they need a physical address - because they want to use FedEx or UPS, I give them the physical address of the post office, and use my box number as the unit number. Works well, and I don't have to worry about losing things out of my home mailbox, or have people know what comes to my house. My wife and daughter know that that is the rule too, and we are all on the same page.
I just give them the physical address of my post office, and my box number as the unit or apt number. I get my packages, and they think it went to my house, or permanent living space.
From what I have read there is also an issue if you paypal and have a personal account. You email address and your name (don't know about your address) is visible to the buyer. If you have a paypal business account you can use the business name instead of your personal name.
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We have a PO box simply because our small town doesn't have postal delivery and so everyone gets a PO box for no charge. Thankfully we are able to arrange our visits around busy times. If you go right after work or Saturday morning, the lines will be long.
As far as anonymity, as one poster mentioned it's only really helpful if you use a name not associated with your real name. Anyone with my name, town, and an Internet connection can easily find my address.
Only if I got a lot of high value packages would I worry about package theft. Most packages are just socks from Amazon or other random lower value things.
Wow!
Wasn't aware that such places still existed but glad to hear they still do.