UPDATE: Ship Foliage is no longer in business
All those poor folks suffering in Florida, Hawaii* and other warm weather states with no pretty fall foliage are in luck. There’s a company that will mail New England’s gorgeous maple leaves anywhere in the country.
After the success of his snow-shipping business, Kyle Waring and his wife, Jessica, launched ShipFoliage.com in fall 2015.
They will send you a set of carefully selected and preserved leaves plus other fall-themed leafy items.
Waring, who is perhaps the quintessential entrepreneur, cashed in on the record Boston snowfall a few years ago. Instead of looking at the frozen tundra surrounding him and wishing he’d invested in a snow blower business, he stocked up on Styrofoam coolers. Then he shipped some of his area’s excess white stuff to customers for a meager 50 bucks a box (and up).
Waring has created businesses for years. But success seems to be seasonal (see ShipCoalYo.com) and branching out into fall foliage is the biggest hit. Get one preserved maple leaf for $7.99, three for $15.99, five for $29.99, and 10 for $59.99.
To ensure you don’t receive an envelope of crushed, dead leafy bits, the Warings press each leaf. They then coat foliage in several layers of epoxy-resin, wrap them in tissue paper, and add pretty packaging for shipping.
https://www.facebook.com/shipfoliage/photos/a.424101497784102.1073741828.417264325134486/652234368304146/?type=1&theater
The couple and their friends carefully hunt down maple leaves based on Grades A to C (kind of like maple syrup). They will ship larger quantities by special request. Leaves are exclusively from New England—in particular, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
They “are non-toxic, but please do not eat them,” as the site reminds buyers. Stick to the maple syrup, sugar shaker and candy you also can order from the company.
Waring proves that one man’s backache is another man’s moneymaker. So if your neck of the woods has some cheap, natural wonder that’s not illegal to collect, now’s your chance, dear reader. The ShipAir.com domain is available.
*This post author wishes companies shipping snow and fall leaves were around when she was growing up in Hawaii.
Anna Weaver is a writer and multimedia journalist born, raised, and living back in her home state of Hawaii. Her two young kids keep her on her toes and hooked on online shopping. More.
