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Say Happy Birthday Or Get Revenge With A Personalized Potato In The Mail

By Anne Sewell
Published on: 19:47 PST, Aug 23, 2015

Sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect gift, especially for a guy or girl who has everything, so one 24-year-old entrepreneur found the perfect way to say “happy birthday” or celebrate other events by sending out personalized potatoes in the mail.

Naturally as it involves potatoes, Irish Central picked up on the tale of Texan Alex Craig. It seems Craig may have been inspired by the person who started “Ship Your Enemies Glitter,” a business that allowed people to get revenge by sending their enemies an envelope full of the shiny stuff. That business was so successful the demand became too much for the owner, who then sold it for $85,000.

So, Craig thought, why not send out personalized taters?

Happy Birthday

Since starting his business back in May, Craig is now making $10,000 a month sending out the personalized potatoes. Some are sent as a revenge offering; others wish friends a happy birthday or celebrate other life moments, like anniversaries, new babies and such.

When he first started the business he was told it was the most stupid idea ever but it certainly isn’t stupid if you earn $10,000 writing quick messages on spuds and popping them into the mail.

Craig says in the above video “I would say the two things that hold everybody back in life.. it’s fear and it’s doubt.”

“The fear of failure and the fear of wasting your time, and the doubt that you can actually achieve something big on a huge scale.”

There was certainly no fear in Craig’s heart as he successfully launched his unusual business and of course, it is so quick and easy to do. You just need the perfect pen to write on the potato skin.

Happy birthday

Speaking about his website, potatoparcel.com, Craig said, “What’s really cool about this is that it takes me about 30 seconds to write on a potato.” Not exactly hard work for creating an original gift.

According to CNBC, sending out a humble potato anonymously to tell a rival what you think about them is a plus and of course it is probably the most original happy birthday message ever. Sorry, Hallmark, you have been upstaged by a common vegetable.

The potato messages can be sent anonymously if required, and a medium spud knocks you back $7.99, including a 100 character message. A larger potato costs $9.99 for a message of up to 140 characters – sort of the vegetable equivalent of Twitter.

While his crazy idea is reaping $10,000 a month, Craig also believes he is making a difference in people’s lives, whether wishing them happy birthday, happy anniversary or getting revenge, and that makes him feel good about it.

“It’s had an impact on somebody’s life even for a split second.”

“Suddenly, somebody from Dallas, Texas can have that impact on somebody’s life.”

While so far the business only sends out orders within the US, Craig is now going international and will be offering a service for Canada, Australia and the UK in the future. It will be a franchise offering allowing others the opportunity to become a PotatoParcel Ambassador. Interested anyone?

Below are just some examples of the potatoes Craig has delivered.

This was one very well received happy birthday potato:

A new arrival in the family? Send a spud!

[Images: Screengrabs from YouTube video]

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