Good ideas come in small packages. Just ask Lea Redmond, postmaster of the World’s Smallest Post Service.
Good ideas come in small packages.
Just ask Lea Redmond, postmaster of the World's Smallest Post Service.
"I was actually waking up from a nap and the idea of a really ridiculously tiny letter just popped into my head," she said.
Redmond started transcribing small letters for people at local cafes. A few years later, she now makes her living sending small letters all over the world from her workshop in Oakland, California.
The one-inch long letters are "printed in a minuscule script font and come complete with a custom tiny envelope, miniature postage stamp, authentic red wax seal with your initial, and magnifying glass," according to her website.
Invitations, marriage proposals, love letters -- Redmond has seen them all.
"I've also sent a significant number of tiny letters from Santa's elves," she said.
Redmond's project even drew the attention of the United States Postal Service. They told her she was violating a trademark by using the term "Postal Service." After a little negotiating, she eventually changed her name from "World's Smallest Postal Service" to "World's Smallest Post Service."
After transcribing more than 6,000 letters, Redmond's all-time favorite is a poem written by a man for his wife. It said "To my wife who is my all / I send this card so very small / and though it's held by fingertips / the love inside could sink 10 ships."
"They really never get old for me," she said. "They're magical and adorable every single day."
Tiny letters cost $9 plus shipping. Visit worldssmallestpostservice.com to place an order or to check out some of Redmond's other cool projects.
