{{short description|American company}} thumb|right|A selfie with a Potato Parcel message reading "Birds Tho".
'''Potato Parcel''' (or '''PotatoParcel.com''') is an American company that delivers potatoes with personalized messages of up to 140 characters or one picture.<ref name="Atkins 2016" /><ref name="Burke 2015" /><ref name="Swanson 2016" />
==History== In May 2015, Potato Parcel was founded by mobile app developer Alex Craig, a 24-year-old University of North Texas alumnus, and was later promoted on Reddit.<ref name="Lewis 2015" /><ref name="Taylor 2015" /> Originally, Potato Parcel was based in Dallas, Texas.<ref name="Burke 2015" /> Craig said he would buy the potatoes from the local neighborhood Walmart.<ref name="Robertson 2015" /> Reportedly, profits per month ranged between $10,000<ref name="Hailey 2015" /> and $13,000.<ref name="Beattie 2015" /><ref name="Volkman 2015" /> Potato Parcel proved popular on websites like Twitter.<ref name="Taylor 2015" /> In an email interview with ''MarketWatch''{{'}}s Kathleen Burke, Craig said "I wanted to create a brand new way of sending a message outside of apps and technology by allowing anyone to send an anonymous message…on a potato."<ref name="Burke 2015" />
In October 2015, Potato Parcel was sold to Bay Area entrepreneur Riad Bekhit for $40,000 and moved to San Bruno, California. Bekhit says he uses a Pilot G2 gel roller pens to write messages. Since the move, new products include Lump of Coal Potato (a potato that is spray-painted black), Potato Pal (a potato with a picture of someone's face), Potato Postcard (a postcard pasted onto a potato), and Spooky Tater (a potato painted to look like a pumpkin).<ref name="Woolf 2016" /><ref name="Truong 2016" /> A burlap sack is also available for shipping.<ref name="Saxena 2016" /> In April 2016, Bekhit said profits per month ranged between $20,000 and $25,000.<ref name="Woolf 2016" /><ref name="Bloom 2016" /> Potato Parcel has expanded shipping to Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United Kingdom.<ref name="Atkins 2016" /><ref name="Woolf 2016" /><ref name="Truong 2016" /><ref name="Saxena 2016" />
Potato Parcel also inspired a number of other delivery companies. Another company of the same name based in Australia delivers at the cost of $10 a message of 15 words or fewer.<ref name="Beattie 2015" /> Potato Parcel also inspired Brick or Potato, which allows the customer to choose between a brick or potato with a personalized message at the cost of £6.99.<ref name="Scott 2015" /> Potato Messenger, started by two art students Will Richards and Daniel Butson, mailed 1,000 potatoes to Parliament House, Canberra painted and arranged as the rainbow flag to protest for marriage equality in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/lanesainty/these-teens-made-a-giant-pride-flag-out-of-potatoes|title=These Teens Made A Giant Pride Flag Out Of Potatoes To Support Marriage Equality|last=Sainty|first=Lane|website=BuzzFeed|date=24 September 2015 |language=en|access-date=2019-09-17}}</ref> It also inspired Bananas Gone Wild, founded by electrocardiogram technician Davonte Wilson of Plano, Texas, and Nannergram, founded by Konnor Willison and based in Lehi, Utah, which delivers bananas with personalized messages.<ref name="Burke 2015" /><ref name="Pomranz 2016" /> There is also Eggplant Mail, which delivers eggplants.<ref name="Diamond 2016" /><ref name="Foley 2016" />
== Reception == ''Cosmopolitan''{{'}}s Tess Koman reviewed ''Potato Parcel'' with "It's the new glitter-bombing, but way more depressing."<ref name="Koman 2015" /> ''Tech Cocktail''{{'}}s Elliot Volkman said "these are the perfect way to tell people exactly how you feel."<ref name="Volkman 2015" />
==See also== *List of Internet phenomena
==References== {{reflist|30em |refs= <ref name="Atkins 2016">{{cite web|first1=Amy|last1=Atkins|url=http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/potato-parcel/Content?oid=3739387|title=Potato Parcel|work=Boise Weekly|publisher=Boise Weekly|date=March 16, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016|archive-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808070630/http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/potato-parcel/Content?oid=3739387|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Beattie 2015">{{cite web|first1=Andrea|last1=Beattie|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/11/11/these-quirky-businesses-are-just-too-brilliant-to-fail/|title=These Quirky Businesses Are Just Too Brilliant To Fail|work=The Huffington Post Australia|publisher=The Huffington Post|date=November 11, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Bloom 2016">{{cite web|first1=Jonathan|last1=Bloom|url=http://abc7news.com/society/bay-area-man-sprouts-business-idea-using-potatoes-to-send-messages/1310688/|title=Bay Area man sprouts business idea using potatoes to send messages|work=ABC7|publisher=KGO-TV|date=April 26, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Burke 2015">{{cite web|first1=Kathleen|last1=Burke|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/people-are-spending-14-to-send-message-bearing-potatoes-2015-08-26|title=People are spending $14 to send message-bearing potatoes|work=MarketWatch|publisher=Dow Jones & Company|date=August 26, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Diamond 2016">{{cite web|first1=Kelly|last1=Diamond|url=http://mashable.com/2016/03/21/eggplant-mail/|title=Send your crush an eggplant in the mail|work=Mashable|publisher=Mashable.com|date=March 21, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Foley 2016">{{cite news|first1=Linds|last1=Foley|url=https://www.mtv.co.uk/news/vnln9g/send-real-life-eggplant-emoji|title=You Can Now Send A Real Life Eggplant Emoji By Post|work=MTV.co.uk|publisher=MTV|date=March 22, 2016|access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Hailey 2015">{{cite web|first1=Caroline|last1=Hailey|url=https://www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance/7-dumb-ways-people-make-money/|title=7 Dumb Ways People Make Money|work=GOBankingRates|publisher=ConsumerTrack Inc|date=September 14, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Koman 2015">{{cite web|first1=Tess|last1=Koman|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/news/a41713/potato-parceling-is-the-new-glitter-bombing/|title=Would You Send Your Enemies a Potato With a Mean Message?|work=Cosmopolitan|publisher=Hearst|date=June 9, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Lewis 2015">{{cite web|first1=Ashley|last1=Lewis|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/spud-article-1.2331189|title=Potato Parcel founder, 24, makes $10K each month writing on potatoes and sending them away|work=New York Daily News|publisher=NYDailyNews.com|date=August 19, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Pomranz 2016">{{cite web|first1=Mike|last1=Pomranz|url=http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/secrets/banana-artist-says-he-ll-make-100000-year|title=Banana Artist Says He'll Make $100,000 This Year|work=Food & Wine|publisher=Time Inc.|date=April 25, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016|archive-date=September 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922221504/http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/secrets/banana-artist-says-he-ll-make-100000-year|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Robertson 2015">{{cite web|first1=Lindsey|last1=Robertson|url=http://mashable.com/2015/08/18/potato-in-the-mail/|title=Who knew mailing personalized potatoes could rake in so much cash?|work=Mashable|publisher=Mashable.com|date=August 18, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Saxena 2016">{{cite web|first1=Jaya|last1=Saxena|url=http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/send-a-potato-through-the-mail/|title=Every single website that mails messages on potatoes|work=The Daily Dot|publisher=DailyDot.com|date=February 29, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Scott 2015">{{cite web|first1=Ellen|last1=Scott|url=http://metro.co.uk/2015/10/09/this-website-lets-you-send-your-friends-and-enemies-a-brick-or-a-potato-5431708/|title=Website lets you send your friends a brick or a potato with a message|work=Metro News|publisher=Metro International|date=October 9, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Swanson 2016">{{cite web|first1=Lauren|last1=Swanson|url=http://www.revelist.com/weird/revenge-gifts-list/2684|title=6 gifts you can anonymously send to your mortal enemies|work=Revelist|publisher=Revelist Media|date=June 1, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Taylor 2015">{{cite web|first1=Kate|last1=Taylor|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249599|title=Forget Glitter: The New Thing to Ship Your Enemies Is a Potato|work=Entrepreneur|publisher=Entrepreneur Media, Inc.|date=August 14, 2015|accessdate=August 12, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Truong 2016">{{cite web|first1=Alice|last1=Truong|url=http://qz.com/637716/a-business-that-sends-engraved-potatoes-makes-25000-a-month-and-is-inspiring-copycats/|title=A business that sends messages on potatoes makes $25,000 a month and is inspiring copycats|work=Quartz|publisher=Atlantic Media Co.|date=March 13, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Volkman 2015">{{cite web|first1=Elliot|last1=Volkman|url=http://tech.co/forget-holiday-cards-send-potato-parcel-2015-11|title=Forget Holiday Cards, Send a Potato|work=Tech Cocktail|publisher=Tech.Co|date=November 27, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Woolf 2016">{{cite web|first1=Nicky|last1=Woolf|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/26/mystery-potato-parcel-mail-a-spud|title=When cards won't do the trick, say it with a potato in the mail|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|date=January 26, 2016|accessdate=August 11, 2016}}</ref> }}
==External links== * {{official website|https://potatoparcel.com/}} {{portalbar|Companies|Food|Internet}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potato Parcel}} Category:American companies established in 2015 Category:Internet properties established in 2015 Category:Online retailers of the United States Category:Potatoes