What Is Mystery Post?

Mystery Post is a fun way to add a bit of mystery to someone’s life—by sending anonymous mail.

If you’ve received mail with a link to this page, someone you know has sent you Mystery Post. Who could it be? We hope you enjoy the sense of intrigue it adds to your life.

Who Sent Me Mystery Post?

Every mailpiece contains clues. Some common ones are:

• Handwriting (though it could be disguised)
• Postmark – shows which post office handled your mail. Your sender might live nearby.
• When it arrived – is there a reason a certain person might send you mail at this time?
• Materials – what kind of paper, pen or pencil, etc. has been used. Even if someone cut letters out of a newspaper, you might be able to figure out which newspaper. You can go all Sherlock Holmes on this, if you think that’s fun. Or just enjoy the mystery.

Use whatever clues you find, and maybe you’ll solve the mystery. But even if you don’t, you’ll know that someone cares about you and wants to add mystery and fun to your life. And you can pass on the mystery by sending your own Mystery Post.

Pro Tip:

Show your Mystery Post to people you know. Maybe one of them is the sender. Or maybe someone will recognize the handwriting or another clue and help you solve the mystery.

What Now?

Did you enjoy the mystery? Pass it on by sending Mystery Post.

Who do you know who would enjoy receiving Mystery Post? If you think you know who sent your Mystery Post, you can be sure they’d enjoy receiving it, too. And almost everyone loves getting real mail from other humans.

How to Send Mystery Post

Send mystery through the mail. Here’s all you have to do:

1. Prepare a postcard or letter, and address it to someone. Don’t sign your name. Don’t put a return address.
2. Somewhere on your mail, write “Mystery Post” and “Enjoy the mystery? Pass it on.” You can also add “www.MysteryPost.link”
3. Stamp and send your mail!

Tips

Want to keep your identity a mystery?

• Don’t sign your name. It’s actually quite difficult for people to guess who sent their Mystery Post, so this one step will probably be enough.
• Disguise your handwriting or type instead.
• Don’t include content the recipient associates with you (Example: if they’ve recently seen the irises you grow, don’t send a photo of your irises.)
• Send your Mystery Post from a different zip code.

Prefer for your recipient to figure out who sent their Mystery Post?

• You’ll probably feel it’s obvious, but your recipient will not.
• Add clues to help them know it’s from you. The more specific, the better. (Example: If you’re both in a gardening club, a gardening theme probably isn’t enough for them to know it’s you. However, if they’ve recently seen the irises you grow, sending a photo of your irises could help them solve the mystery.)
• Experiment with different clues for different recipients.
• You might never know if someone solved the mystery or not. That adds mystery to your own life.

Using Postcards 

• Postcards are a quick, easy, and fun way to send Mystery Post. You can make your own postcards or buy postcards.
• In the United States,
  • postcard stamps are cheaper than regular first class stamps.
  • If you only have a first class stamp, you can still use it to send your postcard.
  • If you use a first class stamp, you can send bigger postcards. Check with USPS for current dimensions.
• Check with your own country’s postal service for mail rules.

Why Does Mystery Post Exist?

Once upon a time, the founder of Mystery Post (whose identity will remain a mystery) received a mystery postcard in the mail. They thought they knew who had sent it, but they were wrong. As they showed the mystery postcard to other people, trying to find the sender, many people got excited about the idea of sending mystery mail.

Our founder sent mystery postcards to everyone they had talked to, and some of those people sent mystery postcards to other people.

Now you have a chance to join the fun.