Subscription-based mail clubs have become a lucrative side hustle — and sometimes a flourishing, full-time business — for many Generation Z entrepreneurs.
These creators say a tactile, personalized mailpiece has real appeal for a cohort that grew up immersed in a world of screens.
Sometimes called “snail mail clubs,” the businesses offer everything from architectural artwork and recipes to historical romances in epistolary form for a monthly subscription.
In many cases, these creators are expanding on an already established social media presence, according to financial website MoneyTalksNews.
It marks a shift in digital entrepreneurship, according to the website, proving “you do not need complex software or a massive tech startup to generate serious income.”
It appears to be a thriving niche market. In 2019, Link reported on Letterjoy, a business launched in 2017 by Michael Sitver during his college years that capitalized on his love of history and of receiving letters.
For the first few years, the company catered mostly to general history buffs, but they’ve added more than a half-dozen new collections since then.
“We now offer both weekly and monthly mail clubs, and some weeks we mail upwards of 20,000 letters,” Sitver said. “I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. … It has given me a chance to explore everything from literature to espionage and secret ciphers.”
He said he believes the appeal of the clubs is the analog nature of the products.
“A lot of people are looking for something they can enjoy in their free time without having to look at a phone or doomscroll. Snail mail fills that gap perfectly. It’s nostalgic, tactile and unhurried.”
Thanks to viral videos on TikTok, “there’s pretty much a snail mail club for every interest. There are 200-plus mail clubs now delivering everything from stickers, to history, to love stories, to mysteries — and that list is growing fast,” he said.
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