Antique of the Week: Post Office Boxes

The Junque Shop in Riverside recently aquired a group of post office boxes previously held in a home in Aquebogue.

The boxes appear to be from the 1940s. They feature the single combination lock used during that time, prior to the double combination lock that was introduced during the 1950s.

Antique or vintage post office boxes have become highly collectible in recent years. A search online will show the boxes have been transformed into banks, wine racks and other novelty items. Some are also simply being restored.

These post office boxes are part of United States history. During the time that these boxes were in use, the price to mail a letter was 3 cents, according to the official U.S. postal service website. There were between 41,000 and 44,000 post offices nation wide in the 1940s compared to just over 27,000 today. However, today, over 170 billion pieces of mail are handled, whereas in the 1940s that number was around 27 billion.

If you are interested in bringing this piece of American history home, visit The Junque Shop. The post office boxes are currently being sold for $325.